Murray River houseboat holiday: how to choose and book

Murray River houseboat holiday hire needs no boat licence at the two operators we checked. You need a car driver's licence, a short lesson and a bond. This guide covers the rules, boat sizes, seasonal prices and locks, so you can book with fewer surprises.

The Murray is Australia's longest river, at 2,508 km. Houseboat hire sits at a few river towns, including Echuca in the south and Mildura in the north. The two operators below are examples, not a full list.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Murray River; Murray River Houseboats, Conditions of Hire; Mildura Houseboats, FAQs.

Licence and briefing: who can drive

Most people can drive a hire houseboat after a short lesson. Murray River Houseboats at Echuca says drivers must be 18 or older and hold a current car licence. It says boat licences are not required. Mildura Houseboats asks for an unrestricted driver's licence and a responsible hirer over 21.

Both give training on the boat. Mildura Houseboats says its staff have new hirers cruising and berthing in about an hour. Echuca hirers sign a Hirer's Agreement before they leave the dock.

The rules differ by operator, so ask about the age limit before you book. If nobody in your group wants to drive, Mildura Houseboats can arrange a pilot for an extra cost. You may then be limited to moorings that can be reached by road.

Sources for this section: Murray River Houseboats, Conditions of Hire (Rates page); Mildura Houseboats, FAQs.

Boat sizes and how many people fit

The number of people on board cannot go above the number of berths. Murray River Houseboats says this rule comes from the NSW Maritime Authority. Berths are the fixed beds, so count heads before you pick a boat.

• Small boats: Mildura Houseboats lists boats from 2 to 6 berths.
• Mid-size boats: its 6 to 10 berth boats suit two families.
• Large boats: its biggest range sleeps 10 to 12.
• Luxury boats: Murray River Houseboats prices its Indulgence and Decadence for 8 people. Up to 12 can board for an extra fee.

One Echuca boat is new this year. Murray River Houseboats says A Touch of Opulence was rebuilt after an accident last October. It has 4 bedrooms with queen beds and a sofa bed, and sleeps 8 to 10.

Sources for this section: Murray River Houseboats, Fleet page and news post of 26 September 2017; Mildura Houseboats, home page.

Seasonal prices

Price depends on the boat and the season. Murray River Houseboats published its rates from 1 April 2017, with GST included. These are seven night hire fees for two boats.

Winter is the cheapest time. On the same rate card the lowest priced boat costs A$1,495 for seven nights from May to September. It rises to A$2,830 in the December and January school holidays. New Year's Eve is priced separately and costs more again.

Mildura Houseboats shows "from" prices instead. Its boats run from A$1,850 for seven nights up to A$5,200 for its top boat. The per person rates it quotes run from A$43 to A$75 a night.

Sources for this section: Murray River Houseboats, Rates page (hire fees effective 1 April 2017); Mildura Houseboats, home page.

Bonds, fees and cancellations

The hire fee is not the whole cost. Read the conditions before you pay a deposit.

• Bond: Murray River Houseboats sets a minimum bond of A$800 to A$1,200 by boat. Mildura Houseboats asks A$500 to A$1,000, and says it doubles for all male or all female crews.
• Fuel: Echuca takes fuel and car parking costs out of the bond. Mildura says fuel costs are usually taken from the bond too.
• Extra people: Indulgence and Decadence charge A$300 per extra person for a weekend or midweek hire, or A$500 for a full week. These fees halve in winter.
• Insurance waiver: Mildura offers one at A$45 a night. It cuts your liability from A$2,500 to A$500.
• Cancelling: Echuca keeps a A$150 fee on every cancellation. Mildura refunds your money less A$100 if you cancel over two months out.

Both operators suggest travel insurance. Check pet rules too. Mildura says a few of its boats take up to two small dogs.

Sources for this section: Murray River Houseboats, Conditions of Hire; Mildura Houseboats, FAQs.

Locks, routes and where to go

Locks are gates that lift or lower boats between river levels. Thirteen were built on the Murray, and Wikipedia lists Lock 11 at Mildura and Lock 15 at Euston among them.

From Mildura, Mildura Houseboats says about 100 km of river is open to you. You can go upstream about 40 km towards Nangiloc. Downstream, you pass through Lock 11 and reach Wentworth, where the Darling meets the Murray, about 60 km away.

At a lock, tell the lockmaster you are coming and wait for the green light. One account of a speedboat run down the river describes lockmasters being warned of arrival times, then opening the gates just enough for boats to enter. Boats waited for the paddle steamer P.S. Melbourne to clear Lock 11 first. Treat the lockmaster's directions as final, and plan extra time for a busy lock.

Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Murray River; Mildura Houseboats, FAQs; Adventures, Locks and Weirs.

Booking checklist

1. Count your group and match it to the berths, not the largest number a brochure shows.
2. Ask the age and licence rules for the driver.
3. Choose the season. Winter hire costs far less than school holidays.
4. Add the bond, fuel, extra person fees and insurance waiver to the hire fee.
5. Check the cancellation terms and take out travel insurance.
6. Ask which locks are on your route and how long they take.

Hire fees and rules change, so confirm them with the operator before paying a deposit.

Sources for this section: Murray River Houseboats, Conditions of Hire; Mildura Houseboats, FAQs.

Sources

1. Murray River Houseboats, Rates and Conditions of Hire: murrayriverhouseboats.com.au
2. Murray River Houseboats, Our Fleet: murrayriverhouseboats.com.au
3. Mildura Houseboats, FAQs: mildurahouseboats.com.au
4. Mildura Houseboats, home page: mildurahouseboats.com.au
5. Wikipedia, Murray River: en.wikipedia.org
6. Adventures, Locks and Weirs: adventures.net.au