How to see The Murray region for free

There's a fibreglass Murray cod in Tocumwal that's been posing for photos since 1968. It's never charged an entry fee, and neither has anything else on this list.

Wetlands you can kayak for nothing, walking trails through half a dozen towns, fifty-odd heritage buildings you can wander into for whatever's in your pocket, and a free laser light show over the water after dark.

Sure, some of The Murray's best moments come with a price tag. Such is life. Plenty more of them don't, and they're just as good a reason to plan a visit.

When there are countless walking trails across the region, from riverside strolls to admiring murals and historic spots around our towns, it’s hard to choose. The truth is, you can’t really go wrong, but here are some of our favourites.

In Albury Wodonga, the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk runs five kilometres along part of the Wagirra Trail, from Kremur Street to the Wonga Wetlands. Fifteen sculptures by local Aboriginal artists line the path, each with an interpretive sign telling a different story of connection to the river and to Country.

You’ll find lots of surprises sprinkled through Mildura’s CBD streets and laneways along the city’s mural walk. Grab a coffee first and wander at your own pace. Streets of Your Town on Healy Walk was created alongside the local community in a series of lino print workshops with artist Anita Laurence. A couple of laneways over, Home Grown on Gallagher's Lane, by Liv McCarten, takes the shape of the Murray itself, worked through with the colours of vine leaves, orange orchards and pink salt.

In Deni, the Beach to Beach Riverside Walk follows the Edward River (Kolety) from McLean Beach. Along the way, you'll find the town is right alongside the river so you can see the Ute on a Pole sculpture (a nod to the legendary Deni Ute Muster and a must-capture photo) and the Peppin Heritage Centre. You’ll also wander among the red gums and roaming kangaroos of the Island Sanctuary, before the walk finishes at Willoughby's Beach. What’s not to like about fresh air and plenty to see along the way?

There aren’t any fees lying in wait for you when you set foot in our region’s national parks (unless you’re camping in a few select places).

Barmah National Park is home to large tracts of river red gum forest and dozens of rare and threatened species. Start at the Dharnya Centre and take the Yamyabuc Trail, a self-guided 1.2-kilometre loop through the natural and cultural features of the forest, or push on to the longer Lakes Loop Track, which skirts Barmah Lake and passes Aboriginal oven mounds on its way to the Murray.

Hattah-Kulkyne National Park is a different kind of landscape entirely; a chain of lakes and low mallee scrub that fills with water and birdlife when flooded. Walks inside the park range from a short 600-metre lookout stroll to a 9.5-kilometre, three-hour circuit.

Tucked into the east between Albury and Holbrook, Woomargama National Park is the largest protected area of forest west of the Great Dividing Range. Inside it, the Yambla View 'Wambariga' Lookout gives you a proper reward for your efforts with panoramic views over the valley from the wheelchair-friendly raised steel walkway (you simply must see it with your own eyes).

On the border at Albury Wodonga, Huon Hill Parklands offers views over both cities laid out below with the river cutting between them, nearby Lake Hume and the surrounding mountains and valleys.

First of all, you’ll need a kayak, canoe or SUP for these, so hopefully there’s one in the garage gathering dust or a friend with one to lend who’s looking to get in your good graces.

Lake Mulwala is basically a flooded forest, created by the Yarrawonga Weir. The sight of thousands of dead gum trees poking out of the water is equal parts strange and beautiful. Launch a kayak and you'll be able to get up close and thread between trunks that have been underwater for decades.

Further downstream, halfway between Echuca Moama and Swan Hill, is the Gunbower Island Canoe Trail. It’s a five-kilometre return paddle through Gunbower Creek's wetlands, taking about two hours at an easy pace. Yellow buoys mark the route, and it's a top spot to see wildlife and birds if you're patient and quiet.

Further west, the Kerang Lakes are Ramsar-listed wetlands. Lake Charm and Kangaroo Lake are both popular for on-water fun.

Technically not free, but with entry by donation, Millewa Pioneer Park is well worth it to experience history rather than read about it behind glass. More than fifty historic buildings have been relocated and preserved on-site, including Kurnwill School and Carwarp Historic Railway Station. It’s around 90 kilometres west of Mildura and open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. (Psst, visit on the annual open days and you might snag a delicious scone cooked in the working woodfired oven at the old Huff's Bakery.)

Port of Echuca is free to explore in full from the historic wharf and Evans Brothers sawmill to working steam exhibits and the Meeting of the Waters Indigenous display. Paddlesteamer cruises are a separate, paid extra if you want to take it further, or you can get a great view of them sailing by from the riverbank too.

MAMA, aka the Murray Art Museum Albury, is housed partly in the grand old Albury Town Hall, with a contemporary program that runs well above what you'd expect from a regional gallery. Exhibitions change regularly.

The Art Gallery of Swan Hill also punches above its weight. It’s home to one of the country's most significant collections of Australian naïve art, alongside both touring and local exhibitions.

If you're chasing content rather than exhibitions, The Murray has more than its fair share of oversized, outdoor public art.

The Big Murray Cod at Tocumwal has stood since 1968, one of the earliest "big things" built anywhere in the country. Swan Hill has its own giant cod named Arnold, originally built as a movie prop and now a permanent fixture near the train station. While road tripping through the region, you might also spot The Big Strawberry or Not So Itsy Spider Sculpture.

For a different kind of free art, the River Country Art Trail links large-scale outdoor art across the smaller towns to the north of Echuca Moama. And if you’re travelling up from Melbourne, Rochester is a favourite stop and not just for the local bakery’s pies or vanilla slice, but also for the silo art featuring a squirrel glider, kingfisher and platypus. In fact, you’ll find silo art spread across the entire region.

Before you go

If you're around after dark, don't miss the Laser Light and Sound Show on Lake Mulwala, a year-round free experience that's become one of the more unexpected things this stretch of the river is known for.

Add it up and you've got days of The Murray covered before you spend a cent on anything but food and fuel. Whether it’s your first trip or you come every year, that's a solid excuse to start planning.