Murray River Hire Houseboats | Blanchetown Houseboat Hire SA
Welcome to Griffens Marina Houseboats at Blanchetown, a privately owned and secluded waterfront marina nestled below ancient limestone cliffs, in the beautiful Riverland region of South Australia - the ideal location to hire a houseboat to commence your Murray River houseboat holiday.
Located only 90 minutes from Adelaide through the world famous Barossa Valley, guests enjoy convenient access from the Sturt Highway with secure on site parking and flat lawned moorings for easy loading and unloading of vehicles and houseboats.
About Us
Commencing in 2000, Don and Miriam Griffen made a "river change" to Blanchetown from their farming property and sheep stud in the Mid North of S.A. to start their houseboat hire business. Don often joked that "every one needs a holiday, but not every one needs a ram!"
Griffens Marina Blanchetown are a very proud S.A. Tourism Hall of Fame Inductee, and the Griffen family have been providing quality houseboat holidays for over 20 years on their very special part of the Murray. Today this specialist family business is still run by Miriam and her family.Together with their friendly instruction and maintenance team, and professional service providers they invite you to cruise in style and have a fantastic houseboat holiday.
Catering for couples, small group and family houseboat hire they want your houseboat holiday to be a truly memorable experience.
They believe there is absolutely nothing better than cruising off into a Murray River sunset with your loved one on a houseboat!
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” Winnie the Pooh
About our section of the Murray
When you holiday on a houseboat at Blanchetown, you will experience one of the very best stretches of the Murray River. Heading upstream from the marina, the section between Blanchetown and Morgan is truly spectacular. Enjoy stunning landscapes, tranquil lagoons, majestic river red gums, wide river expanses, loads of good mooring spots, and abundant birdlife and wildlife.
The weir and lock system along the Murray River controls the flow of water, and being above Lock 1 means there is always plenty of water for houseboats to travel safely. Our section is also one of the most stable stretches of river along the whole Murray system, and Lock 1 has the distinction of being the very first lock, completed way back in 1922.
The magnificent cliffs that line the river, not only provide a haven for nesting birds, and other river life, they also hold many secrets in the form of fossilised shells and ancient sea creatures.
*Please note: our hireboats head upstream from the marina towards Morgan, and are restricted from travelling downstream through the Lock due to seasonal changes.
What Griffens Marina offer
Their small (yet spacious) houseboats are very easy to operate, economical to run and have everything on board to make your holiday extra special. Scallywag and Scamp are two of the most comfortable and well appointed small hire houseboats on the Murray, and combined with the great location, you will have an experience to remember.
The larger family style houseboats are also very easy to drive and allow you to enjoy the beauty of the Murray with a bigger group.
Great care and pride is taken during the comprehensive tuition, and every effort is made to ensure you are very familiar with how everything works before you leave the marina. Each houseboat has an operating manual and mobile telephone on board, and the team are only a call away if you have a question!
For your peace of mind, the private parking area opposite the moorings is under 24 hour CCTV surveillance, and if you are travelling with your caravan, there is plenty of room for parking.
As an added extra, there are PET FRIENDLY (dogs) houseboat hire options. They understand how important it can be to include your dog in your holiday activities, so Scallywag and Scamp are pet friendly for dogs (conditions apply - please refer to section in FAQ).
If you have a doggy member of the family that needs to travel with you, please enquire when booking.
