Few people realise the beauty that’s just outside our back door. Lucky for us, so many scenic sites call Adelaide their home town. I have been fortunate enough to grow up alongside one which I consider to be the most magical, the Murray River. My very large extended family have all shared the ownership of a little green shack along the river since the day I was born. I am so fortunate to have made so many memories there with the most amazing people, you could very well say it has shaped the person I am today. I have learnt so many things at that shack… How to fish, how to water-ski, how to survive with very bad sun burn and how to handle my alcohol (which I still have not achieved successfully). One of the clearest feelings I experienced there was freedom, it was a safe haven, and because of that my parents let me wonder and explore. My best friend and I would disappear for hours, climbing cliffs or chasing dingos. My brother would take me for trips in the dingy, driving way too fast through spaces way too small. And as a family we would explore the other side of the cliffs we faced, whole day trips that left us exhausted and passed out by 7pm.
I understand that not everyone’s family has, or will have a shack like ours, but I do urge you to still pay visit to this amazing place. It can be as little as an hours drive there, you can stay over night or just go for a day trip. There are many camping spots along the waters edge or hotels in little country towns that would welcome a stay from anyone and everyone. With so many activities you could enjoy along the river, it is just as nice to sit back and relax, taking in the serenity the place has to offer. If a large group of you and your mates or family are wanting to pay the Murray River a visit, I can also suggest hiring a houseboat and cruising your way up stream for a week or even just weekend. This is great way to explore, have fun and relax all at the same time.
The Murray River is one hundred percent my happy place. I am so glad my family told me to enjoy it while I was young. They warned me that once I started working I wouldn’t be able to make it up there as often, so I enjoyed every second I could. And now that I am working I have found they were very right. I don’t get to go up there that often. It’s not so much a sad thing, I was prepared for it, but it just means I still make every second count while I’m there. I couldn’t be more thankful to have the upbringing along the river that I did. I hope I can be lucky enough in the future to give my own children the same experience, because I sure couldn’t imagine my childhood, or my life, without it.
Leven 