The Murray at its mightiest: A sight all South Aussies should see | Michael McGuire

Forget the doom and gloom for a moment – the Murray in full flood is truly an awe-inspiring sight, writes Michael McGuire.

It’s not often I would use this space to give out travel recommendations but then again the old mighty River Murray doesn’t rise to these levels too often either.

As has been well reported, not since around 1975 have we seen water flow down the Murray at the rate we will see over the next few months.

The basic maths is impressive enough. The Environment Department reported last Friday that water was coming over the border from Victoria at the rate of 89 gigalitres a day. That’s 89,000,000,000 litres a day. As journalists, we like to break these things down into easily digestible numbers. This usually involves swimming pools or ovals. But they are not much good either when it comes to contemplating size.

I prefer how many times you could fill the family car with fuel. If you take the average size tank in the family vehicle to be 50 litres, then the liquid coming over the border would fill up your car 1,780,000,000 times.

Although at current prices you probably wouldn’t want to.

And there is more coming from Victoria. The current estimate is that by early December, the flow rate will be 135GL. And, there is still reason to believe that is a conservative number.

Either way, it’s approaching the 160GL a day recorded in 1975 and the 180GL in 1974. Happily, the 341GL observed in the monster 1956 floods is still a long way off.

By way of comparison, the Murray’s flow at this time of year is often in the range of 6GL a day. This time last year it was about 30GL.

Although the Murray’s peak is still a month away, the effects of the rising water are already being seen and felt along the river.

In the lower-lying areas near Morgan and Swan Reach shack owners are already preparing, moving possessions to higher floors or into storage.

Houseboat operators have stopped hiring out their boats because it’s too dangerous to let novice drivers out on to the fast-flowing river, which also contains all sorts of debris.

So far, so bad. But yet, this is also the perfect time to visit the Murray.

In the past three weeks I have been to the Riverland three times. Through Morgan and Loxton, Renmark and Paringa, Overland Corner and Swan Reach.

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Stopped in at locks one, four and five. And the Murray is a spectacular sight.

For a lot of the past 20 years, much of the talk about the river has centred on what it doesn’t have. Water.

Drought knocked the stuffing out of many communities along the river, not helped by perceptions that drought meant the Murray was dry as well, so tourists stayed away.

Now, the reverse is happening. People hear words such as flood and decide to keep away.

Across the past year or so we have been conditioned by horrific images coming out of places such as Lismore in NSW and more recently Echuca in Victoria.

But the reality in the Riverland is somewhat different. The Murray is rising in increments. Bit-by-bit, day-by-day.

It may yet be highly destructive, but you’ll see it coming.

Like businesses everywhere, those in the Riverland were belted by Covid-19.

Many had recovered well but now have to cope with the perception, rather than the reality, that their businesses are all underwater.

The River Murray at Paringa in the Riverland. Picture: Emma Brasier

Places such as Salena Wine Estates and Woolshed Brewing are open for business but seeing fewer people coming through as tourists avoid the region.

Caravan park owners near the river are also experiencing a drop off in business, even though much of their sites continue to be open.

There is no doubt this is not a good time to be on the actual river, although for the more adventurous, some operators are offering canoe trips through the Murray’s newly filled backwaters.

But if it’s not a time to ski or have a swim, it could be the best time in decades just to have a look around. This is the Murray like it hasn’t been seen in 50 years.

There hasn’t been this much water in the river system for 50 years. Picture: Emma Brasier

To pop up to places such as the Headings Cliff lookout and see how far the water has spread from the river across to Hunchee Island.

To enjoy a lunch and cold beer at Overland Corner Hotel. Or just even sit in the Renmark Club, with its large windows and look out over the river.

The river is immense as it flows through the town, already 1m higher than normal. The Renmark caravan parks have put in new levees in recent weeks to protect their sites as well.

The Riverland can’t afford for the rest of us to ignore it either.

Tourism is a vital part of the economy and many small businesses are already feeling the pain. And for many of them, the summer is their busiest period.

The time they make the money that allows them so survive the colder winter months.

It would help them out to have a few more visitors now.

But, trust me, you’d also be helping yourself. It’s something to see.