Glenelg River

Tucked away near the pine forests of the South East, is a short stretch of the Glenelg River which arches briefly into South Australia...and it's a gem. From the town of Donovan, to the limestone cliffs of what's called the Gorge, the South Australian section of the Glenelg takes in some of the best scenery of this tidal river. The River pops through South Australia for about three and a half kilometres. And just out here on our starboard side are the Amphitheatre Caves, they're joined by a chasm about the size of the Nelson Endeavour. This was the stuff which the Chinese market gardeners came down into the area for and took fertiliser out of the caves so they could take it back to their gardens in Mount Gambier back in the 1870s and they did that right up until the 1920s. Harvey McBain guides the Nelson Endeavour through the lower reaches of the Glenelg to the world famous Princess Margaret Rose Caves. The river stretches 440 kilometres from the Grampians in central Victoria to the port of Nelson, just the other side of the South Australian border.

There are two theories about the river's formation - one that this impressive gorge was carved out of the limestone by the raging torrent which swept through here back in the days when the Grampians formed a massive mountain range. The other has more to do with the region's thermal past. With the Glenelg River a seismic crack caused by volcanic activity. Whatever the reason, the Glenelg is stunning. While the river is tidal with brackish water extending 50 kilometres up stream, fresh water is also abundant. This is one of the largest freshwater springs that feed into the Glenelg for the rest of our journey. It is the aquifer journey that increases the level of the Glenelg by an inch a day once the river mouth blocks between Christmas and Easter. The Lower Glenelg National Park is a haven for birdlife. We have a little island here coming up ahead where the swans have their young and they do that to get away from feral cats and foxes and things. And they spend most of their time on these little islands once they start their breeding season. Nelson Endeavour Tours is a family affair with Harvey at the wheel or his father Don plying the water of the Glenelg in his old crayboat.

The slow chug of Pompeii's Pride may be the only sound you'll here apart from the abundant birdlife. That's because a limited number of houseboats are licensed to operate on these waters. Plans are also in place to eventually remove the old shacks on the South Australian section of the Glenelg which have provided the ideal haven for many a holiday maker and keen angler over the years. Both father and son can attest to the fishing on the lower reaches of the Glenelg. ÒThey catch a massive amount of mulloway at certain times of the year up to thirty or forty pound mulloway if your lucky.Ó The Nelson endeavour takes tours to the Princess Margaret Rose Caves every Wednesday and Saturday while the older vessell. Pompeii's Pride also conducts three and a half hour cruises on Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays. For bookings contact Harvey on (08) 8738 4191. For more information you can email email info@postcards-sa.com.au