Houseboat tourism is a significant contributor to the economy of South Australia’s Riverland region, but the multi-million-dollar industry is running aground.
It is a trade that has seen dramatic highs and lows; from tourism booms during the COVID-19 pandemic to devastating losses during the 2022–23 River Murray floods.
But now operators are facing a different challenge — their boats are getting stuck.
Houseboat tourism is is a significant contributor to the economy. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
Sand that shifted during the third-highest flood ever recorded in South Australia has settled in several areas, creating havoc for boaters as water flows decline.
From a peak of almost 190 gigalitres a day in late December 2022 at the border of South Australia and Victoria, recent flows have been as low as 4 gigalitres.
Houseboat operator Rob Hughes has been sending holiday-makers up and down the river for more than a decade, managing a fleet of about a dozen houseboats out of Paringa.
Rob Hughes says he loves sharing the joys of being on the river. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
But for a while now he has advised tourists against heading downstream to nearby towns such as Berri and Loxton, fearing they will get jammed in the shallow waters at Settlers Bend.
The experienced pilot has also recently become stuck himself, and he’s not alone, with the State Emergency Service responding to multiple marine rescue call-outs in the last fortnight.
“It is extremely difficult — we can get through, just, if it’s one of us or one of our experienced guys on board — but for the average tourist, it’s impossible,” he said.
Mr Hughes said the problem was impacting the expansion of tourism opportunities and making maintenance difficult, with Berri the only place equipped to remove vessels from the water.
He said the industry had become “resilient” after dealing with challenging conditions during the last few years and was actively deploying workarounds to keep tourists afloat.
Houseboat tourism is a multi-million dollar industry in South Australia. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
But he wants to see something done to address the issue.
“The best part about having a houseboat holiday is creating your own adventure, so rather than us saying, ‘No, you can’t go here, or you can’t go there’, we want them to create their own adventure and go wherever they’d like,” he said.
Navigation challenges putting local history at risk
Concerns about the impacts of the shallow waters are shared by Michael Polson, a volunteer skipper on the iconic PS Industry, which runs trips out of Renmark.
Mr Polson started on paddle steamers in 1981, but despite his decades of experience on the water, even he was caught out by the built-up sand in the system.
Michael Polson is concerned about the future of navigating the River Murray. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
“We went down to Berri about a month-and-a-half ago and got stuck at Settlers Bend,” he said.
“Two cuttings are forming, which are about 35 feet deep but full of snaps and logs, so you can’t get a houseboat through — a dingy is about all you’d manage.”
Cuttings form when two flows of water join together and cut off a previous pathway, or hook, of a river.
“Because the majority of the water is running through these cuttings, it is getting shallower year by year and eventually it’ll close over,” Mr Polson said.
The PS Industry runs tourist trips out of Renmark. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
The volunteer skipper said he was concerned about the future of the river and maintaining the historic paddle steamers which attracted local tourism.
“I don’t think people realise how important it is, we’ve probably got one of the older wood-fired paddle steamers left with the original timber hull,” Mr Polson said.
“If we don’t keep it moving and keep it going up and down the river between the towns, showing off the flag, it will get lost — you’ll see it in pictures and that will be it.”
Mr Polson identified two possible solutions to the ongoing problem — dredging the channel to clear out the build-up of sand or employing an old method of guiding the water.
“They used to have what they call timber groynes or training spurs,” he said.
“It’s sort of like an underwater fence which is angled about 45 degrees to push the water across to one side and scour out a channel.”
All hands needed on deck
Renmark Paringa Council Mayor Peter Hunter said the floods had “changed the depth and what the base of the river looks like” and action was needed to make navigation easier.
“The water is pushing itself through the cutouts instead of around the bends, which is a problem because it is depositing sand in the worst possible spot,” he said.
Peter Hunter says he will advocate for action to improve navigation in the river. (ABC News: Will Hunter)
Cr Hunter said ensuring boats could have a reliable passage through the entire length of the River Murray was essential for the health of the local economy and the community.
“It isn’t just tourism, it is also people’s lifestyle and livelihoods,” he said.
Cr Hunter said he wanted the South Australian government to work with council to find a solution.
South Australia’s Infrastructure and Transport Department said it had visited the area to assess the conditions at Settlers Bend and removed some tree branches from the marked channel.
A spokesperson said a warning notice had been issued to mariners “advising caution” and the department would continue to monitor the area.
