Flowing from the New South Wales Alps to its mouth at the Coorong in South Australia, the Murray River is one of the world’s longest navigable rivers. It extends around 2,700 kilometers and is dotted with historic settlements and stunning national parks where soaring sandstone cliffs and tall eucalypts line the riverbanks. It was once home to the Ngarrindjeri and Nganguraku people, while today it supports a myriad of water birds in its wetlands, as well as vast citrus-growing and agricultural regions.
The town of Renmark lies where South Australia meets New South Wales and Victoria and is a major hub along the Murray River. It’s home to the late-19th-century Olivewood Historic Homestead, renowned for its orangery and olive oil processing shed, with the surrounding landscapes blanked in citrus orchards.
Downriver lies Loxton, the “garden city” of the Riverland region and home to the Historical Village that offers a glimpse back in time with its beautifully recreated 19th-century buildings. At the Banrock Station Wine & Wetland Centre you can follow one of the self-guided walking trails to get up close to native wildlife and feast on regional cuisine while enjoying a glass of wine.
Don’t miss a visit to the stunning Coorong National Park that stretches along the edge of the Southern Ocean where it meets the Murray River. It’s a wildlife hotspot, home to emus, grey kangaroos and wombats, as well as migrating birds that come from as far away as Siberia. It’s a popular destination for locals to come camping and fishing, with Coorong mullet found within its protected la-goon waters.