726 kms of Remote Iconic River
7 Days
11 Navigation Locks
Mildura (Vic) to Mannum (SA)
An unforgettable water based adventure through some of inland Australia’s most stunning scenery
The best social boating fun you can have
The joy of setting off downriver with 726ks of adventure in front of you
The bucket list trip of a lifetime down the Iconic Murray River
The unbound freedom to explore 726km of river passing through 11 lochs
Remote River to wild camp almost anywhere you choose
Like minded explorers to share the epic experience with
Epic tales to tell and stories to share when you return
Journey through iconic Australian landscapes…. making new friends with other legends…. creating stories that you’ll be telling for years afterwards
It is simply stunning country you wil be travelling through that very few get to see this way.
Scroll down to join this adventure
How it works
- Get yourself and your tinny to the start line. Party at our start Party
- Drop your boat in the water and then take your car and trailer to the end point. Catch our charter back bus to the start.
- The next morning set off downstream with a bunch of other legends. Stop at a pub for lunch, get fuel and supplies, go choose one of many amazing campsites and have a beer with the other legends on the rally.
- Repeat this for a week, concluding with a finish party at Mannum
(Suggested) Route Highlights
- TUESDAY Visit the junction of the Darling and the Murray, visit Wentworth for lunch at the pub and for a final top up on fuel.
- WEDNESDAY Continue through the isolated and remote Murray Sunset National Park, through locks 9, 8 and 7, past historic homesteads on the banks of the Murry and spectacular cliffs including the devil’s elbow bend cliffs.
- THURSDAY Cross the border into SA, Onto the Woolshed Brewery (pull your tinny up out front, it’s right on the river) to sample the local beers, camping nearby
- FRIDAY Through Renmark for breakfast, Berri for lunch then camping downstream of Berri. Or get a hot shower and stay at one of the riverside Caravan parks at Renmark
- SATURDAY Through Loxton, stock up on fuel again, visit the tree of knowledge, then stop at the Historic Overland Corner Hotel for Dinner (built in 1869). Can also camp here, allowing you to have a few beers.
- SUNDAY Continue along the river through Waikerie for breakfast and fuel, then Morgan for lunch. On to Swan reach pub for dinner and camp nearby.
- MONDAY The spectacular iconic Murray river cliffs at Big bend – you’ll see spectacular cliffs most days on the Murray, but the ones at Big bend are the ones you see in all the photos). Continue though Young husband, walker flat, bow hill, finishing at Mannum
*The route and timing is up to you, you can convoy and party with others or do your own thing, the above is our suggestions and this is provided in detail with river distances and suggesting camping locations in the entrant information pack.
Why The Murray River
- The Murray is an amazing river to journey down, you will see inland remote Australia from a whole different angle. The size of it, the continuous water allowing journey by boat, the many options for free camping, and the supply stops at towns all mean it’s perfect for this sort of adventure.
- It’s the ultimate iconic Australia adventure. You will stop at and visit the towns on the banks as your journey downstream.
- The bush camping is amazing – there is a lot of freedom on where you can camp, you just pull up on the bank and roll your swag out.
- We choose this section because it offers proper remote camping and the iconic red cliffs on the Murray and more.
What’s Included
- Entry into the greatest water based rally on earth
- Start party & Finish party
- Charter Bus back from Mannum to Mildura, dedicated parking just outside of Mannum
- “Tinny Rally Entrant Event Information Package.pdf”
- All our knowledge and experience from multiple times doing this trip, so you’ve got the best information to plan and undertake the trip, have an awesome time and seeing all the best things.
- Tinny Preparation, equipment & Fuel planning
- Best free camping locations map
- Best maps to use
- Treasure map/hunt with the key sights to stop and see on the way
- Support on land for breakdowns, running out of fuel etc. Spare motor. Spare tinny
- (from October 2025 rally) Mechanic support
- Security guard watching over the boats when they are left in Mildura for the day and night
- Fuel assistance – we organise fuel trailers so less distance between fuel stops and no long walks to the servo
- Pubs opening especially for us, doing food especially for us, getting camping next to the pubs especially for us. Food specials.
- Event Prizes/Awards
- Joining a community of other dead set legends
- Event t-shirt, Event stubbie cooler, Event cap
- Event team flag & event stickers for your boat
- Memories of a lifetime
Not Included & What you need in order to enter
- Accommodation.
- Food & drinks.
- Fuel.
- Equipment. A portable toilet is required to minimise our impact on the river.
- Tinny.
- Current Boat Licence, Boat registration and boat 3rd party Insurance , and all maritime safety equipment as required by law
- Someone in your Tinny needs to have a mobile phone that uses the Tesltra network. This is so that you can be contacted by organisers in the event of an evacuation due to bushfire or flood being required.
- First Aid kit
Who is this for
- People who can handle being self sufficient in the outdoors, can handle good and challenging days, fit enough to carry fuel from the servo, outdoor savvy enough to travel 726ks and not run out of fuel etc.
