Stories
Longer reads, travel guides and field notes from the Riverland.
A Weekend in Waikerie
Waikerie translates its name as "anything that flies" - and between the gliders, the regent parrots and the painted rain moth on the silos, the town delivers. How to spend 48 hours on the Riverland's western cliffs.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Village Settlements: The Riverland's Grand Experiment
In the 1890s, depression-era idealists came to the Murray to build communal village settlements. Most failed - but they left the Riverland its bones.
June 2026 · 6 min read
The Cliffs That Colour the River
Ochre, cream and rust, glowing at sunset above the brown river. The Riverland's great cliffs are millions of years in the making - and they're still moving.
June 2026 · 5 min read
On Lake Bonney: The Inland Sea of the Riverland
Donald Campbell chased a record here; today it's for swimming and sailing. The many lives of Lake Bonney, the Riverland's freshwater playground.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Morgan and the Great Bend: Where the Murray Turns
At Morgan the Murray abandons its westward run and swings south. That single turn made the town the busiest river port in the state - and then left it behind.
June 2026 · 6 min read
The Fruit Bowl on the River
Oranges by the million, almonds by the tonne, and it all comes down to water. The story of how the Riverland learned to feed the country.
June 2026 · 6 min read
Crossing the River: The Free Ferries of the Murray
They're free, they run all night, and they've carried the Riverland across the Murray for generations. A love letter to the humble cable ferry.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Big Things and Small Towns: A Riverland Road Trip
The drive between the Riverland's towns is half the holiday - a string of big oranges, historic pubs and riverfront lawns, taken at the river's unhurried pace.
June 2026 · 5 min read
The Big River Bird Migration You've Never Heard Of
When the Riverland's wetlands fill, they become a continental crossroads for waterbirds - a spectacle that plays out largely unnoticed.
June 2026 · 5 min read
A Houseboat Christmas on the Murray
For countless South Australian families, summer means one thing: a houseboat on the Murray. Here's what makes the ritual so enduring.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Morgan: The Port That Time Forgot
It's hard to believe today, but sleepy Morgan was once the second-busiest port in South Australia - the place where the river met the railway.
June 2026 · 5 min read
Mallee Country: The Riverland Beyond the River
Everyone comes to the Riverland for the river. But step away from the water and the ancient mallee tells a deeper, wilder story.
June 2026 · 6 min read