The Lower Riverland: Cliffs & Bends
A two-day run through the soft limestone cliffs of the lower river
The plan
The lower Riverland is cliff country. Here the Murray cuts into soft limestone, raising walls of ochre, cream and rust that glow at sunset and shelter nesting birds. This drive chases the best of them.
Work downstream over two days, pausing at lookouts, ferries and the lock at Blanchetown where the tamed river shows its engineering. Late afternoon is the magic hour, when the low sun sets the cliffs alight - plan your stops accordingly.
It's an easy, scenic loop that pairs big river views with a sense of how the Murray shaped, and was shaped by, this landscape.
Day 1
2 stops-
1
-
2Nildottie
Big Bend Lookout
Take in the Big Bend, the tallest cliffs on the lower Murray.
Day 2
2 stops-
1Walker Flat
Walker Flat Ferry & Cliffs
Cross at Walker Flat beneath its striking cliff face.
-
2Blanchetown
Lock 1 Blanchetown
See the river tamed at Lock 1, the first weir on the Murray.
On the map
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Image credits
- Cliffs along River Murray(GN13652).jpg by State Government Photographer , CC0 via Wikimedia Commons