Spread over six days, with a rest day in Milang, our Murray River Cycling Tour took us 228 kilometres down the river from Mannum to the Murray Mouth. Using the quiet bitumen roads and dirt tracks of the Murray River Cycling Route, which we had developed over previous months, we cycled about 50 kilometres per day, stopping to enjoy the river and other sights along the way.
About the Murray River
With a total length of 2520 kilometres, the Murray River flows west from the Australian Alps. It forms the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria before entering South Australia, where it turns a corner at Morgan and flows south. Our journey followed the last section of the Murray River before it flows into the Great Australian Bight.
If you’re interested in the daily maps of our Murray River Cycling Tour and the logistics of food and accommodation, have a look at our Murray River Cycling Trail information page.
Our Murray River Cycling Tour
I can honestly say that our tour was everything we hoped it would be. The weather was gorgeous and we had no major technical issues. Everybody enjoyed seeing parts of the Murray River that are hidden from those who drive by on the highway.
While fourteen cyclists completed the whole tour from Mannum to the Murray Mouth, a couple of other riders joined us for day rides.
From the first day we fell into three main groups. In order of speed: The Snappy Turtles (starting early, slow and steady, eventually taken over each day by the other two groups),
the Murray Maidens
and the Racy Riparians! (What does riparian mean? It basically translates to “by the river”.)
Rather than give a day by day account, I thought I’d talk about the highlights of the trip for me.
Riverside rests
Our Murray River Cycling Tour provided plenty of opportunities to slow down to river time and enjoy some peaceful spots beside the river.
Clifftop Views
On our first and second days, we spent time alternating between riverside roads and tracks and clifftop views.
Sunrises and Sunsets
Being close to the river and wide open spaces, we saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets almost every day. Here are a couple of my favourites.
Levee Banks and Gates
No cycling tour down the Murray River is complete without riding along some of the levee banks.
The downside of this are the super-annoying “gates” that make riding loaded very difficult, especially if you are carrying tents etc.
With a bit of good team work we managed it, but it would be a significant improvement to the overall experience if better arrangements were made to allow bicycle access to levee banks.
Dirt tracks
Wherever possible, we used dirt tracks and roads. Some of the best were across the dairy flats near Mypolonga and beside vineyards near Langhorne Creek.
Conservation Parks
On our Murray River Cycling Tour, we had the opportunity to ride through a number of interesting conservation parks. My favourite is the Mowantjie Willauwar, where you can unexpectedly ride some nice bitumen from the former Princes Highway.
Quiet Bitumen
Although there were a couple of busier sections of about 12 kilometres each, overall we were rarely near cars. Many of the bitumen roads were very peaceful.
The Challenges
Apart from the levee bank gates, the main challenges were a couple of short sections of sandy track – one near Caloote and another in Mowantjie Willauwar Conservation Park.
Food and Coffee
Happily, our Murray River Cycling Tour included quite a few great food and coffee experiences. For me the stand-out ones were the Little Local Co Coffee Shop in Tailem Bend, the Hall Cafe at East Wellington, the Wellington Hotel, the Finniss General Store and the Coorong Cafe.
On our rest day at Milang, some of our riders took a ride up to Oasis near Langhorne Creek. They came back raving about the food and gardens, so that is on the wish-list for next time.
Accommodation
We all booked our own accommodation so our experiences were varied, but Rhonda, Brian and I booked early and as a group. We were therefore able to get some good accommodation deals. The two that stand out in my mind are the Jacaranda Cottage in Murray Bridge and our two-bedroom riverside cabin at the Wellington Hotel – amazing sunrises and sunsets!
Historic Sites
The historic sites along this section of the Murray River are almost too many to mention, but the Wellington Courthouse and the Currency Creek Viaduct would be among my favourites.
Maps of our Murray River Cycling Tour
Have a look at our Murray River Cycling Trail information page to see the daily maps of our ride, the logistics of food and accommodation and reviews by cyclists who completed the tour.
Although the official length of our ride from Mannum to the Murray Mouth was 228 kilometres, by the time we found food and accommodation, I had cycled 324 kilometres for the week.
Top Picture: Morning tea break at Riverglen Marina