- People who like the adventure of camping almost anywhere you want
- Social people who like adventuring with a bunch of other legends
- People who love adventuring by boat
Who is this not for
- People who want a fully guided tour. This is an unsupported trip through areas with patchy phone service and a long way from breakdown and medical assistance. You need to be comfortable with travel in the outdoors. Do not join this rally if you are not.
- This is a self drive trip, it is not a guided tour. We group 3-5 boats together so that through the remote sections with patchy phone service you have support if you need it (there is one section of 40km with no service at all). We can provide support on land if you need your boat taken to a mechanic.
Conditions of Entry & Refund Policy
Entry Fee
BYO Tinny $995pp. Child 12 years and under are half price.
How Much will it cost to participate
- Entry fee. As above
- Accommodation. You can camp for free all of the way. The first two nights and last night it is more convenient to book a cabin in the caravan parks that we leave from and finish at. This allows you to look your equipment in the cabin when you drop your car and boat trailer at the end. Cabins with 3 beds (ie share between 3 people) are $150/night
- Food & drinks. For the duration of the rally and the start and finish party.
- Fuel. For the length of the rally. In my 25hp 12ft tinny I used 300L of fuel and 4L of two stroke oil
- Avenza online maps for the route, downloaded to an app to your phone $30
- Boat 3rd Party Public Liability Insurance. You will need to show proof of this to participate in the rally (this is required by our insurers for the event) . If you do not already have it for a small boat it is approx $230 a year.
- Equipment. All your usual camping gear plus enough jerry cans for fuel, portable toilet, and folding trolley (suggested to help get your jerry cans back from the servo). All of these can be found second hand on facebook marketplace. Budget $200 for a tinny if you do not already have them.
- Required communications equipment.
- One person in each boat is required to have a phone on the Telstra network so you can be contacted by organisers in the case of an emergency (Telstra have the best service in the region). You can buy prepaid Telstra SIM cards for less than $50.
- Each group of 3-5 boats is required to have at least one PLB or EBIRB and one VHF or UHF radio.
How does dropping my car/tinny off work?
- First morning: drop your boat in the water where you are staying at Apex Riverbeach caravan park Mildura, (or if Apex caravan park is full, then at River Gardens holiday park Gol Gol).
- We leave from Apex because it’s a great sandy beach and good boat ramp, so it’s the best of all the options to start from. The river is wide and not as much traffic as closer to town.
- Drive your car and boat trailer to Mannum (~4hr drive), to leave them at a place we have organised
- Bus leaves there Mannum at 3:00pm to come back to Mildura
- Bus drops you off at Apex or Rivergardens holiday park at 7.00pm.
- The finish party will be at the Pretoria hotel, which is the best pub in Mannum and overlooks the water. You can walk to the pub from most accommodation in Mannum
- When you finish on the last day at Mannum we will have a car to shuttle you out to your car & trailer just out of town
Boats allowed:
- Tinnys up to 5m and 70hp (suggested minimum hp is 25-40hp)
- Fibreglass runabouts that look like a tinny
- Tiller, side console, centre console, forward controls all welcome
Larger Boats allowed by exception (up to a maximum of 20% of the boats for the event).
- Boats above 5m and 70hp, including RIBs and half cabs, Fiberglass or alloy
- Please read this larger boat considerations then contact me if wanting to bring a larger boat before booking
Boats not allowed
- Speed boats, wake boats, jet skis, jet boats (anything fast basically). Nothing with inboards or big V8s
Pets
Not allowed on the first half of the rally as we are going through and camping in a national park. Read this
2025 Dates available:
Lower Murray (Mildura to Mannum): 28 March – 5 April 2025.
- SOLD OUT. Waiting List for March 2025
Lower Murray (Mildura to Mannum): 12 October – 20 October 2025.
- SOLD OUT. Waiting List for Oct & Nov 2025 (in case people cancel or we put on another rally in 2025)
Lower Murray (Mildura to Mannum): 26 October – 3 November 2025.
- SOLD OUT. Waiting List for Oct & Nov 2025 (in case people cancel or we put on another rally in 2025)
Key Dates & Times
2025 Dates Available
- Tentative 2026 dates Bookings for 2026 will open in late April 2025. Click here to be notified as soon as bookings are open
“Had an awesome time so glad I was a part of it. Thank you and well done Dan, Katrina and Mickee.”
“Very well organised and communicated during the rally. Thanks for giving me the one-in-a-lifetime (until next year!!) opportunity to be part of something awesome!”
“The best parts of the Rally were the nights under the stars in the more remote areas and the like minded people on the rally.
The info pdf was well put together and had in my opinion the right amount of information.
Enough to help out each day but not so much that it took away from the actual point of doing a rally down a remote river in Australia.”
The best parts of the Tinny Rally were…
– The people, the scenery
– The adventure, fun, meeting new people.
– Hanging out with my dad, being in uninterrupted nature, surrounded by birds, cliffs and sandy banks. I also loved flying by the seat of my pants while navigating uncharted territories (such as locks), meeting a group of like-minded, supportive, adventurous spirits.
