River shack in Donovans tipped to lure buyers hook, line and sinker

News Corp Australia Network

It only has one bedroom and no bathroom, but this rare riverside property has buyers ready and willing to splash serious cash.

Overlooking the Glenelg River, 27 Dry Creek Rd is the first river shack in Donovans to be offered up for public sale since new crown lease agreements were put in place in 2019.

Up until four years ago, river shacks had to be forfeited when their owner died, with the last river shack sale recorded around 1991.

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Selling agent Kim Cawthorne, of Complete Real Estate, said legislative changes had made river shacks a hot commodity.

“This really is the first time, since approximately 1991, that someone from the public can purchase one of these and there are around 46 of them,” she said.

“So it’s a pretty cool place, that’s for sure … but it also means that we can’t compare it to any past sales to get a price guide or even advise people what it could sell for.

“It’ll come down to what people are willing to pay – what they can afford to pay and who wants it the most.”

Estimated to have been built in the 1960s, the shack has two main rooms, with the main living space offering views across the river.

A large deck offers the perfect spot to cast a fishing rod or to launch a kayak or paddle board.

Meanwhile, bathroom facilities are shared via a communal toilet block.

Ms Cawthorne said the sale, which is facilitated under a crown-lease arrangement, was conditional on a greywater system being developed for the dwelling — and others in the area on the SA side of the border — within the next five years.

She said the Glenelg River Shack Association was working with the local council to develop such a system which, if successful, would guarantee a subsequent long-term lease of up to 50 years.

“Thankfully that’s not up to the individual shack owners to do, that has to be collectively engineered and there’s already a working group underway to find a solution for that challenge,” Ms Cawthorne said.

“So they are working on that and for now, the owners can just enjoy the lifestyle.

“This includes being able to holiday there, so you can sleep in the shacks overnights, as they have been approved for family holiday accommodation.

“The location with this one (shack) is also pretty amazing as it’s not a public space, so you can just go there, sit on the deck and watch the sun go down.”

Donovans is located a five-and-a-half hour drive from Adelaide and 30 minutes from Mount Gambier.