FAQ’s

Yes, South Australia has restrictions on what fruit, vegetables, plants and plant products can be brought into the state and Riverland.

Fruit and vegetables that are at risk from fruit fly cannot travel with you into the Riverland. To protect Riverland growers the ‘bring a receipt’ rule is no longer recognised.       

You will be fined if you are caught travelling into the Riverland with certain fruit and vegetables. Failing to adhere to the quarantine rules may result in a fine up to $100,000. We advise you to visit the PIRSA website to find out what fruit and veg you can and cannot bring into the Riverland.

No.

To hire a houseboat, you will need to be a minimum of 21 years of age, however to drive the vessel, you need to be 21 years of age at the date of hire, and hold a current car driver’s licence.

No boat licence is required.  However an approximately one hour’s tuition is given by our staff (known as the “show out”) prior to starting your holiday.  Driving and mooring the boat is surprisingly easy once you get used to it.

Night travel is not permitted by Law, and you should be moored well before sunset.

We will advise you of sunset times on your showout.

If there is a storm in progress, or if extreme winds are forecast (over 30kph), you should remain moored with both ropes tied on each side of the vessel. In the event that these conditions prevail when boarding or when you are due to disembark, please contact us for advice how to return the boat safely.

From the Morgan township you have approximately 42 river kilometres upstream to Lock 2, and around 60km downstream to Lock 1, therefore if you do not want to try and negotiate a Lock (instructions are in the manual supplied on the boat) Caudo Winery is a lovely spot.  They have designated houseboat spots where you can tie the boat and do a bit of wine tasting or perhaps indulge in a platter or a coffee.  You may like to step it up a notch with their famous sangria’s! Caudo’s is a 5 – 6 hour river trip upstream from Morgan.

If you are holidaying for 5 nights or more, head from Caudo up through Lock 2 where the lock master will help you to navigate through the lock and onto Waikerie. You can top up with groceries at Waikerie and have a nice pub meal at the Waikerie hotel or surrounding cafes!!

If you are on a trip for 7 nights or longer, head further upstream to the Overland Corner Pub…it is a must! Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, the Overland is a lovely place to visit and easy to pull up at the river front for a short walk up to the pub.

Most people tend to travel around 3-4 hours a day, but this is entirely up to you. Basically you travel until you find a spot along the river that appeals to you. Generally this is a clear area of the river bank, with trees on either side (for tying up to), and no fallen trees or snags in the water.

When travelling, you will find that you travel much quicker coming downstream than going upstream, especially if the river is flowing fast. If this is the case, a good rule of thumb is to allow twice as much time going upstream, as coming back downstream!

This question is a bit like “how long is a piece of string”? This depends on a number of factors eg how fast you drive the boat, river and weather conditions and how far you travel. On your Show Out, the most economical usage will be explained to you.

All fuel and gas is taken out of your bond refund (this is refunded into your nominated bank account 14 to 21 days after disembarking). Please note: the price per litre of fuel is likely to be higher than the service station price as we only use premium fuel and are charged a delivery fee.  The total cost for fuel is deducted from your bond.

All boats are equipped with gas counters, therefore gas usage is measured correctly in units.

Yes, a bond is payable prior to boarding the houseboat.

Bonds are to be paid in CASH or CREDIT CARD (2% processing fee applies) upon arrival.  The return of your bond money will be sent back via EFT to your nominated bank account 14 – 21 days after disembarking with a letter detailing the breakdown of costs.

Arrival time is 3pm, however one of our friendly staff may ring you a couple of days before boarding to let you know about an earlier boarding time.

Please phone us on the day if you think you will not meet this time. Please be aware that it takes time to get all of your groceries and personal belongings on board the vessel, to go through your show out instructions, therefore, adherence to your arrival times is critical to you getting away on time!

Disembarking time is strictly 9.30am.

Disembarking by this time is crucial to ensuring adequate turn around times for subsequent hires. Fees for late disembarkation will apply.

Please ensure the boat is left neat and tidy with all used bed linen and towels left in the shower receptacles.

We provide:

• All Linen, including one personal towel each (extra beach towels are advisable, especially in summer) and tea towels.
• Filtered drinking water (400 – 800L tanks on board depending on boat)
• toilet paper (3 rolls per toilet so we suggest bringing a few extra just to be sure!)
• dishwashing detergent
• dishwashing powder for dishwasher
• a couple of Chux
• 1  scourer
• Gladwrap
• Alfoil
• Fly spray

• ‘Agreement for Hire’ booking form
• Your bond
• Signed ‘Terms & Conditions’ form
• Condiments – salt, pepper, sauce, coffee, tea, sugar
• All your food & drinks for the duration of your trip (we suggest freezing your meat, especially for long trips)
• Ice (this can be purchased at the Morgan Roadhouse or Morgan Bakery)

Kitchens are fully equipped with standard kitchen facilities.  We do not allow extra electrical equipment on board as this quite often overloads the generators. (ie no cappuccino machines, ice makers or bread makers)

An alternative suggestion is to contact the Terminus Hotel (08 8540 2006) in Morgan and they will be willing to fill your drinks order and deliver to Foxtale Houseboats (no delivery charge). Saving you the hassle of carrying heavy cans and bottles onto the boat!

Maritime regulations state the number of persons on board must not exceed the number of berths.

Yes – We have an area designated for clients cars, we also have parking for caravans and boat trailers.