Getting off the beaten track for a holiday is a popular pastime in Sunraysia, and indeed Australia. For Peter and Jeanie Kelly, it has become their life. Lucy Bain reports. Picture: Carmel Zaccone.
PETER and Jeanie Kelly started Murray Offroad Adventures just over two years ago as a a retirement project – but the business has been more successful than they could have imagined.
Murray Offroad Adventures recently won a gold award in the tour and transport category at the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards.
The pair host a variety of tours across Sunraysia and the Mallee, taking in both natural wonders and the finer things in life.
Some of their favourite tours take in the natural wonders for Hattah-Kulkyne and Murray-Sunset national parks, while others will take guests along the Silo Art Trail or to visit local producers, such as
Trentham Estate or the unique Woolshed Brewery on South Australia’s Wilkadene Station.
Peter previously worked in forest management, while his wife was a teacher, so the tour business is a perfect match for their combined skill sets.
It also encapsulates the couple’s shared love of the outdoors.
“We’ve always gone camping all through our married life, with kids and that,” Jeanie says.
“We just love being out and about.”
As they moved towards retirement, this felt like a natural next step for the Kellys.
“It was time for us to try something new,” Jeanie says.
“It’s the retirement job – but it’s busier than it was before.”
Though they have only been in business for a short time, the couple say they already know that their own passion for nature and their visitors’ reactions will make it all worthwhile for many years to come.
“The kangaroos hopping in the open plains, or the emus down at Hattah, that doesn’t fail. Even we still get excited,” Jeanie says.
Although there’s a wide variety of tours available, customisable to each group, one thing remains constant.
“The biggest thing on the tour is Peter’s phenomenal knowledge,” Jeanie says.
“He’s worked here for decades in different areas, and so he’s got plant knowledge, bird knowledge, landscape knowledge – every trip they’re blown away by it.”
“There’s a myriad of tracks out there and Peter just knows where they all are.”
While Peter has many a tale to tell about the Murray and the history of the region, he says it can be just as rewarding to listen to visitors.
“You’re sitting there listening to people’s amazing life stories, and you’re getting paid for it – it’s a pretty unique sort of a job,” he says.
“Sometimes you have to pinch yourself when you’re sitting there listening to someone from Israel who’s lived in Australia for the last 60 years but was a refugee.
“He and his mother were left without a country and now we’re sitting there over at Trentham (Estate) drinking a glass of wine.
“We had these four ladies from Hong Kong … they just couldn’t get over the blue skies, the big skies.”
With the business going from strength to strength, the Kellys insist that they want to keep their tours authentic.
“We’re small, we don’t want to get big, we don’t want to get a bigger bus,” Mr Kelly said.
“We want to attract customers to Mildura, not just to Murray Offroad Adventures.”
The Kellys reckon that Mildura is the perfect place to start an outback adventure.
“One of our mottos is that you can come and visit Australia’s outback without leaving Victoria,” Mr Kelly said.
“We’re pretty spoilt, even going out to Kings Billabong you can feel like you’re a million miles away.”
Peter Kelly’s suggestions for an offroad adventure
Kings Billabong has plenty of short walks and is also a great place to kayak, birdwatch or camp. It is also at the heart of Sunraysia’s irrigation history and is home to the Psyche Bend Pumping Station. The reserve is fully equipped with toilets and picnic facilities.
Etiwanda Wetlands are a great place to take in Mildura’s wonderful wetlands with a walk, jog or bike ride.
Merbein Lookout at the top of Pump Hill has a display chronicling the history of irrigation in Sunraysia. Continue to the cairn commemorating Charles Sturt’s exploration of Australia, then head down the Blandowski Walk past an amazing example of an Aboriginal canoe scar tree. Continue down the stairway to learn about William Blandowski and how he worked closely with the Aboriginal people of the area to expand botanical knowledge of Australia. Return to your vehicle by the same route, or take the flat track out to the road to make it a circuit.
The confluence of the Murray and Darling rivers at Wentworth has long been a popular destination for tourists. Enjoy a short walk along Junction Island and view the meeting of the rivers from the top of the viewing tower.
Head out to Perry Sandhills just outside Wentworth and take in an ancient landscape that has more recently been featured in film and television. It’s an excellent spot to watch the sunset, or take a sandboard, with which kids will enjoy sliding down the dunes.
Dareton Sandbar is a tranquil spot to take in the river and all its wonders. The red gum bend shows off the Murray at its best and is perfect for a swim.
All these spots are suitable for a family and would make a great day trip from Mildura. If you’re heading out in summer, don’t forget plenty of water, sunscreen and good shoes.
For visitors who don’t feel comfortable driving, there are several commercial tours that can get people out and about and take all the hassle out of a trip – just ask at Mildura Visitor Information Centre.
