The Murray River holds a great significance for the whole of Australia. And understandably so. Murray River is Australia’s longest river. It flows for over 2500km from the Snowy Mountains in NSW to the Southern Ocean in South Australia. It passes through 3 states, spanning New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Almost 2000 km is navigable, making it the third longest navigable river on the planet.
The river is a center of water sports, outdoor adventures, social and tourist activities. It is popular indeed. Murray River is a major source of water and food.
It is also a border between New South Wales and Victoria. It took me a while to get my head around it. Have you tried looking for a border between the two states on the map? I couldn’t find it for some time until I learnt that it is the Murray River that is the border.
Above is one of the many bridges across Murray River, connecting twin towns of two different states. Note, that the border is somewhere in the middle of the bridge. Half of the river belongs to one state and half to the other? 😊
Towns along the Murray River
Many towns are built along the river. There are a few twin towns that are located together, split by the river and thus belong to different states. We found this very amusing.
Echuca
Echuca is a vibrant town, full of history and is worth exploring. It is one of the largest towns along the Murray River. We spent a couple of hours there but could have easily stayed a few days. Horse riding, paddlesteam boats, interactive science museum, local produce – the list of attractions goes on. Echuca is in Victoria and its twin town, Moana is on the NSW side. It is smaller than Echuca and has its own unique feel.
You will find a British flag in the old tourist part of Echuca. Make sure you visit the Port of Echuca Museum. It is near the Visitor Centre. There you can learn about the history of the town. As it turns out, Henry Hopwood, a convict from Tasmania established the town of Echuca. He came originally from England.
Camping along the Murray River
There are many free camping spots along the Murray River on both sides. They are very much loved by the locals. You can see many people camping there, fishing or just playing water sports. Speed boating is very popular. The camping spots have no amenities and are not clearly designated but camping is permitted. Of course, you would need to be self-sufficient to leave no trace.
Ulupna Island
Ulupna Island is 11km north of Strathmerton, off the Murray Valley Highway. Its Red River Gum forest is known for koalas, although, unfortunately, we haven’t seen any when we camped. There are many camping spots along the river at Ulupna Island. Most of them are around the beaches, which, of course, are very popular. We camped on Victorian side.
Murray River Reserve Richardson Bend
Murray River Reserve Richardson Bend is another nice free bush campground we stayed at. It is near Barnawartha North on the Victorian side and is roughly 30 minutes drive from Albury in NSW. Unlike Ulupna Island, which was a national park, you can take your pet with you to Richardson Bend. There is lots of birds, cicadas and cows there. While the area is grassy along the river, cows leave too many cow pats. You need to look for a clearing without them 😊.
We were very fascinated with the mighty Murray River and that’s why we wrote this blog to share our experiences. Comment below, if you have something to share.