Moorundie & Portee Creek Trail
A 26 km return loop from Castles Landing near Blanchetown through the slow-flowing backwaters of Moorundie and Portee Creeks — past Eyre’s irrigation dam ruins, the 1873 Portee Homestead, and corridors of river red gums alive with birdlife.
- Distance
- ~26 km return
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Trail type
- Return Loop
- From Adelaide
- 145 km north-east
The Moorundie & Portee Creek Trail is a 26 km return loop through one of the Murray’s most atmospheric and historically layered backwaters. Launching from Castles Landing near Blanchetown, paddlers travel through the slow-moving, tree-canopied corridors of Moorundie and Portee Creeks before returning upstream along the Murray River. The moderate difficulty rating reflects the five portages along the way — the paddling itself is quiet flatwater throughout, sheltered by towering river red gums and rich with birdlife.
About This Trail
This is a return loop trail — beginning and ending at Castles Landing near Blanchetown. Paddlers travel south through Moorundie Creek into Portee Creek, then return north upstream along the Murray River. It can be completed as a long single day or a more relaxed two-day paddle with an overnight camp at the pumphouse reserve near Swan Reach (Point B).
Alternatively, the trail can be started from the Swan Reach end, launching from the reserve beside the pumphouse on the western bank of the Murray, with the return upstream through the creeks.
Paddle SA is the governing body of paddle sport and recreation in South Australia. It leads and supports paddling in South Australia and encourages the safe exploration of our waterways.
Paddling Trails South Australia has a range of trails to suit different abilities. Know your ability.
🌐 paddlesa.au →Launch Sites & Route
| Site | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Castles Landing Primary launch | GPS: 34.3964 S; 139.6189 E Blanchetown/Swan Reach Rd, ~5 km from highway (east side of bridge). Phone (08) 8540 5015 before visiting. | 📍 Directions |
| Swan Reach Pumphouse Reserve Alternative start | GPS: 34.5052 S; 139.5698 E Reserve at end of Swan Reach/Stockwell Road, beside the pumphouse, western bank. | 📍 Directions |
Route Description
From Castles Landing, set out onto the Murray River. The entrance to Moorundie Creek is almost directly opposite the campground and can be identified by the remains of a concrete weir — one of two irrigation dams built by Edward John Eyre in the 1840s (see Points of Interest). This is Point A (GPS: 34.3970 S; 139.6159 E). There is a difficult portage near the entrance to skirt two trees lying across the creek — the most demanding portage on the trail.
Moorundie Creek flows into Portee Creek, past the historic Portee Homestead — built in 1873 on the Murray floodplain, now operating as a bed & breakfast. The homestead is visible from the water and the surrounding old river red gums and abundant birdlife make this one of the most scenic sections of the trail. There are four more portages after Portee Homestead where tracks and roads cross the creek.
Portee Creek exits into the Murray River. Point B (GPS: 34.5061 S; 139.5694 E) is the reserve at the end of Swan Reach/Stockwell Road, beside the pumphouse on the western side of the river — a short distance downstream from the creek exit. No facilities. Camping is available here — an ideal overnight stop if spreading the trail over two days. Bring your own firewood; observe seasonal fire restrictions.
The return leg follows the Murray River upstream from Swan Reach back to Castles Landing — approximately 13 km of open river paddling. The river is generally sheltered from wind in this section; however, be aware of river traffic and any upstream current. The Blanchetown bridge and Lock 1 will come into view as you approach the finish.
Wildlife & Environment
The slow-flowing, sheltered corridors of Moorundie and Portee Creeks support exceptional diversity of waterbirds. Mature river red gums ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis) line both banks, their hollows providing nesting sites for parrots, cormorants, herons and waterfowl. The shaded, shallow waters and dense riparian vegetation create ideal habitat for an array of species that can be observed at close range from the water.
The surrounding landscape is the Moorunde Wildlife Reserve — nearly 7,000 hectares of mallee scrubland between Blanchetown and Swan Reach, established in 1968 by the Natural History Society of South Australia following the first environmental fundraising appeal in the state’s history. The reserve is now home to an estimated 500–2,000 southern hairy-nosed wombats ( Lasiorhinus latifrons) and represents one of the most significant centres for the species anywhere in South Australia. Kangaroos, emus and echidnas also inhabit the reserve and are frequently seen near the waterway.
Common birds of the mallee and creek zones include the Common Bronzewing, White-fronted Honeyeater, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Weebill, Gilbert’s Whistler and White-winged Chough. Along the water’s edge, expect herons, ibis, cormorants and ducks year-round. Portee Station’s creek corridor is particularly noted for the variety and volume of birdlife visible from the water — described as an ornithologist’s delight.
Country & Heritage
The land through which this trail passes is the traditional Country of the Ngaiawang (Ngayawang) people — one of the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region, whose ancestral territory extended along the Murray from Herman Landing (Nildottie) to Penn Reach near Qualco, and west to the Mount Lofty Ranges scarp. The name Moorundie — which predates European settlement — is derived from the local Aboriginal language and was applied to the settlement and creek country of this reach. In 1843 there were nearly 400 Aboriginal people living in the Moorunde area; within two decades, the community had been devastated by the cascading effects of colonisation.
Paddling Trails South Australia acknowledges the Ngaiawang people and the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region as the Traditional Owners of this Country, and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Edward John Eyre & the Moorundie Weir
Edward John Eyre settled at Moorunde in 1838 and was appointed Protector of the Aborigines and Special Magistrate in 1841, tasked with managing tensions between Aboriginal peoples and overlanders driving stock from New South Wales. Working initially without weapons or troops, he brought peace to this section of the Murray. Eyre was also the first major irrigator on the Murray, constructing two large dams on the western side of the river to support his irrigation ambitions.
Both dams were destroyed in the catastrophic 1852 Gundagai Flood. The remains of one dam wall can still be seen near the entrance to Moorundie Creek — marked by Point A on this trail — one of the most tangible colonial-era remnants on any paddling trail in South Australia. Eyre had returned to England in 1843, before the flood.
Portee Homestead
The Portee Homestead was built in 1873 in the wetlands on the floodplain of the River Murray, along Portee Creek. The property — part of the vast Portee Station, now covering some 20,000 hectares — was first settled in 1841 as a sheep grazing run and is rich in early South Australian pastoral history. The station property surrounds the Moorundie Creek inlet and encloses the site of Eyre’s original settlement. The homestead, restored to its original grandeur and shaded by river red gums, now operates as accommodation. The trail passes directly by this historic property, and the adjacent creek country offers some of the most beautiful and sheltered paddling on the route.
Blanchetown & Lock 1
Blanchetown was surveyed in October 1855 on higher ground above the flood-prone Moorundie site, and named after Lady Blanche MacDonnell, wife of Governor Sir Richard MacDonnell. It grew as an important stop on the Adelaide–Sydney coaching road before the 1878 railway to Morgan bypassed the town and reduced steamer traffic on the river.
Lock 1 at Blanchetown — visible as you pass through the area — was the first of 13 locks and weirs constructed on the Murray under the River Murray Waters Agreement, completed in 1922. Its pool sits 3.6 metres above sea level, 274 km from the Murray Mouth. The 1963 Blanchetown bridge — the first major prestressed concrete highway bridge in South Australia — was replaced in 1998; the original structure remains as a pedestrian crossing.
Trail Gallery
5 photos
