Where is the mouth of the Murray River?

The mouth of the Murray River is in the Coorong lagoon system of South Australia. Take a boat cruise from Goolwa, or a Coorong kayaking tour, and you can see the mouth of the Murray between the Sir Richard and Younghusband Peninsulas.

The Murray River is the longest river in Australia, winding for 2,508km before it reaches the Southern Ocean. The Murray’s source is high up in the Australian Alps. It’s hidden away in a wilderness area that no-one’s going to reach without a helicopter and some fairly hardcore hiking.

From then on, the Murray slowly flows downhill, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria. Key towns along the route include Albury, historic port Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura. There are also a series of national parks, such as the Woomargama National Park, Barmah National Park and the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.

The Murray River in South Australia: Lake Alexandrina and Coorong

The Murray then crosses into South Australia. Towards the end of its path, things get incredibly messy as the Murray flows into Lake Alexandrina and the convoluted lagoon system of the Coorong.

Once in this mess of waterways, the Murray has practically been extinguished. It creeps through the Goolwa Barrage – which is designed to keep freshwater and seawater separate. After the South Australian town of Goolwa, the Murray’s flow is so pitiful that it can barely make it to the ocean.

The Mouth of the Murray River in Encounter Bay

The mouth of the Murray River is officially the tiny channel between the long, sandy Sir Richard and Younghusband Peninsulas. The Coorong Beach along the Younghusband Peninsula is the longest beach in Australia.

But not enough water flows through the gap into Encounter Bay to make it naturally sustaining. This means a fairly hefty dredging operation is required. In the last five years, more than five million cubic metres of sand have been removed from the mouth of the Murray River. The dredging usually goes on 24/7, although it is likely to stop in late 2022 and early 2023. Heavy rains further upstream mean the Murray will be flowing through South Australia at levels not seen for decades.

The Mouth of the Murray River in the Coorong, South Australia. Dredgers cunning left out of shot. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Tours to the Mouth of the Murray River

So, while the Coorong National Park is a generally idyllic place of sand dunes, sea birds and strutting pelicans, the mouth of the Murray River is tainted by the presence of dredging machines. They can be observed from a safe distance while on a cruise or kayaking tour. On the latter, it’s possible to pull up on the sand flat, and walk over to the Murray mouth. It isn’t half a sad ending for such a mighty river.

The Coorong can be included on the Mildura to Adelaide leg of a Murray River road trip. Fairly cheap accommodation is available at the Goolwa Caravan Park.