Family Activities
Big things, big rivers, big fun
The best family activities in Riverland
Roadside Big Things, swimming beaches on Lake Bonney, paddle-boat cruises and playgrounds on the riverfront keep all ages happy.
The Riverland is made for relaxed family travel. The river is the playground - calm reaches for swimming and paddling, grassy foreshores with playgrounds, and pelicans that loaf close enough to count. Add a string of quirky big things and living history, and there's plenty to keep every age happy.
Climb aboard a heritage paddle steamer like the PS Industry at Renmark, pose beneath the Big Orange at Berri, or step back in time at the open-air Loxton Historical Village. The riverfronts at Berri and Loxton bundle playgrounds, lawns and walking trails right beside the water.
For a slow adventure, the gentle creeks of the national park are perfect for a first canoe trip, with frequent landings and constant wildlife. Easy, affordable and never far from a riverbank picnic, the Riverland is a place where kids learn the simple joys of river life.
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44 places
Almondco Australian Almond Centre
$All things almond
A retail centre celebrating the Riverland’s almond industry, with tastings, products and the story of the nut from blossom to bag.
Berri Lookout Tower
Free97 steps to the best free view in Berri
A disused town water tower converted into a 15.8-metre lookout. Climb 97 steps for 360-degree views over Berri, the orchards and the winding Murray.
Berri Riverfront
Boardwalks, lawns and a river beach
Berri’s redeveloped riverfront precinct, with boardwalks, lawns, a swimming beach, playground and the giant Big Orange nearby.
Bert Dingley Park
A riverside picnic spot at Paringa
A grassy riverfront reserve at Paringa beside the historic bridge, with picnic areas, a playground and river views.
Big Bend by Night
$$Spotlight wildlife tours below the cliffs
Guided nocturnal wildlife tours beneath the tallest river cliffs in South Australia, near Nildottie.
Big Orange Berri
A Riverland Big Thing
One of Australia’s classic roadside Big Things - a giant orange celebrating the Riverland’s citrus heritage near Berri.
Bonney Reserve Berri Riverfront
Berri's landscaped riverfront and play space
Bonney Theatre
A beautifully preserved Art Deco picture theatre in the heart of Barmera, still screening films.
Cadell Ferry
A free Murray River cable ferry
A free cable ferry crossing the Murray at the small fruit-growing town of Cadell.
Chaffey Theatre
$$The Riverland's home of stage, screen and touring shows
Renmark's 500-seat performing arts centre, named for the Chaffey brothers. Live theatre, concerts, films and exhibitions bring touring culture deep into the Riverland.
Cobdogla Irrigation Museum
$The machines that watered the Riverland
A working irrigation and steam museum home to the rare Humphrey Pump, telling the story of how the Riverland was watered.
Cobdogla Steam Friends
Working steam history at the Cobdogla irrigation site
Donald Campbell Obelisk
FreeWhere Bluebird flew across Lake Bonney
A foreshore monument marking Donald Campbell's 1964 world water speed record attempt on Lake Bonney, when Bluebird K7 hit 347 km/h on the Riverland's inland sea.
Gurra Gurra Wetlands
FreeThree thousand hectares of lakes beside the Sturt Highway
A 3,000-hectare wetland complex on the Murray's eastern bank east of Berri, its lakes lapping the Sturt Highway near Monash. Pelicans, swans and superb mirror-water photography.
Katarapko Creek Canoe Trail
A marked paddling trail through the red-gum creeks of Katarapko, deep in Murray River National Park.
Kingston-on-Murray Riverfront
A quiet riverside hamlet near the Banrock wetlands, with shady reserves and a gateway to Loch Luna.
Lake Bonney Barmera
Swim, sail and ski the big lake
A broad freshwater lake on Barmera’s doorstep, made for swimming, sailing, water-skiing and lakeside picnics.
Lake Bonney Foreshore Barmera
Swimming and watersports on a freshwater inland lake
Lock 3 Overland Corner
FreeBoats, big lawns and river history at Overland Corner
A working Murray lock near Overland Corner with a broad grassed viewing area - picnic on the bank and watch houseboats step through the chamber.
Lock 5 & the Bunyip Barge
FreeWatch boats step up the Murray in a riverside park
A 1927 lock and weir just downstream of the Paringa Bridge, set in lawned parkland with picnic tables, barbecues and the retired river barge Bunyip on display.
Loveday Internment Camp Site & Collection
FreeAustralia's largest WWII internment camp, six kilometres from Barmera
From 1941, the Loveday camps held over 5,000 German, Italian and Japanese internees on the flats south of Barmera. Ruins and a heritage precinct remain, with a permanent collection at the Barmera Visitor Information Centre.
Loxton Historical Village
$A pioneer village brought back to life
A re-created pioneer settlement of more than 45 buildings on the Loxton riverfront, staffed and furnished as it was a century ago.
Loxton Riverfront & Tree of Knowledge
Riverside walks and flood-height history
Loxton’s leafy riverfront, home to the Tree of Knowledge marking historic flood heights and easy riverside walking trails.
Loxton Riverfront Playground
A riverside playground beside the Tree of Knowledge
Family Activities in Riverland - frequently asked questions
What is the Riverland known for when it comes to family activities?
The Riverland is built around the calm reaches of the Murray River, so the river itself becomes the playground - swimming and paddling, grassy foreshores with playgrounds at spots like the Renmark Riverfront and Berri Riverfront, and pelicans loafing close to shore. Add quirky roadside Big Things, heritage paddle steamers and living history at places like the Loxton Historical Village, and there is plenty to keep every age happy.
Which Big Things can families spot around the Riverland?
The best known is the Big Pelican at Loxton, originally built in 1979 for the local Mardi Gras and now standing near the riverfront. Loxton also has an almond sculpture celebrating the region's nut industry, and you will find more public art further afield, including pelican-themed silo art near Paringa. They make easy, free photo stops on a relaxed family road trip.
Where is the best spot to take young kids for a swim and a paddle?
Lake Bonney at Barmera is a popular choice for families, with a lawned, shaded foreshore, playgrounds and barbecues, and a gently sloping, sandy edge that is good for paddling and swimming. The calm, shallow water near the shore suits younger children, while the wider lake is used for paddleboarding and other watersports.
Can families ride a heritage paddle steamer in the Riverland?
Yes - the PS Industry at Renmark, built in 1911, runs short heritage steaming-day cruises of around an hour upstream. These run on selected days only, typically Sundays on long weekends and during school holidays, roughly 20 times a year, and depend on minimum numbers and volunteer crew, so it is best to check the schedule and book ahead through the Renmark visitor information centre.
When is the best time of year to visit the Riverland with kids?
Summer is ideal for water-based fun, with warm days and river and lake water that is comfortable for swimming, making it the best season for the riverfronts and Lake Bonney. Spring and autumn are milder and pleasant for playgrounds, the Big Things, walks and paddle-steamer cruises without the peak heat, and pelicans and other river birds can be seen along the foreshores year round.