CAROLYN Fitzgerald has always lived on or near the Murray River.
Growing up, she spent many hours swimming, fishing and partaking in other recreational activities with the river as an extension of her backyard.
She said her proximity to the Murray River had provided a unique lifestyle.
“The river is a real asset to Swan Hill and surrounding towns but, unfortunately, many people don’t visit or utilise this asset,” she said.
Having owned several boats in the past, Ms Fitzgerald recognises their worth and the economic benefits they can bring to river towns.
“River towns miss out if they don’t cater for the boats,” she said.
“People like to pull up, explore the various river towns and spend their money, but they also need facilities.”
Last year Ms Fitzgerald spent seven weeks travelling by houseboat from Tooleybuc to Murray Bridge in South Australia.
Travelling 1200 kilometres during the trip, Ms Fitzgerald stopped at each accessible town along the way.
“If they had a wharf, we pulled up, had a look around and purchased essentials like ice, fuel, bread and milk,” she said.
She said towns which catered for boats reaped the economic rewards as tourism, hospitality and retail industries benefitted from each moored boat.
Ms Fitzgerald said towns which provided basic amenities, such as a wharf, a pumpout station, drinking water and a welcome sign, were applauded by the boating fraternity.
“All people require is easy access, especially the aging population,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“It’s nice to be able to ultilise the river and have a shared experience.”
