Sunset across the flooded Culgoa River floodplains

Past Darling River Expeditions

I've really not researched past expeditions much, just a quick Google and skim read! Please contact me if you want to be added or to have any details corrected.

I completed the second recorded Source to Sea journey according to the Inland Rivers National Marathon Register albeit I know Mark Kalch started very close to the source at Killarney too. I believe that I was the first person crazy enough to tick off the Murray-Darling System Source to Sea along with the Murray River Source to Sea trips.

Upper river systems

It's difficult to put together exactly what people have done here, but most appear to have near on or above 1,000 km on roads rather than staying in the river system itself. Most starting near the end of the Condamine. Not surprising as this is a river system that rarely flows and only sees a flood on average once every 8 years.

  • 27 May to 18 June 2007

    Steve Posselt (solo)

    Sea kayak

    Maybe 50 / 50 waking and paddling? Put in at Condamine?
    Kayak 4 Earth

  • March to July 2011

    Travis Ewan and Daniel Suttle

    Canoe

    Fundraising trip down the Condamine River from the Condamine Township, to the mouth of the Murray River in SA.

  • Autumn 2016

    Mark Kalch (solo)

    SUP

    SUP down the Murray-Darling from Killarney.
    Website

  • 2017

    Tom Dunn (solo)

    SUP

    SUP from upper Condamine to sea. Like other trips, significant running / walking (900 km plus)
    Blog

  • February 2021 to April 2021

    Kayak (inflatable and sea kayak)

    Condamine gorge down to Warwick completed in Feb 2020, and Balanne & Culgoa rivers completed in March 2020 just before COVID-19 interrupted the trip. Remaining sections between the Condamine River between Warwick and Surat completed between March and April 2021.

  • May to June 2022

    Kayak (sea kayak)

    Walk from Mt Superbus, portaging my sea kayak opposite the junction of Nth and Sth branches to about the 7th crossing where the paddling commenced.

    A continuous paddle down to the ocean, taking the Balonne Minor River to Bokhara River instead of the Culgoa River.

Darling River

This includes those mentioned above and:

  • April to June 2008

    Cristo Norman

    Tandem recreational kayak

    Mostly solo trip down the Darling River to the sea in a Perception Acadia 470 Double.
    Blog

  • July 2017

    River Kings

    Sea kayaks

    Three guys kayak the length of the Darling River, from Brewarrina to Wentworth.
    Blog

  • 11 Aug to 14 Oct 2020

    Mike Bremers

    Sea kayak

    Solo trip from Brewarrina to Wentworth over 65 days.
    Blog

  • 7 - 22 May 2021

    Sea Kayak

    Six days on the Balonne from Walgett to the head of the Darling. Sixteen days on the Darling, from the head to the Murray at Wentworth.

  • June - July 2022

    Sea Kayak

    Continuation from the Bokhara River onto the Barwon River. From the confluence of the Bogan River, I paddled a series of anabranches bypassing most of the Darling.

    These included the Little Bogan River (70 km), Ryans Lagoon (5 km), Ross Billabong (15 km), Talowla Billabong (20 km), Talyawalka Creek (western creek, 50 km), Marra Billabong (50 km), Talyawalka Ck (eastern creek 450 km), Tandou Creek (upper 30 km), Cawndilla Channel (upstream 15 km), Lake Cawndilla, Menindee, Copi Hollow, and Pamamaroo, Darling to Charlie Stones Creek (30 km) before leaving this via Coonalhugga Ck (55 km) and Great Darling Anabranch (450 km).

    Detour up from the confluence with the Murray to Wentworth with a day trip up Tuckers Creek (20 km).

    Finished at the ocean with detours down Wallpolla Creek, VIC (50 km), Frenchmans Creek, NSW, exiting on Big Rigamy (20 km), Potterwalkagee Creek, VIC (15 km), Lindsay River, VIC (50 km), multiple creeks Chowilla Floodplains (Salt, Punkah, Chowilla, Big Hunchee and Ral Ral creeks; 90 km), Pike River (30 km), Eckert Creek (15 km), Chambers to Nockburra Creek (10 km), and Yackta Creek (15 km) finishing with a small side-trip on the Coorong.

  • April - June 2023

    Sea Kayak

    Goondiwindi to Wentworth and down to the Murray Mouth.

And a quick shout out to Tony Pritchard who has done the Darling River at least 12 times in various watercraft!