For many, the idea of paddling the Murray River from source to sea is an almost unimaginable feat. Stretching more than 2,400 kilometres from the alpine headwaters of Victoria to the Southern Ocean in South Australia, the river is both a lifeline and a challenge. For adventurer Laura Waters, it became the stage for an extraordinary test of body and spirit.
Over months on the water, she battled the relentless elements, navigated shifting moods of the river, and pushed through the solitude that comes with such an immense undertaking.
Yet the journey was more than just physical endurance. For Laura, the Murray revealed itself as a mirror—reflecting resilience in moments of exhaustion, calm in the still stretches, and clarity in the isolation. She speaks of the highs of sunrise over glassy waters and the lows of fatigue that tested her resolve.
In the end, completing the paddle was not only about reaching the ocean, but about rediscovering her own strength and deepening her connection to nature. With the Murray behind her, Laura now turns her gaze to what adventures lie ahead, carrying forward the lessons only a river of such magnitude can teach.
Where Wild Things Roam caught up with Laura to talk about her adventure.
What first sparked the idea…
Curiosity. I’d visited the Murray many times over the years and have always felt a timeless energy there. But I wanted to see it beyond the big tourist towns like Echuca and Mildura; see every kilometre of it and watch the landscapes and water change from clear and narrow rapids in the foothills of the Alps to the wide brown swathe it is by the time it reaches the Southern Ocean.
Preparation physically and mentally…
Ten years ago I hiked 3,000km down the entire length of New Zealand – a journey of five months – so I was already comfortable with the mindset required for long distance adventuring. If you added up all the multi-day kayak trips I’d previously done it was probably about a month’s worth though none had been longer than six days. The Murray took 76 days (60 paddling days). I did a few training paddles on my local Barwon River and a weekend paddle on the Murray to check my gear, but really my plan was to just listen to my body and easy into the journey.
Questioning whether I could keep going…
I’ve never given up on a challenge when the going gets tough – it’s not in my nature – but I did face quite considerable pain and discomfort (particularly in my fingers which felt like they’d been run over – fortunately I felt the pain most at the end of the day when they weren’t moving). I did however have a few days of wondering whether I should stay on the river. A few close calls with power boats and jetskis (sometimes deliberately on their part) caused a lot of stress and had me questioning whether this was how I wanted to spend my hard-earned time off. It just wasn’t fun. But then I paddled into quiet stretches of river and that renewed my resolve to keep going. Riding the peaks and troughs is just part of adventuring.
Breathtaking/surprising moments…
I absolutely loved the sheer cliffs in South Australia, pocked with holes where birds would live. They went on for days and were totally breathtaking, especially when lit with sunsets or a rising sun.
Toughest challenge…
There were many challenges. Headwinds and other boaties aside, crossing Lake Alexandrina was the biggest emotional challenge. It was on my second last day and is about 37km across (it’s like an inland sea and can get big waves). I had to wait three days for conditions to be safe enough to cross but it was still way windier than I’d planned on the morning I started. I chipped around the edges of the lake but still had some long crossings, the first was three hours before I made landfall again. I felt very vulnerable.
Being alone…
There were plenty of towns, campers and other boaties along the way so I was actually rarely really alone. I actually don’t mind being alone, and in fact I don’t really feel alone when I’m in nature because I feel connected to the land and other animals. I felt most alone when there were tough or scary moments and there was no one to help lift me up and out of emotional slumps.
Wildlife…
The birdsong is incredible in some spots and there’s plenty of birds around – corellas, cockies, whistling kites, pelicans, egrets, herons and more. A few times I’d come round a bend and see emus on the riverbank which I just loved. I saw three snakes in one morning coming into Echuca: two of them swimming and one huge one that came barrelling over the lip of a riverbank and past me on the sand when I’d just pulled up for a break. That was a surprise! It was being chased by a dog but was safe once it got in the water.
Woman adventuring solo…
I think women can easily absorb negative messaging from the world about what we’re capable of. To an extent, I probably believed that too before I hiked 3,000km down the length of New Zealand a decade ago. Then I realised hang on, I can actually do a lot more than I realised. It’s in the overcoming of challenges that we grow and learn and get confidence. Women seeing other women do stuff helps break down those false perceptions about our capabilities.
Reaching the ocean…
The night before I reached the river mouth I camped on the Coorong and walked over the dunes to see the Southern Ocean. Once I laid eyes on it and inhaled the salty air, I couldn’t stop crying. It was such a hard-fought achievement and to be honest I was pretty relieved I wouldn’t have to worry about wind forecasts, finding campsites, or dealing with mud, flies or any of the other challenges. It was an epic journey that took me from alpine to sea but it wasn’t easy.
