Ms Barlow, Canada, had been in Sydney to deliver the International Keynote at the Australian Water Summit and had put Adelaide on her schedule.

The tour followed the “Maude Barlow In Conversation on Water” event at the Grainger Studio, attended by more than 200 people.

First stop Strathalbyn - for a helicopter ride over the site of the proposed Wellington Weir at Pomanda Island, the Bund between the Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina, the Coorong, Murray Mouth, Hindmarsh Island, Currency Creek, Finniss River and the Langhorne Creek vineyards.

"I was overwhelmed by the extent of the devastation and the resulting loss of habitat and livelihood for humans and species," Ms Barlow said.

"It is clear the River Murray is dying from the mouth up and shocking that the water that could protect and restore it is not being released for political reasons."

The bus continued to Milang to visit the “Save the Turtle Project” with Chris Jackson, Karyn Bradford, MOSHCC Co-ordinator, and the school children of the Milang Campus of Eastern Fleurieu School.

"I was very moved," Ms Barlow said as she helped the young experts remove the coral from the backs of the over-burdened turtles.

Next stop Clayton Bay - to see the results of the bio-remediation of December 2008, where native plants that have taken hold and are flourishing despite a blisteringly hot summer.

The group viewed the Dunn’s Lagoon, stood on the bluff, looked across to Hindmarsh Island and heard on the plans to build a weir and to pump more water from Lake Alexandrina to raise the level of the proposed weir pool.

"The construction of weirs, dams and desalination plants is the worst set of solutions possible," Ms Barlow said.

"They are energy intensive, expensive and environmentally dangerous.

"There would be no need for any of this heavy technology if governments would commit to proper management of the rivers, conservation, storm-water capture, and rainwater harvesting.

"If they had a long-term plan these actions would be well in hand by now. Instead there are only short-term crisis reactions."

Last stop the Finniss River - where Ms Barlow and her party were welcomed to Ngarrindjeri country by elders Major Sumner and Tom Trevorrow with a traditional smoking ceremony and speeches that stressed the way forward was one of shared respect and care for country.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon were also in attendance.