The Murray River Adventure Trail (MRAT) is a multi-sport adventure trail that will run along the length of the Murray River, in NSW and Victoria.

The trail will use land and water to incorporate walking, cycling and kayaking/canoeing from Albury/Wodonga through to Mildura/Wentworth. It will create an iconic new product on the Murray River and support the development and promotion of the river and its surrounding natural areas.

The MRAT is being developed in stages: 1, 2 & 3.

Stage 1 of the MRAT has been funded by the Victorian State Government and is currently being planned by Parks Victoria.

Stages 2 & 3 are being undertaken by Murray Regional Tourism through a funding partnership with the Victorian State Government and our Victorian Local Government partners to extend out to the east from Albury/Wodonga and Lake Hume to the west from Mildura/Wentworth, along the length of the Murray River.

The alignment and design of the Murray River Adventure Trail Stages 2 & 3 is predominantly driven by the opportunity to leverage existing opportunities and infrastructure along the Murray River, for both the Victorian and New South Wales sides, maximising the return on investment and broader opportunities for the Murray Region.

The Murray is a diverse and vast region, with varied terrain and experiences to offer. Where possible, and there is alignment with the broader objectives of the project, existing infrastructure has been incorporated to maximise efficiency and enhance visitation, however it is recognised that there are many other opportunities that can be further explored in the surrounding region that will not form part of the Adventure Trail itself, and will remain an important separate tourism offering in the region.

One of the key objectives of the MRAT is to facilitate greater investment and visitation to the region, encouraging people to visit the many other wonderful products and attractions on offer during their stay.

In sections where existing opportunities and infrastructure are not identified and additional infrastructure is required, the alignment of the trail will be guided by further discussions with Local Government project partners, to ensure the construction and maintenance of these sections is feasible.

The Concept Design forms an important part of the process and will help support future stages still to come beyond the scope of the concept design phase, including detailed design.

The MRAT Business Case (2016) draws on the content of the MRAT Feasibility Study (2014) and the Murray Region Destination Management Plan prepared by Urban Enterprise in 2012. The MRAT Feasibility Study was supported by the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

The business case identified strong support for nature based tourism product development. It outlines that the trail will mainly be used by locals and domestic tourists and the trail will grow the domestic market in the region and encourage existing visitor groups to stay longer.

Stage 1 (Parks Victoria)

Stage 1 of the MRAT has been funded by the Victorian State Government and is being planned by Parks Victoria, with construction expected to conclude in 2025. The Stage 1 is from Koondrook via Echuca/Moama to the Barmah National Park.

This is a separate project and is not within the scope of this Concept Design. For further details, please see the Parks Victoria website.

Stages 2 & 3 (Murray Regional Tourism)

This project will continue the development of a trail alignment and Concept Design for Stages 2 & 3 of the trail. This project spans over two sections and covers the geographical areas of Koondrook/Barham to Mildura/Wentworth (Stage 2) and Barmah National Park to Albury/Wodonga (Stage 3).

This current project will develop a Concept Design for the entire balance of the trail (Stages 2 & 3), to support future funding for detailed design and construction. These steps of the project are not within the scope of this Concept Design.

During August and November 2024, we asked for your feedback on the draft trail alignment by identifying locations where there may be opportunities, barriers, existing infrastructure which could be used or needs repair, and areas of special significance.

The Project Team has worked through over 250 community contributions and continue to work closely with both stakeholders and Traditional Owners to incorporate the valuable insights into the final Concept Design.

Watch this space! We look forward to sharing the updated Concept Design with you in 2025.