North Of Adelaide South Australia

Campervan Touring Information

The Murray River

325 km | 4 h 20 m drive time | 4 - 5 days

The remoteness of this road trip will reward you with some stunning night skies and contrasting landscapes of outback red and fertile floodplains.

The Murray River Drive starts inland at Renmark and ends at the lakes district of Coorong National Park on the coast. 

Linking the Murray River with Other Drives

1. The South Australia 10 day Loop

If you wanted to really explore South Australia, you could make The Murray River drive part of a grand ten day loop starting and ending in Adelaide:

Hahndorf & Adelaide Hills | Barossa Valley | Murray River | Fleurieu Peninsula | Kangaroo Island | McLaren Vale & Onkaparinga | Adelaide

2. The Great Ocean Road to Melbourne (10 days or more)

Once you reach the coast, instead of turning back to Adelaide, you could link up with the Adelaide to Melbourne road trip via the Great Ocean Road.

3. The Outback Road Trip to Sydney (10 days or more)

Another option is to start the Murray River tour from the coast and follow the Murray River inland continuing on to Broken Hill and Sydney as part of the Adelaide to Sydney Outback Road Trip.

Walking along the banks of the Murray River

An old river gum tree on the Murray River.

DAY 1

RENMARK

• Take a sunset canoe tour of the Murray River through Canoe the Riverland.
• Stroll along the Renmark riverfront interpretive walk. It’s an easy 5 km and you’ll learn the history of the town and river.
• The lookout tower on the road to Murtho gives you views of the cliffs on the Murray River.

For more ideas on how to enjoy the Murray River, drop into the visitor information centre on the banks of the Murray River in town and grab some brochures and maps.

MONASH ADVENTURE PARK

This is a great place for the kids. There are crazy leaning towers, a maze, a flying fox and long slides.

BELLA LAVENDER ESTATE

Drop in for your lavender products and to stroll the lavender gardens. There’s a playground for the kids and a restaurant.

919 WINERY

919 Winery, housed in a charming straw bale building, offers sangiovese, tempranillo and duriff wine amongst others. 

Bella Lavender Estate. Photo: eashwood via IG

Monash Adventure Park.  Photo: elisaellisross via IG

DAY 2

LOXTON, the village

Call in to Loxton the village for some pioneering history and demonstrations.

LAKE BONNEY and BANROCK STATION

While in the region, visit Banrock Station Winery and restaurant. The setting is beautiful. They have a large range of table wines, sweet wines and fruit infusions.

To really soak in the landscape, go on the Banrock Station Wetlands Walking trail, a boardwalk over the wetlands along the Murray River. The entire loop is 8 km (allow 3 hours) but you can do it in sections. The board walk experience is just 1 hour.

Banrock Station Wetlands boardwalk

The view from the Banrock Station deck

The historic Overland Corner Hotel is full of character where you can enjoy live music and a beer (or wine)outside in the garden. It’s a rustic photogenic place full of stories.

Lake Bonney itself is photogenic, particularly at sunset and sunrise when the magnificent colors of the sky are reflected in the water.

CAUDO WINERY

Caudo Winery is on the grassy banks of the Murray so you can enjoy a swim. They are known for their sangrias – carbonated wines stripped of their tannins, a splash of juice, ice and a wedge of orange. The perfect refreshment for blistering summer days. They also have a range of reds, whites, rosés and bubbles.

Lake Bonney. Photo: benjamingood via IG

Caudo Vineyard

The beer garden at the Overland corner Hotel. Photo: tmorgs83

DAY 3

BIG BEND

Big Bend isn’t a town, it’s a section of the Murray River, but it is marked on Google Maps so you can navigate to it using your mobile phone. From here, drive down Riverside drive until it meets the Murray River banks for great views of the cliffs.  The best time to photograph them is at sunset.

Just north of Big Bend and on the east bank is the Punyelroo Cave. It's a great little walk with views over the Murray River and a cave.

This stretch of the Murray is dotted with the towns of Swans Reach, Punyelroo and Walter Flat. They all offer different views of the Murray River and places to stay.

MANNUM

Here’s your opportunity to board a Paddle Steamer for a Murray River tour. Paddle Steamers Marion (built 1897) and Mayflower are berthed in Mannum and are open to the public. The smaller Paddle Steamer Mayflower takes tours on the Murray for around $25.

Mannum Dock Museum and River History is a great place to learn about these paddle steamers and their important place in Murray River history. 

Big Bend Murray River. Photo: destinationriverland via IG

Big Bend lookout. Photo: unicorntraveller via IG

Swan Reach

Swan Reach Hotel. Photo: david tonken via IG

Walker Flat. Photo: oliveoatphotography via IG

DAY 4

MONARTO ZOO

Animals lovers will enjoy Australia’s largest open range zoo - Monarto Zoo. It’s more like a safari than a zoo and is a short detour away from the Murray River across Murray River Bridge. You can feed giraffes, have a meerkat sit in your lap, and drive through the lion prairie.

Monarto Zoo. Photo: nicki666 via IG

Monarto Zoo

DAY 5

LANGHORNE CREEK WINE REGION

From Monarto Zoo you can cut south to the Langhorne Creek, a fertile flood plain producing excellent shiraz.

• Lake Breeze Wines has a deck with views.
• Bleasdale Wines was voted 2018 winemaker of the year.
• The Wine House offers tastings of the surrounding boutique wineries including Kimbolton, Gipsie Jack, Ben Potts and more. There are leather couches in the cozy barrel room and a sprawling lawn for summer.
• Bremerton is housed in a lofty stone and clay building with an art gallery.
• Angus Plains Winery is set in beautiful gardens with sweeping views across the countryside.

Lake Breeze Wines

Camping on the Murrary River. Photo: weliveweexplore via IG

From here you have options. You can return to Adelaide via the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, or you can head through the Coorong National Park to Naracoorte Caves and the Coonawarra wine region, along the stunning Great Ocean Road to arrive in Melbourne.

Happy Campervaning!