– Brewery and solo camping in remote areas
– Exploring the landscapes
– The river itself and the backup support (on land when we ran low on fuel)
– Finding hidden pubs and camp stops.
– Remote camping first few days was epic the scenery and the people you meet
FAQs
Is this a guided tour?
No this is a self drive trip. It is unsupported and you need to be fully self sufficient for remote travel and long way from breakdown or medical support.
In order to prepare for your journey you are required to:
- Read our our entrant guide which has planning and route information to help you prepare for your journey.
- Ensure that a person in your boat has a phone on the Telstra network as Telstra has service most of the way.
- Buddy up with another boat on the Tinny Rally for travelling through the section with patchy phone service (The Murray Sunset National Park)
How far do we travel each day?
About 100km.
How far between fuel stops?
The longest leg without fuel is 190km.
Will there be enough water in the river?
Yes.
I have hit sandbanks in the middle of winter when the water is at its lowest, however I did not sustain any boat damage and I have still got through just had to hop out and float my tinny across. When the rally is run in March and October the water level is normally 200-600mm higher. One year in the last 20 years it was no higher which would mean getting out and floating/dragging your tinny across these short sections if we had a low water level year like that.
Can I come in something that is not a tinny?
Tinnys are the best craft and in the spirit of adventure and the event.
Fibreglass runabouts allowed if they are not too luxurious and fast.
No jetskis.
Boats greater than 5m long email me first
Boats that go faster than 60kph only by exception please email me first
Ski boats only by exception (contact me). A suitable reason would be you’re bringing your 80 year old grandma.
What types of boats are suitable
We suggest a minimum of 12ft and 25-40hp for 1 person and 4.2m and 40-60hp for two people. Fibreglass runabouts are also fine.
If you travel in too much luxury and speed you may get some dark looks from other entrants in the rally. The aim is for it to be an adventure not a luxury cruise.
Manual trim motors are ideal because you can leave them unlocked and they bounce up if you hit a low sandbank. But people take houseboats up the Murray so electric trim is also fine, just be more careful of water depth.
You need to be able to go a minimum of 35kph fully loaded in order to make the distance and still have time for fun each day.
Can I have more than 2 people in a team?
Yes
How much fun will I have?
Enormous amounts. We value the fact you want to make the most of 7 days off work and gone to a lot of effort to test and design the routes, stops and suggestions we make so you have an awesome time.
What will finishing the rally be like?
You should feel a big sense of accomplishment and achievement, it is one heck of an undertaking.
Will I have to help other people if they break down.
You don’t have to but you should
What happens if I breakdown?
- Seek assistance from other Rally participants to repair your vessel.
- If unable to be repaired, with another boat tow it to the nearest town and get it repaired by a marine mechanic
- We can provide on land support
- If too far to another town, mechanic not available, or not repairable, then:
- We can assist you to either leave your boat somewhere to be picked up later and you jump in with other rally participants to continue on, or
- We can put your boat on my car and trailer if it fits, or
- We give you a lift to to your car and trailer at the end to come get your boat
Will I meet the most amazing new friends?
Mostly guaranteed. *the lawyer said not to write guaranteed but we all know they are so risk adverse they would never come on an adventure like this.
Do I have to camp the whole way?
No. Wed & Fri nights there is easily accessible accommodation. Sun, Mon, Tue, Thur there are also some camping options available but they are more limited. Email us for more information.
Do the pubs known we are coming?
We are in contact with the main pubs, brewery and fuel stop we recommend to stop at so they know they have a bunch of tinny rally adventurers coming.
Can I hire Tinnys anywhere locally?
Yes email me I’ll point you in the right direction.
What is your cancellation & refund policy?
Ask A Question
If you have a question not answered here, send me a message now and I’ll get back to you
Send me more info
Join the March-April 2025 Lower Murray Rally Now
- 29 March – 5 April 2025. See Key Dates
- BYO Tinny and gear, $995 per person SOLD OUT
- Waiting List for March 2025
Join the October 2025 Lower Murray Rally Now
Lower Murray (Mildura to Mannum)
- 12 October – 20 October 2025
- See Key Dates
BYO Tinny and gear
- $995pp. SOLD OUT
- Waiting List for Oct & Nov 2025 (in case people cancel or we put on another rally in 2025)
Join the October/November 2025 Lower Murray Rally Now
Lower Murray (Mildura to Mannum)
- 26 October – 3 November 2025
- See Key Dates
BYO Tinny and gear
- $995pp. SOLD OUT
- Waiting List for Oct & Nov 2025 (in case people cancel or we put on another rally in 2025)
Brand Partnerships
If you are a brand that has passionate boaters and outdoors people as your customer base and are interested in getting huge exposure as part of the Tinny Rally then get in touch with us about partnership opportunities and how to get involved.
October 2024 Tinny Rally Video
Watch the video from Team #2 on the Rally here
October 2024 Media Publicity
Click here to read and listen to the stories from October 2024
Photos and Videos
If you are an influencer or enjoy taking photos and videos we’d love to hear from you. We have a free entry ticket for the right person to take some content of the event.
