Barmera

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• Weather for Barmera

Barmera, 221 kilometres northeast of Adelaide and ideally situated on the shores of Lake Bonney, is one of the State's most popular aquatic playgrounds.

A shallow, freshwater lake, it has safe swimming and is popular with water-skiers, windsurfers and Jet Ski enthusiasts. There are boats everywhere - canoes, sailboats and motorboats, many with a line dangling from them - there is good fishing here. As well, the lake and the wetlands abound with bird life.

A family oriented town, it boasts a Country Music Hall of Fame, and hosts an important annual country music festival. The main street harks back to the Art Deco era, giving the place a nostalgic character.

At nearby Kingston-on-Murray is the stunning Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre. Banrock boasts a seven-kilometre boardwalk trail and a spectacular interpretive and wine-tasting centre.

The tongue twister, Cobdogla, is an Aboriginal word meaning 'land of plenty'. Cobdogla is the gateway to the wetlands and has a fascinating history. Much of the land hereabouts - from west of Overland Corner right through into New South Wales - was taken up under a pastoral lease in 1846 by John Chambers, who raised purebred horses for the police and military.