Thousands are tuning in to see Foxtale Houseboats owner Jodie’s regular boat trips along the River Murray, with many local shack owners in particular keen to follow the impact high flows are having on properties now abandoned as roads are cut off.

Her own houseboat and shack cleaning business will soon be waterlogged and Jodie expects her home will be under water by 1.3m when the main 130GL a day river flow hits Morgan in December.

“It’s going to be devastating,” she says.

“No matter what, my business is going to take a big hit, it’s really stressful but it’s living on the river.

“It is bittersweet, the river is looking amazing, I try and not focus on the bad too much because it’s what a river does – if you are going to live on the river and work on it, it’s what you have to accept.”

Jodie and her staff continually move three houseboats to safe spots as river flows get more dangerous.

Now they face cancelled houseboat holidays during the busiest Christmas period, when the business had been fully booked.

Cancellations were now expected to stretch through January, after the State Government announced yesterday that with more rainfall upstream that high flows are likely to peak for longer.

Many who live in riverside homes around Morgan have now moved in with others on higher ground in the town. Some are living in caravans in driveways, others are staying at the Goolwa caravan park.

SA Power Networks has so far disconnected power at 50 homes south of Morgan.

Some residents have sandbagged their homes, Jodie says, but others think the longer high river peak makes it unlikely the sandbags will hold back water and have not bothered.

While the road ahead is difficult, Jodie says the community is drawing together, with continual phone calls offering help with moving, storage or help in ensuring the houseboats get through unscathed.

“And you know it doesn’t get lost on me how amazing it is watching the river come up, I live on it and to actually see it come up, it’s Mother Nature doing her best,” Jodie says.

Wildlife, birds and echidnas are in abundance and water along the cliffs at Morgan looks stunning, she says, adding that a recent houseboat visitor spotted a rare Musk Duck during the trip.

Joe Caudo is similarly circumspect; his family-owned business closed its doors a few weeks ago as water began rising at the Caudo Vineyards cellar door in the Riverland, with valuable business lost over the Christmas period.

More sales via the company website for its wine and sangria was helping, but it will be a challenging time.

“It’s peak time but it is what it is, certainly income will be down but like everybody else,” Caudo says.

Meanwhile, Renmark Paringa Council has decided to scale back its Christmas on the Murray Festival 2022 so that resources can be directed into council’s flood response, scaling back or cancelling some events to “prioritise staff resources on flood preparations”.

The council will do its best to create a festive feel across its towns with “the lighting of the Renmark Christmas Tree and giant festive star decoration together with installing the solar and Christmas banners in towns”.

“Although the Festival program will not run as originally planned, we are pleased that some events will continue and that Christmas will still shine bright throughout the town,” a council spokesperson said.

“While it is unfortunate that these changes are necessary, Council’s highest priority is and must be the protection of our community.”