Continuing our post-Covid thinking of doing more test rides in Australia, we rode down the Murray from Albury to the junction of the Darling. We chose January, and were fortunate to not strike a heatwave. I was testing Schwalbe G-One Allrounder 2.8” (70mm) tyres, and I was using the new Baramind handlebars which have a bit of downward flex in them. The second bike was a standard drop-bar Swabia.
In the world of bike travel, there are those journeys that last for many months and even years, but there is also our lifestyle: working normal jobs and taking 3-week bike tours in breaks. Our ride was the latter.
Cycling infrastructure is the responsibility of local government. Thirteen councils on both sides of the river have formed Murray Regional Tourism. They have endorsed the idea of a cycle route along the River but it is early days and we didn’t see another travelling cyclist for 1,000km. It will develop over time, though, and there are lots of rideable roads, some separated paths, especially as you approach the towns.
There’s plenty of accommodation along the way. Wild camping would be easy, and there are many campgrounds and motels. But on a 3-week ride, we opted for motels and hence only had rear panniers and handlebar bags. The motels all have microwaves and fridges and typically only had to be booked a day in advance and cost about AU$125.
In this era of strange weather, bike travellers have to keep an eye on forecasts. There are several rivers that rise in the south of Victoria and flow north to the Murray. At one stage we knew the Campaspe river was going to flood and we had to get across it by a certain time or risk waiting out the flood.
Summer on the Murray is the time of year when the dirt tracks are mostly rideable. But a bit of rain can switch from dirt to tar on short notice. This is part of riding in the region. You certainly don’t want too rigid a plan.
The Swabia had 40mm tyres and that kept us more on the sealed surfaces. The Diamantina with 2.8” tyres seemed to be happy everywhere. Wherever we were though, we were on the lookout for puncture risks.
The 2.8” (70mm) tyres deserve their own discussion which is best done under the heading of touring bike wheels.
The best defense is to see them in advance. In January, the new crop is not yet hardened. But there are still puncture risks. We got three punctures. One from a staple on the 2.8” tyres that have no Kevlar belt. And one on each bike from three-cornered jacks. Tubeless most likely would have prevented all of them. But you have to balance that with the work of setting up tubeless on relatively short-duration rides. See our separate article on this.
Mallee fowl were a hope but talking to park rangers revealed just how rare it is to see one of these amazing creatures. That’s a bit surprising given how the related common brush turkeys are now on the east coast. But feral cats and foxes are the main reason mallee fowl are endangered.
Bike travellers spend most of their time in wilderness or farming regions. Some of us are actively interested in farming and there’s plenty to see along the Murray.
Another interesting crop is saltbush. They grow it so as to produce saltbush lamb. Join the club if you have never heard of it. According to the marketing… The protein-rich foliage and high mineral content of Oldman Saltbush gives the meat a very clean, crisp, lean and delicious flavour, a unique characteristic.
The Murray was the boundary for different Indigenous tribes. Europeans took their land and, in some cases, massacred them. There is little sign now that up to only 200 years ago, a civilisation dating tens of thousands of years lived here. But we did come across one extraordinary relic from olden times.
Mildura is the main departure point for tours to Lake Mungo. This is not rideable. You travel through vast stations. Camping on them is not allowed. You need to carry all of your water. But there are a few operators that will take you out there and ours was faultless. Visiting Lake Mungo is an incredible experience.
The lake was one of five in a system that for many thousands of years drained the melting ice sheet on the eastern highlands. In 1968, an ANU geologist studying ancient and now dry lakes went there and found human remains. Named Mungo Woman, the remains are part of the earliest human settlement known anywhere. The lake dried up 14,000 years ago!
About 35km beyond Mildura is Wentworth. This is where the Darling River joins the Murray. You can do a loop and see both sides of the river. You can also, from Wentworth, ride up the Darling. Towns peter out though and that’s another type of bike tour. We went as far as Pomona.
IMG14 – Big tree
“Buy-back” in the Murray Darling catchment, refers to policy whereby government would buy back some water entitlements from farmers.. How wrong could buying back water entitlements be? I expected people that we’d encounter along the Murray River would have a “whatever-it-takes” attitude to achieving what was set out in the Murray Darling Basin Agreement. That was signed up to in 2007 and was to be achieved by 2024. But almost none of the promised environmental river flow has come about. There is irrigation everywhere. The farmer first needs to own a licence. That might be worth $4,000 per megalitre (ML). High Security licences are up to $7,000. Then he/she buys the water which, in a normal year, is (an extra) $80 per ML. The value of licences has gone up a lot. As much as 25% a year. They owners don’t want to sell. So, there is an impasse, and, as a result, our environment suffers.
Successive governments have over-allocated the water. Taxpayers (the governments) want to buy back enough licenses to achieve the environmental flow they agreed on. But talking like that along the Murray River is not smart. Tentatively, I would ask…”what percentage of people around here are against buy-backs?” 100% was the answer every time.
But the fouling might be upstream cotton industry- driven pesticide pollution. When I got back to Sydney and went to the Invasion Day rally in Belmore Park, a speaker was talking about how the Darling and especially its northern tributaries are poisoned by the cotton industry. I found more, including this article on the subject. The claim was that cancer levels amongst Aboriginal workers in the cotton industry around Moree are high. It looks like that is true.
Whether or not you share these concerns about the environment, a ride down the Murray River should be on your list. You can alternate between NSW and Victoria, there are towns along the way and plenty of places to stay. There are dramatically different landscapes. At Mildura you can fly to either Sydney or Melbourne. We were able to get bike cartons at the airport.
Shout-Out to Victorian Trains Taking Bikes
You can wheel your bike on and off Victorian trains. The lines go to Warrnambool, Sale, Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill, Ballarat and Shepperton, although there are a few time periods when it’s best not to. Read more about Bicycles, luggage and animals on Victorian Trains.
In addition to the train lines on this map, there is also the Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide. They accept bikes too but they need to be booked 72 hours out. You could get on or off at a number of stations.