Fact Sheets & Video - Murraylands

When driving from Adelaide to The Riverland Region of South Australia, you can take a detour by driving through the picturesque Adelaide Hills. Taking a drive through the hills is a tradition enjoyed by most Adelaide families and for good reason. You'll pass through many a quaint, charming towns and hamlets along the way.

You'll pass through the town of Gumeracha, only 45 minutes from the city centre, and home to the biggest rocking horse in the world which also houses the Toy Factory inside. The Big Rocking Horse stands over 18 metres high. Here you'll find Australia's largest range of quality wooden toys at factory direct prices. This family business has been operating successfully for over 25 years. You can browse through a huge selection of souvenirs, novelties and gifts.

But it's not just the rocking horse here, you can also visit the three hectare bush park where you can feed all kinds of animals and have a picnic. When visiting the Toy Factory you can take a guided tour and they'll show the kids how a piece of timber is transformed into a wonderful toy. All the timber used to make the toys is from pine and comes from south east plantation. It keeps regenerating as it is very quick to grow, so it's much better for our environment!!

The Riverland region is located around the Murray River. The area enjoys more sunshine than anywhere else, so even if it's raining in Adelaide, you can generally bet that the sun will be shining in The Riverland. A 'must-do' for those discovering the roads of South Australia, is a trip to Banrock Station Wine and Wetlands Centre which lies at the junction of Banrock Creek and the Murray River in South Australia's Riverland region. The property was acquired in 1994 in an effort to re-establish the damage done to the sensitive wetlands over the years. Banrock Station property is set over 1,700 hectares and attracts 100,000 local and international visitors every year coming to see the wetland re-generation and the subsequent bird and plant life that has followed. Of course you can also try their wine! Each time you buy a bottle of Banrock Station, money goes towards saving animals.

For somewhere to stay while in The Riverland, why not stay right on the river? The Murray River Queen was the first paddle wheeler built by the Veenstra family back in the 1970s and up until recently it was the largest river boat in Australia. It was used for luxury river cruises until it was replaced by the Princess, it then became a floating motel at Goolwa. The Queen has been renewed, remodelled and refurbished to the tune of almost a million dollars. Her new home is now upstream at Waikerie with 48 cabins. Accommodation on board ranges from the top deck staterooms complete with spas, to executive rooms, doubles, singles and budget bunk cabin accommodation.

Further information

The Toy Factory

Telephone: (08) 83891085.

Banrock Station

Telephone: (08) 8392 2564.

Stay on the Murray River Queen. Spa Suite starts from $160 a double. Bunks starts from $35 a night.

Murray River Queen, telephone: (08) 8541 4411.

Prices correct at 12/9/05.