Renmark River Cruises on the Murray River: In the Riverland region of South Australia
When you jump on board Allan Carthew's flat bottomed tinnie and head up Ral Ral Creek you're on a journey into a little known part of Australia's wartime history. And even though you're only a few kilometres from the township of Renmark you're on the edge of a complex system of small waterways or annabranches with names like the Big and Little Hunchee and Dead Man's Creek. Allan explains:
“This is a very rich area of annabranches. It's designated as being of international significance by the Ramsar Convention because there's a lot of wetlands here. A real network of these channels.”
Soon we're heading up the Bulyong, another annabranch of the Murray slicing through the mauve coloured duckweed. You can see why the locals call it carpet weed as Allan keeps a lookout for the next turn off:
“You need to have a good map or know we're you’re going because you could easily get lost in here. The SES get called out quite regularly to fetch people who have wandered out from houseboats or got lost in dinghies.”
As the channel gets narrower, soon we're right in the middle of a watery maze where creeks turn back on themselves. It’s the perfect haven for those who might have something to hide. It’s said that back in the early days the sly grog merchants had their stills in the backwaters of the Murray - on the banks of the narrow creeks like the one Allan was navigating:
“The fisherman's wife up here was called Kylie. They used to live on the edge of this creek and all the other fishermen who used to come to town to sell their goods knew her quite well - they used to pay her a visit on the way through.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well I'll leave that to your imagination. But the old man found out about it and he chased her down this creek and that's how it got it's name - Kylie Creek.”
Finally we're back onto the main Murray Channel and in search of other secrets like the one scattered along a stretch of what's called Woolenook Bend.
“During World War Two the Japanese living in Australia were put into camps so they couldn't interfere with the war effort. Same as the Italians at Loveday. This was a log or timber cutting camp.”
It's a strange and eerie feeling as you wander around the remains of the Woolenook Bend Internment Camp. It wasn't as substantial as the one further downstream at Loveday but the photos offer ample proof that the Japanese Australians interned here certainly played their part in the local war effort cutting timber for firewood and fence posts at a location which wasn't well known even to many locals.
Allan: “It's very hard to get accurate information.”
Ron: “Do you think part of the reason that we don't know much about it is that there might have been some shame attached to the fact that people were incarcerated against their will simply because they were Japanese?”
Allan: “I would think that's the problem. Often we don't want to publicise that aspect. We publicise the good bits and we leave the bad bits alone.”
As you walk passed remnants of the camp you come across the old tank stand and the remains of an old drum with its brick lined firebox underneath. It's part of a bath. Nearby are the remains of the wharf, which was the only real link with the outside world during the camp's existence from 1942 to 1945.
“The camp consisted of wood and iron buildings for the kitchen and mess areas and tents for the internees sleeping quarters. And the fruits of their hard labour - the cut timber was taken out on the wharf to the irrigation pumping stations and river boats on the Murray.”
They were long days for the internees and their guards and a long day for us as we return in the late afternoon light through the back creeks where nature is reclaiming this part of the beautiful and mysterious Murray.
The trip to Woolenook Bend is just one of many offered by Renmark River Cruises. They also offer houseboat accommodation. For details contact Allan Carthew on 8595 1862. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
