Just minutes after leaving Riverglen Marina we felt that the river was ours alone, and soon settled into a gentle, relaxed holiday mode. After an hour we passed under the Murray bridges and moored an hour later short of Mannum. This meant simply nosing the ‘Wren’ into a small beach, securing the three mooring lines to trees and settling down for our first night on the River.

The first of many magnificent sunsets made dinner a truly remarkable experience.

The next morning, as the mist lifted off the River, we moved on again, taking in the ever changing scenery of farmlands, hills and distant road traffic. Soon we reached Mannum to be greeted by the smell of freshly baked produce from the local bakery which of course we visited.

We walked around this pleasant town, discovering its many attractions, including The Marion (riverboat) Museum and other fascinating historical highlights. After lunch, we re-joined our River Wren and, moving at a steady 7kph. reached Bowhill in around four hours and tied up again for the evening.

Day three saw us gliding along, covering some 40-odd kilometres until we reached one of the loveliest spots on our tour, Big Bend. This secluded sandy beach, with its majestic river gums and spectacular red cliffs in the background,we shared with flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos who were nesting there for the night.

At Blanchetown the next day we experienced our first lock, which we approached with some trepidation. We signalled the lock master with the horn as instructed, entered and found to our delight and relief the little Wren was easy for the three of us to hold steady while she was lifted some nine feet in the lock.

With this experience behind us, we went on, through some of the prettiest river country imaginable, spending the night at historical Morgan.

Here we spent the morning exploring the town and taking the museum at Nor-West Bend Station where you really do ‘step back in time’. Then it was a leisurely 5 hour cruise, through another lock, to Waikerie where we tied up right in the middle of town.

Already we had covered a staggering 280 kilometres, yet by the end of our upstream journey, we would cover a total of 540 km., and six locks, reaching the old Customs House at the SA-Vic border - incredible range, in the space of only 10 days.

The return trip was slightly shorter as the Wren glided downstream, but it was equally fascinating. The ever-changing countryside, from towering cliffs and rugged bushland to pretty little settlements and large towns. All the while we admired countless birds, kangaroos and emus, while fish were seen jumping every day. The sheer history of the River Murray was presented to us - wrecks of old paddle steamers, steam engines, cottages (and the Overland Corner Hotel) filled with memorabilia from the days of the early settlers - an incredible, diverse and unique experience.

We could have opted to leave our River Wren at Customs House and been driven back to Riverglen Marina, but chose instead to spend our entire holiday on the River Murray, and will again, at the very next opportunity.

The River Wren became our home away from home in grand style, and we all enjoyed driving her in turn, (particularly our son!). We have recommended a River Wren holiday to all our friends and have no hesitation in doing the same to you as well...