A Murray River vista from the Waikerie Rotary Cliff Top Walk
Mild temperatures and sunny days make towns along the Murray River popular for cooler weather touring and the pretty township of Waikerie in South Australia’s Riverland is no exception.
During a winter escape to warmer climes, we left Melbourne in late May and headed north to Mildura, following the sunshine and the flow of mighty Murray River into the Riverland region of South Australia, stopping for the night in the small town of Waikerie.
There is a caravan park in town overlooking the river, however we chose to free camp at the temporary RV park in Ian Oliver Drive, just opposite the Nippy’s factory, in the shadows of the town’s silo art.
Just two hours from Adelaide, Waikerie is known for its citrus industry, public art, golf courses, cellar doors, birdwatching and beautiful stretches of Murray River which play host to a myriad of sporting and leisure pursuits. And then, of course, there is the sunshine. The town was established in 1894 when its first settlers arrived by paddle steamer.
The name ‘Waikerie’ is said to mean ‘many wings’, after the giant swift moth ‘Wei kari’, the name given to the moth by the Indigenous Ngawait people who have inhabited the area for thousands of years.
Waikerie — the rain moth — after which the town was named
Silo art
The Australian Silo Art Trail has become a tourism phenomenon in its own right, stretching more than 8500km from Northam, Western Australia, and ending in Three Moon, Queensland.
People from all walks of life have been encouraged to get into their cars, caravans and motorhomes to view some or all of the 56 silos along the trail in one of Australia’s ultimate road trips.
Titled ‘Healthy River Healthy Community’ the silos in Waikerie were painted by Jimmy Dvate from Melbourne and Garry Duncan from Kanmantoo, SA, and were completed in 2019. They were the fifth silos to be completed in South Australia and the 25th to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection.
Sit on the selfie seat next to Murray the sculpture to get a great pic with Waikerie's silo artworks
The silos at Waikerie are unique in that they are only the second in the collection to be painted on both sides so they can be admired from both land and the Murray River.
Jimmy’s silo features local native flora and fauna, including a giant yabby and the endangered regent parrot. Garry painted a giant, semi-abstract river landscape and has included many native river creatures found in the area, including an assortment of birds, frogs, fish and turtles plus the town’s namesake rain moth.
You can learn more about Waikerie’s murals and art scene by taking a self-guided tour. Downland the Australian Silo Art Trail app to your smart phone and you’ll hear from locals about the silo art, murals, galleries and quirky orange shaped bins.
The Silo Art Ultimate Guide is available from Hema Maps online.
The Cliff top walk
Just in front of the silo art is the midpoint of the Waikerie Rotary Cliff Top Walk and art trail — a trail which stretches 3.5km in total (return) in both directions, providing multiple viewing points over the Murray River and the floodplain.
There are plenty of opportunities to sit and take in the stunning river views
Interpretive trail signage
Interpretive signs along the clifftop track say it was used from 1894 to 1900 by early settlers to walk between the Holder and Waikerie settlements. The track was close to the river because the scrub in the area was very dense.
Between 1988 and 1990, the Cliff Top Walk was constructed by members of the local Rotary Club. Rotarians kept an eye on it over the years — performing the necessary minor repairs — but by 2017 it became apparent that major works would be required. A grant was received from the Federal Government’s Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Program and members of rotary and local tradespeople and hundreds of locals chipping in volunteer hours. The renovation was completed in mid-2022.
There have been some artworks recently added to the trail, including a kookaburra mural and some beautiful metal sculptures, which you can appreciate as you wander along the track and enjoy the river views. And don’t miss stopping by the unique selfie chair, with ‘Murray’ the metal man already seated and ready to take a pic with you with the silo art serving as a beautiful backdrop.
Murals and sculptures are scattered along the Waikerie Rotary Cliff Top Walk
Some of the metal sculpture artwork along the cliff top walk
Stop along the way to see the Peace Pole erected by the Rotary Club in 2023 as part of the global Peace Pole Project. This is one of 250,000 poles erected around the world with the simple goal to spread the universal message of peace ‘May peace prevail on Earth’.
Another interesting place of interest along the trail is the Pioneer Memorial Gardens dedicated to the pioneering families of the Waikerie district in 1977 by the Waikerie Lions Club.
Pioneer Park
The gardens are also home to one of the towns early pumping station engines. This oil powered six-cylinder Worthington Diesel Engine was installed in the pumping station in 1928 and delivered 500,000 kilolitres of water per hour to the Waikerie irrigation district up until 1965 when it was replaced by an all-electric system.
We started walking in a westerly direction and ended up at the main riverfront area of Waikerie, which is the location of the caravan park, where boats are moored and where the car ferry spends the day taking vehicles across the river.
