Contact
Surfing Made Easy
Contact Info
The Squad
- Owner & Management
- Mick Goryan
- Teen Titans
- Billie & JJ
- Resident Rascal
- Memphis
Their Deets
- Contact Number
- 0418 839 223
- Emergency (ONLY) Number
- 0407 741 335
- Email Address
- info@riverfun.com.au
Please be considerate when expecting an email or phone call return. We put our wonderful clients at the top of our priority list but sometimes the resident rascal (see above) needs our attention.
Our business enquiry times are Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm for after-hour houseboat emergencies please contact us on 0407 741 335
Directions
From Adelaide travel along the A1, then onto the Northern Expressway and continue on the Sturt Highway over the Paringa bridge, right-turn down Lock 5 road where you’ll see our sign and your houseboat!
From Mildura take the Sturt Highway to Paringa and left-turn, before the Paringa bridge, down lock 5 road.
Getting a charter flight? Renmark has a sealed all-weather strip only 10 mins from our marina. Lat -34 11.8 Long 104 40.4
Contact Form
Replies within 48hrs
Have an enquiry? Fill the below form and we’ll get back to you shortly.
The Riverfun Cheat Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Easy as 1, 2, 3….
- Click HERE to go to southaustralia.com link to the Riverfun Houseboats profile.
- Have a look at availability and give us a call so we can assist you with dates and vessel options.
- Once your dates are confirmed with us, head back HERE and click ‘BOOK NOW’ on your chosen stay duration. We will receive a booking request and can then accept your booking.
If you follow the steps above you will then receive a confirmation from us with your voucher amount deducted from the hire price, and the rest of the booking is as per usual.
The main questions to ask yourself are:
Who is coming, what berth allowance am I needing? – Each boat has a certified berth allowance which is stated. Some can carry more people than there are beds, this is generally for kids sleeping in cots or with parents.
Need a spa? A dishwasher? Individual features are listed on our website, along with rates for budget considerations.
If you’ve never done it before, a smaller vessel will be a more relaxing way to learn. Work your way up to the BIG & shiny once you understand all there is to know. We’ll always brief our guests but practice makes perfect. We do have an industry duty of care to make sure you can operate safely. If you’re deemed unable to, you will have to stay at the marina for your hire.
We have Woolworths along the main street, along with a local fruit & veggie store, 2 great butchers, a few bottle shops, bakeries, Big W – everything you need! Do your shopping here in Renmark and support local. Always best to do your fruit and vegetable shopping here due to fruit-fly restrictions in place.
Don’t forget to ask for your Retail Offer guide once you’ve confirmed your booking for all of the deals!
Our biggest tip is don’t over plan! Leave a few days to just go with the flow, or not at all. You may very well find a mooring spot that’s worth a 2 night’s stay!
We recommend at least a 5 night trip on our stretch on the Murray. You have roughly 85kms worth of wide, windy rivers to explore. Most groups moor at the Renmark wharf on their final evening for dinner at one of the local pubs, clubs and restaurants. Then have the 30-minute return to the Paringa Bridge at 9:30am on the final day. We have great tips for mooring sites of interest and how to ensure you stay out of the wind should mother nature put on a show. Check our itinerary guide.
Remember to check your houseboat on our website and on your emailed confirmation with what is included on each individual boat.
You need to bring all personal belongings, food, drinks and condiments. There are some games, DVDs, and books on board but you’re most welcome to bring your own too! Kitchens are fully equipped with microwaves, ovens and cooktops for general cooking & BBQs outside. You are welcome to bring specialty cooking appliances etc. just let us know when we see you if you’ve brought any along and we can confirm power usage.
All linen, under kitchen-sink liquids, cloths, bin liners are provided, along with alfoil, glad wrap and a few rolls of toilet paper per toilet.
Marine group (AMSA) regulations, state the number of persons on board must not exceed the number of berths of the individual houseboat, the maximum possible allowance for commercial hire and drive houseboats is 12. Children under 12 months old are not included in the count. We have a range of 2 to 12 berth houseboats. If your boat states a range (eg. 8-10 berth) the lesser number is how many can sleep in provided beds, and the higher number is the max number of people allowed.
We have a lock-up compound just across the road from the marina that has lots of undercover parking at a nominal charge.
No. As long as you are 18 or more and have a current drivers license. Our modern boats are surprisingly easy to drive. On your day of arrival, we will go through a briefing, and take you for an instructional drive helpful showing tips on cruising and mooring.
You do need to show competency to take the houseboat on the river, it is our duty of care.
A boat license is needed to hire a dinghy.
