Locks and Weirs

Hume Dam

Portage for the dam is up the public boat ramp prior to both the caravan park and the dam. It is a long portage, nearly 2 km up and over the hill at Lake Hume Village and down Trout Farm Road to the park at the bottom of the hill.

Expect to take up to an hour for the portage depending on your setup. Trolleys are recommended if you can't organise anyone to give you a lift!

Portage Directions (Google Maps)

Yarrawonga Weir

This is the second of the two portages on the Murray River, 700 m. From here you will have locks on all weirs.

The portage is on the left, on the Yarrawonga (VIC) side. Follow the road around and across the train tracks / channel and keep going straight into the Yarrawonga Caravan Park. A public boat ramp can be found just past the camp office. Considering the length of this portage, a trolley or a pre-organised lift are recommended!

Portage Directions (Google Maps)

Other Weirs

All of the lower weirs have locks, and you can access these during operating hours for 364 days a year, closing only for Christmas. There is no charge for accessing the locks during operating hours.

At Mildura, they use a formal schedule of down on the hour and up on the half hour. Other weirs are much less busy and you can call though on your mobile once you get close and you usually will be let down without any significant delay. Three prolonged blasts (4 seconds each) on a whistle or horn can be used if you can not ring the Lock Master.

The general procedure for all locks are to:

1. Call or signal the Lock Master.
2. Locate the lock on the weir, the buoys will direct you to the lock as will the triangular green and square red signs. When heading downstream, these mark the left and right sides of the lock respectively. Many locks have gate cranes that make finding the lock from a distance easy.
3. Flashing red light will indicate that the lock master is preparing the lock.
4. Do not approach until you get a flashing green light or when the red traffic light goes green, but watch the Lock Master as they may signal kayakers in as the gates are opening and the lights are still red.
5. Enter and either go to a position where directed or stop near the Lock Master for a chat.
6. You may request a rope to hold onto if you feel unstable within the lock.
7. Once the lock has fallen or risen and the gate has been opened, a green light signals it is safe to exit. Again kayakers can pop out early. Wait until the gate is opened at least a couple of metres as the water can still be fairly turbulent as excess water floods out / into the lock.

On the Telstra network in 2020, the only lock where I couldn't call on my mobile was lock 8 but the Lock Master saw me coming and let me through.

Lake Alexandrina Barrages

Barrages at the river mouth prevent an influx of salt water into Lake Alexandrina. There are a number of barrages, but only two locks are present and operational.

Goolwa Barrage is similar to all of the other weirs on the river, with a Lock Master letting you down.

Tauwitchere Barrage has a lock that is self-operated, thus open 24 hours.