Murray River Canoe Trip
Murray River Canoe Trip 1995-2017
and
Upper Murray Walking Trip 2013
Introduction
This has been written as a guide to assist other canoeists planning to paddle on the Murray River. I have attempted to give a guide to water levels and flows that I encountered on my trips. I have also tried to give information about potential campsites along the way. I like the quote by George Ernest Morrison who, in addition to many other adventures, in 1882 became the first person to paddle a canoe down the Murray River from Albury to the sea "...the journey was more interesting and less tedious than the account thereof". I think that applies equally to this account. For more information about Morrison's journey click here.
I did not start paddling with the aim of paddling the whole length of the river. It was about 2002 that I decided I would try to complete the length of the Murray and then a year or two later decided that I would try to paddle the Murrumbidgee as well.
For a few years I had the idea to walk along the Murray from its source to Bringenbrong Bridge from where I had previously paddled downstream. In March 2013 I completed the very challenging walk from the Murray source to Tom Groggin with a couple friends and later that year I completed the journey to Bringenbrong Bridge on foot. This completed an 18 year and 6 day journey along the Murray River from source to sea. In December 2017 I had the opportunity to be part of a recce for hiking/paddling the top 150 km of the Murray River i.e hiking from the Murray Source to The Poplars following the river closely and then paddling inflatable kayaks through the Murray Gates down to Bringenbrong Bridge. The party included river guides Richard Swain and Kristian Cargill of Alpine River Adventures together with Matty Hunter who was starting his own Source to Sea journey.
For further details of my journey down the Murray, click on the menu in the top right hand corner of this page.
Go here for links to my kayak trips (and those of others) on the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin and for further information (sample pages, reviews etc) on the book Murray-Darling Journeys.
Alternatively
For a description of my trip on the lower Murray River (Wentworth to the Murray Mouth) in 2021 see: Lower Murray River Canoe Trip
For my description of my trip on the Murrumbidgee River see: Murrumbidgee River Canoe Trip
For my description of my trip on the Murrumbidgee River 2020-2021 see: Murrumbidgee River 2020-2021
For my description of my trip on the Goulburn River see: Goulburn River Canoe Trip
For my description of my trip on the Edward River see: Edward River Canoe Trip
For a description of my trip on the Darling River see: Darling River Canoe Trip
For a description of my trip down the Barwon River see: Barwon River Canoe Trip
For a description of my trip on the Great Darling Anabranch see: Great Darling Anabranch Canoe Trip
If you have any questions or comments please contact me on mcbremers@gmail.com
Mike Bremers
Statistics (Bringenbrong - Mouth)
When – between 30 September 1995 and 27 March 2007
Total distance – Bringenbrong Bridge to Murray Mouth = 2400km
62 paddling days @ an average of 38.7km per day
Largest distance in a day= 61 km (in Barham-Swan Hill section)
Maps
River Murray Charts, 7th Edition
Murray River Pilot, April 2004
1:250 000 Natmaps
Fishing and Camping The Murray River - Mildura to Yarrawonga, Brian Hinson (available from here).
Water Levels
References
Two Expeditions Into The Interior Of Southern Australia, Volume II, Capt. Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt, His Life and Journeys of Exploration, J. H. L. Cumpston, Georgian House, Melbourne, 1951
Canoe in Australia, R. Raven-Hart, Georgian House, Melbourne, 1948
Other Links
Murray-Darling Journeys - the book and links to other journeys
ETA Unknown - a comprehensive guide for paddling the Murray River, source to sea and other major rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Murray River Guide - a guide on how to paddle the Murray including boat selection, trip planning, where to start, hazards, water quality etc.
Rod Wellington, Murray River Source to Sea
Feral Kaza Bushwalking and Skiing Blog
Journeys along the Murray, Murrumbidgee & Goulburn Rivers, Peter Phillips