Yes. Houseboats make an excellent family holiday. They make an exciting and adventurous holiday for the kids, whilst taking the stress away from the adults. Provided the regulations are adhered to and you use common sense, your whole family can enjoy the river. We highly recommend you bring well-fitting life vests for your children
Bonds range between $500 – $2,000 – check your boat’s page or confirmation email. Bonds are payable by way of Credit Card pre-authorisations and will be refunded within 10 days of completion of hire minus fuel used, car parking, any ice, kayak hire and damages etc.
Please note all single-gender groups and groups with all occupants under the age of 30 may incur a higher security bond which will be determined by the owners. Failure to do so may result in refusal of boarding at check-in with no refund.
Yes, but only by prior approval by us before departure. Most things are provided on the houseboats, but we understand there are special requirements, please ask! we need to ensure that anything you are bringing is compatible with our power systems. Hairdryers, electric shavers, phone and device chargers are fine – anything apart from that MUST be approved! Failure to gain approval for any electrical appliances could result in damage to the power system for which the hirer is responsible. We do not take any responsibility for damage caused to any additional appliance.
The balance of the hire fee is payable 6 weeks prior to your arrival.
Check your houseboat list/emailed confirmation for individual specific features included.
Almost everything is provided for your houseboat holiday. Pillows and quilts, including bed linen, towels, bath mats, face towels, hand towels are provided.
Please Note: Bring your own beach towels for river and spas.
All kitchen liquids, cloths, dishwasher tablets (for boats with dishwasher), tea towels, alfoil / cling wrap are supplied in the fully equipped kitchens. A couple rolls of toilet tissue are supplied per toilet.
Boats have a few board games and DVD’s, we recommend bringing more of your favourites too.
Ample Renmark town drinking water is supplied, however anyone particular with the taste of their water or wanting to bring their own can do so.
There are river charts on our boats, which we will show you during a briefing, to assist with the navigation. You travel upstream from our marina between Locks 5 & 6 (approx. 85kms). Check our suggested itinerary guides also.
No. Houseboats can only operate within sun-up hours – AMSA regulations.
The houseboat is insured. Providing the terms and conditions of hire are adhered to, the limit of liability is the insurance excess ($1500-$5000 varies with each houseboat). Wilful or negligent damage is not covered by insurance and you will be charged.
Fuel usage and costs differ from boat to boat depending on many variables like duration, usage style, generator/solar etc. The price/ltr varies just like at the bowser. Check with us for approximate usage and cost
In the case you need any assistance you can call base on our provided numbers.
Yes. Everyone can enjoy a houseboat holiday with us. Please keep in mind emergency care will be logistically different & power is off-grid therefore non-stop power cant be guaranteed in the case of unforeseen mechanical faults,
Please inform us and we will endeavor to make the your holiday as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
We need to know how you would like the bedrooms on your boat made up to suits your group’s sleeping requirements. Some beds can zip apart to become singles so we need to know what configuration you would like the beds made up.
You can arrive from 12 noon on your day of arrival – no earlier as we need time to make sure your houseboat is perfectly ready for your holiday. For boats with top decks we recommend getting here no later than 1pm to allow time for you to unpack, park cars and complete show-out before the 2:30pm bridge lift you will automatically book you in for. Return bridge lift is 930am on final morning. (If you need alternative bridge arrangements please advise.)
As you head upstream under the 2:30pm bridge lift, you will find the Renmark town mooring on your left in roughly 25 minutes. You are able to moor there if you wish and have dinner or afternoon drinks at the club or hotel.
There are mooring spots along the whole of the river, it is totally up to you where you may spend time. There are nice sandy “beaches” along the river (perfect for kiddies), and some spectacular orange hued cliff faces. Approximately 60kms upstream from Renmark is the Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery. It is an awesome place to taste test their in-house brews while sitting among treetops overlooking the river. They have local produce to buy to create your own platters and on weekends and special times they may have food vans, and live music. I would check their Facebook page for details on what’s on closer to the date.
There are fantastic vineyards around which may be of interest to you. If so, a possibility you could look at would be accessing these via the “Amazon Run” shuttle bus. Maybe have a chat with them to see if you can jump on board from the Woolshed and visit a couple of cellar doors.
Supplies along the river are very limited, we recommend you take as much provisions as you think you will require. Woolshed Brewery sells ice, alcohol & small selection of platter food.
Amount and size of fridges differ from boat to boat, check the features list. All boats have great sized eskies. Party bags of ice available at the Marina
There is plenty of fresh drinking Renmark town water onboard. We do recommend for anyone particular with the taste of their water to bring their own boxed water along. River water is used for everything else.
Yes you can, there a tenders supplied, however you are most welcome to bring your own too. Remember ropes!
Yes you can supply your own, or we have ice here at the marina. Cost of ice is deducted from your security bond at the end of your trip. $12/ 10kg bag of block &/or crushed.
Yes, due to the lock systems, water levels are generally maintained at a regular pool level.
Testimonials
Kind words mean everything!
