The Tinny Rally
An epic river expedition crossed with a legendary pub trail.
Built for legends — not for tourists.
726km of river.
Zero guides.
150 legends.
One mission.
You, your mate, your swags and your esky.
Freedom to camp almost anywhere.
Seven days of cliffs, convoys and cold beer.
Imagine pulling up to a pub in a tinny. Or sliding your boat onto a sandbar and declaring:
“This is home for the night.”
This isn’t just a camping trip. It’s a 7-day river mission.
A freedom-fuelled convoy down the Murray with 150 legends.
Every night: a different pub, a new campsite, a fresh story.
Every day: the river, the cliffs, the camaraderie.
There’s no other rally like it in the world.
Why It’s So Good
Because seven days outside changes you.
Weekend camping trips are fun.
But something primal kicks in around day four.
You start living by instinct again.
You find campsites like your ancestors did — with your eyes and your gut.
You move with the river. You get your edge back.
You come home with stories that make people lean in.
And the most common feedback?
“That was the best holiday of my life.”
There’s no hour-by-hour itinerary. No guides. No icebreaker games.
Instead:
- Zones to reach each day
- Total freedom to choose your route, pace, and campsite
- A sweeper boat behind to make sure you’re still alive
You want structure? It’s called a cruise.
You want freedom?
Welcome to the Tinny Rally.
The River Route
Each team gets a hand-marked Navigator’s Chart.
It shows the full journey from Wentworth to Mannum — 726km of legends-only river.
Prep Days:
- Day -2: Boat & mandatory equipment check at the Rally Readiness Checkpoint
- Day -1: Drop boat in the water, take your ute and boat trailer to the end, bus return.
Rally Days:
- Day 1: Launch from Mildura. Camp below Lock 10 on a sandbar or Fort Courage Caravan Park.
- Day 2: Through Locks 9, 8, and 7. Camp at Kulcurna Historic Homestead or find your own sandbar. Optional Side Mission up the Rufus River to Lake Victoria.v
- Day 3: The Iconic Woolshed Brewery. Optional side mission Chowilla Historic Woolshed.
- Day 4: Through the Riverland towns of Renmark and Berri. Optional side mission: Up the Pike River to Riverland Wine Centre.
- Day 5: Through Loxton to the Historic Overland Corner Hotel. Optional Side Missions: Loxton Historical Village, the Tree of Knowledge.
- Day 6: The big day: Via Waikerie Bakery for breakfast, Morgan Pub for lunch, then Swan Reach Pub for dinner.
- Day 7: Into Mannum. Optional Side Mission: Punyerloo Cave. Presentations. Cold beer. Belt buckles.
Your Spot: $1195 per Adult, $795 under 18s
Includes: Includes Official Tinny Rally Shirt, stubby holder, cap, Navigator’s Chart with the full route including campsites, First night BBQ + final night presentations, Ceremonial Belt buckle if you finish (and stay for the presentation), Prep & planning guide PDF, Emergency recovery support land vehicle & sweeper boat. Joining a community of other dead set legends, Event team flag & event stickers for your boat, Memories of a lifetime
Additional costs to budget for: Your fuel, caravan park accom for the first few 2-3 nights in mildura and last night in mannum (You can camp for free the rest of the way), all food and drinks. Your boat, your insurance, and all required equipment if you don’t already have it.
What You Need
Boat: Max 5m and 60hp. Tinny-style only. (don’t email us for an exemption)
Speed: At least 30km/h fully loaded (ideally 38+).
Toilet: Chemical camping toilet (mandatory). No bags or tubes.
Gear: Camping gear, trolley for fuel, safety gear, spare prop, first aid kit.
Comms: Phone on the Telstra network, PLB or EPIRB, charging setup, Navionics maps (free trial) & “Avenza” offline map app (about $30).
Insurance: Third-party liability boat insurance.
This isn’t a luxury cruise. It’s a mission. Pack like it.
Daily Distances & Fuel Logistics
Km per day: 80-176km (Most days average about 100km which is about 3 hrs+ time to get through locks)
Longest distance between fuel: 190km
Most fuel stops are on the water. Two stops you have to walk about 500m.
Estimated Fuel usage for the total distance: In my 25hp 12ft tinny I used 300L of fuel and 4L of two stroke oil, and about the same in my 14ft 50hp two stroke. People have used as little as 150L and as much as 600L so depends upon the boat and how loaded you are.
Is this for you?
Who this is for
it’s for you if you:
- Can choose a campsite
- Can look after yourself
- Can fix things or figure it out
- Can meet people without needing a host
- Can deal with dragging your boat across a shallow sandbank if the water is a bit low (unusual, but I have had to do it once)
Then you’ll thrive here.
People have come on the tinny rally before that got their boat license and their tinny just for this trip.
Who this is not for, do you
- Need daily guidance
- Want your hand held
- Can’t handle uncertainty
- Expect steak to arrive in 12 minutes – You’ll be traveling through regional pubs that aren’t used to 150 legends turning up in tinnies on the doorstep hungry and thirsty. Even though we let them know we are coming, you may have to wait a few more minutes for your steak that you are used to in the city.
- Want to spend the whole time alone (Don’t have to be a big drinker or a big socialiser but it is a fairly social trip).
If that’s you, this is not your rally.
We don’t want your money. We want legends.
Don’t come if that’s not your vibe.
Real Stories From the River
✅ What People Loved – The 98%
“It’s the people that make the Tinny Rally.”
Sure, the river is stunning. The cliffs are ancient. But over and over, people say the same thing: it’s the convoy of legends that makes it unforgettable. The shared beers. The nightly pub stops. The lifelong mates made in just seven days. From the first lock to the final launch ramp, the camaraderie is what people remember most.
“You forget about your normal life.”