The width of the river here makes it popular for boating activities
There’s a fantastic water and nature play park here, barbecues and shelters, pump track and outdoor ping pong tables. And there’s another walking/cycling path along the river here if you feel like getting in a few extra kilometres.
The full return walk is 3.5km and there are some steps and steep sections so it’s not for everyone, but there’s great signage and maps so you can enjoy shorter sections if you’d prefer.
Nip into Nippy’s
Across the road from the temporary RV park and silo art is Nippy’s factory and outlet — an institution in Waikerie.
The temporary RV park is located next to the silo art
Nippy’s was founded in the early 1930s by Alic Knispel who started growing and packing citrus in the Riverland region. Years later, when Alic’s sons were attending Adelaide High School, the boys began collecting oranges from the family’s packing facility and hand-squeezing them in their mother’s Kilburn kitchen.
The juice was sold to the local shops and taken to school with them in plastic flagons to sell to the other boys. The Knispel boys and their father were nicknamed ‘Nippy’ by their friends and consequently, the juice became known as ‘Nippy’s juice’.
It’s juices and flavoured milk products are available Australia-wide. We popped in and bought a case of fruit and pure water apple juice boxes which we took on our trip into Western Australia. Their fruit is sourced from local and Riverland fruit-growers and Nippy’s also owns and manages almost 242 hectares of orchards.
The car ferry across the Murray at Waikerie (Image Loxton Waikerie Council)
Fruit and wine
Just up the Sturt Highway from Waikerie is Berri, a well-known Riverland fruit growing town once renowned for its Big Orange — a three-storey fibreglass orange shaped structure with a viewing platform at the top and the obligatory refreshments and souvenirs available, as well as fresh produce. It closed in 2004, but the forlorn-looking structure is still visible from the road as you drive by.
The Riverland is a great area for picking up fresh produce from roadside stalls and farm gates and I was looking forward to getting some supplies, but unfortunately the area was in the midst of a bad fruit fly outbreak when we passed through, so we were out of luck.
Just down the highway from Berri at Kingston on Murray is Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre which is a great place to visit even if you don’t drink wine. Its cellar door, restaurant and vineyards are located within 1800 hectares of wetlands which are designated as a site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
Banrock Station has been restoring the site since 1994, through the reintroduction of natural wetting and drying cycles in the wetland, planting thousands of native trees and shrubs, and creating a haven for native wildlife. It is now home to 195 species of birds, 49 species of reptiles, 18 species of mammals, 14 species of fish, eight species of amphibians and 284 species of plants including the endangered regent parrot, the southern bell frog and spiny daisy.
Banrock Station offers self-guided walking trails which wind their way around the restored wetlands, mallee and flood plains.
There’s a walk for all fitness levels: the short walk (2.5km); the Boardwalk experience (4.5km) and the Wetland Circuit (8–10km). You can book a tour including the guided wetlands tour and tasting which includes homemade morning tea and wine tasting ($150 for two).
If walking through wetlands is not your thing, the cellar door has a deck where you can enjoy the views while tasting some of their wines at the cellar door and enjoying a meal from the restaurant. You might even pick up some cleanskins for a bargain price.
River view from the Waikerie Rotary Cliff Top Walk
Something for everyone
Whether it’s sampling local gourmet wine and produce or whiling away the hours on the lawn covered banks of the Murray River, there’s something for everyone in Waikerie.
The width of the river here makes it popular for water activities, fishing and excellent for houseboats and you can take a relaxing cruise past the majestic limestone cliffs and enjoy the native flora and fauna. Have a hit of golf at the local course or wander through the local art galleries.
Nearby there are a number of bushland reserves which are ideal for birdwatching and bush camping including Gluepot Reserve, about 65km north of Waikerie. Hart Lagoon is much closer to town — you can walk the 5km (return) if you wish — and it another serene spot for birdwatching and nature observation.
Green lawn, barbecue shelters and picnic tables make Waikerie an ideal spot to enjoy the Murray River (Image Loxton Waikerie Council)
RV friendly town
Waikerie is an RV friendly town. There is free camping for fully self-contained vehicles at the temporary RV park on Ian Oliver Drive, at the silo art. There are no facilities here.
The Echo Holiday Park is at 44 Peake Terrace, Waikerie (Phone 08 8541 2651). It’s close to town and has river views.
If you prefer bush camping there’s a number of camping reserves including Hart Lagoon, Holder Bend, Ramco Lagoon, Maize Island Lagoon Conservation Park and the Gun Club Road camping area.
For further information about where to go and camp head here.
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