Murray River Hire Houseboats Blanchetown | Above Lock 1 and downstream from Morgan

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.

With a prime location only 90 minutes from Adelaide through the world famous Barossa Valley, guests enjoy convenient access from the Sturt Highway - complete with secure on site parking, 24 hour CCTV surveillance 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. 

The private location is above Lock 1 and the next town upstream is the historical port of Morgan. 

This beautiful section of the Murray River is renowned for majestic river 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. This 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: Griffens Marina hireboats always head upstream from the marina towards Morgan, and are restricted from travelling downstream through the Lock due to seasonal water level changes.

What Griffens Marina offer for hire...

Small Houseboats for 2 - 4 people

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.

Family style  /Executive houseboats  range from 4 - 6 bedrooms and are also very easy to drive. Enjoy the beauty of the Murray with a bigger group, and you can also choose Daydreamer which is a fabulous Spa Houseboat.

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.