The simplicity of the mission—fuel up, find a campsite, drift downriver—becomes a meditation. For a week, you stop checking emails and start checking the riverbank for firewood. That’s the real gift. You meet adventurous, like-minded people. You camp under stars. You feel young again. Everyone who came for the river left with something much bigger.
❌ What a Few Didn’t Get – The 2%
Some folks probably should’ve booked a Bali resort instead.
A couple were rattled that the shirt wasn’t a designer cut or didn’t say “I went on the Tinny Rally and all I got was this shirt.” (We use premium AS Colour because it holds up to river sun. But if you’re here for a shirt, this might not be your trip.)
Others wanted hand-holding: closer groups, structured itineraries, even buses from the pub to a “nicer” campsite. But the Tinny Rally isn’t about being told where to go, when to eat, or how to camp. It’s not a guided tour. It’s a freedom mission. If the campsite’s not to your liking, move. If you need a concierge, you’re in the wrong place.
Join the Waitlist
This rally books out. Every time.
Rallies for the second half of 2025 sold out in January 2025.
The only way in? Join the waitlist.
You don’t apply for a spot on the Tinny Rally.
You get in line.
We release spots for half the year at a time.
Those who’ve been on the waitlist the longest get first access.
🗓 Upcoming Rally Waitlists
First Half of 2026 → Spots open July 2025
- 8–16 March 2026
- 22–30 March 2026
- 26 April – 4 May 2026
👉 Join the first half 2026 Waitlist Here
Second Half of 2026 → Spots open ~December 2025
- 6–14 September 2026
- 11–19 October 2026
- 25 October – 2 November 2026
👉 Join the second half 2026 Waitlist Here
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 as you are a long way from breakdown or medical support.
In order to prepare for your journey you are required to:
- Read our “Field Manual: Rally Readiness” 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?
Refer here: https://tinnyrally.com.au/boat-requirements/
What types of boats are suitable
We suggest a minimum of 12ft and 25-40hp for 1 person and 4.2m and
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, coordinate with our sweeper boat and land vehicle recovery crew or with another boat tow it to the nearest town and get it repaired by a marine mechanic
- 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. Some nights there is easily accessible accommodation in riverside caravan parks. Most nights are remote bush camping.
Do the pubs know 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?
See here: Tinny Hire
I am coming from another state. Can I use my boat and boat license in SA and NSW?
Confirm the most current information by checking online, however in most cases you can use your existing license and registration for up to 90 days. We have been told by other participants “For NT people other participants that have contacted NSW maritime have told us as long as you carry your NT drivers license and your boat has a builders plate and all the safety gear that is satisfactory. In South Australia your boat needs a registration so NT people would need to register it in SA.” We have not verified this information with Maritime NSW and Transport SA and recommend that you do check yourself.
What is your cancellation & refund policy?
Should I come on this rally if I have never been camping before?
No. 7 days camping in a remote location carrying your own toilet is not the way to start your introduction into camping.
Is this like other “rallies”
We haven’t been on other social rallies, or fundraising rallies, but from what we understand they can be more structured than the Tinny Rally. The Tinny Rally has a lot of freedom to explore, camp where you want and stop where you want. And that’s how the sort of people that come on the Tinny Rally like it. We do not provide food or scones and morning tea at each stop, you are responsible for all your own supplies. We do not provide structured social activities and events each evening. You’ll need to bring your own bingo.
Is this a guided tour?
When I book tickets can I book and pay for my mates as well. Yes, as long as you have their details to enter on their ticket (name and email).
Can I have one or three people in my boat?
You can have as few or many as you like. We get a few people come solo each rally, and a few guys bring their kids and put 3 in a boat.
How many boats come?
Approx 75 boats (150 people)
Are the stops locked in or can you camp wherever you want?
For safety and logistical reasons we designate camping zones each day (approx 20-30km long). There is plenty of room to spread out.
Can I fish/ Is there time to fish?
Yes, last rally some guys caught a 87cm cod and a total of 200 carp.
Do I need to apply to get a spot?
No, it’s first in best dressed to get a ticket when we release them.
What’s the weather like in March and October?
Generally low 20s and sunny. Pack rain gear in case (unlikely but good to be prepared), and cold weather gear for the mornings on the water. We could get unlucky with a frost and sometimes we get a mid 30s day or two.
Can I bring my dog?
Dogs are not permitted.
Is it suitable for kids?
Yes we have kids come every rally.
Is it suitable for women?
Yes. We have had women enter solo, enter as a team and as a husband and wife team. The rally is currently about 80% blokes, 10% women and 10% kids.
If my 16 year old has a boat license can they drive?
On the Tinny Rally under 18s need to be accompanied in the boat by their parent/guardian at all times. If they can legally drive the boat they can drive it during the tinny rally.
Is there a support vehicle to carry my gear?
You carry everything in your boat with you.
Where do you park your cars and trailers?
We store them on a farm 7km outside of Mannum
My tinny is more than 60hp or more than 5m, can I have a special exemption to bring it along?
No.
Most people bring a 4.2m and 40hp so 60hp and 5m is big enough already.
We run a hard 60hp &5m limit. Not because of permits or insurance—because of culture.
Everyone else brings 60hp and 5m or less. That’s the range. No special treatment. No faster rigs. It’s part of the rally’s DNA—shared challenge, same current, same story.
If you’re in, great. But it has to be in a rig that matches the rally.
What if I break down?
Your convoy helps. If not, the recovery team steps in.
Can I bring my kids?
Yes — as long as they’re ready for the outdoors.
Can I bring my dog
No pets on the rally.
Can I drink and drive the boat?
No. Have your beers after you tie off.
Do I need a proper toilet?
Yes. And if you don’t bring one, you’re not coming.