Murray River, SA

S4, E2: This week, Heather Ewart and the Back Roads crew embark on a voyage of discovery along the southern Murray River. Life on the Murray might ebb and flow from day to day, but Heather's met the locals who've weathered both the droughts and floods. Drifting through South Australia, Heather experiences the many shades of the Murray from its bountiful Riverland, to the spectacular golden limestone cliffs of Big Bend and the sometimes-stressed wetlands that are the key to keeping the river healthy. The Millennium drought has challenged the river communities as well as the Mighty Murray itself. Many settlements have had to fight to keep services as crucial as the ferries that connect them all. Others have diversified their farming ventures, whilst still other groups are working to recharge both the fragile landscape and its cultural heritage. One way or another, they have all been determined to find a way to continue living along the river that dominates their lives.