Murray River National Park

The Murray River National Park was proclaimed as a national park on 20 June 1991 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972,^[3][4][5] "to conserve a significant proportion of South Australia’s floodplain environments which are not represented widely in other reserve systems".^[6]

The national park originally consisted of three sections: Katarapko, Lyrup Flats, and Bulyong.^[3] Three more were added later.^[2]

Murray River National Park is located around 239.81 km (149.01 mi) north east of the Adelaide city centre, along the Murray River.^[2] As of 2026^[update] the national park comprises more than 14,879 ha (36,770 acres), and includes a vast network of Murray River wetlands and floodplains.^[2] The park is classified as an IUCN Category VI protected area.^[1]

The park consists of six sections, all of which adjoin the Murray River, extending from near Loxton in the south west to near Renmark in the north-east:^[7][2]

• Katarapko (9,500 ha (23,000 acres)), on the north side of the river between Loxton in the south and Berri in the north
• Lyrup Flats (2,000 ha (4,900 acres)), on the north side of the river midway between Berri and Loxton
• Bulyong, or Bulyong Island, on the west side of the river upstream from Renmark, accessible only by boat
• Paringa Paddock (1,161 ha (2,870 acres)), including Goat Island, between Renmark and Paringa
• Gurra Gurra (520.8 ha (1,287 acres)), just across the river south of Berri, directly opposite Katarapko
• Kingston-on-Murray (931 ha (2,300 acres)), next to the township of Kingston-on-Murray

Katarapko derives its name from Katarapko Creek, which is one of two significant streams flowing through the park; the other is Eckerts Creek. Both are very important habitats for native fish, and good for canoeing The Ngak Indau Wetland trail has a bird hide. Katfish Reach is a community environmental rehabilitation project that encompasses the Katarapko and Eckert Creek area.^[2]

Paringa Paddock, located between Renmark and Paringa, includes Goat Island, and contains areas of riverine woodlands, wetlands, and river flats.^[2]

The protected areas provide for a number recreational activities such as walking, bike riding, canoeing, bird-watching and bush camping. There are parking facilities, designated camping areas with some toilets, walking trails, and a self-guided drive trail.^[2]

The 2023 management plan for the national park includes plans for the management of Rilli Island, Media Island, and Kapunda Island Conservation Parks, which are adjacent to Katarapko.^[8]

In 2021, a group of people in the Riverland region started a campaign to rename Goat Island to Ruby Hunter Island, to honour the legacy of singer-songwriter Ruby Hunter,^[9] who was born on the island in 1955, as Aboriginal people were not allowed to give birth in the local hospital at that time.^[10] As Goat Island is part of the Murray River National Park, the Department for Environment and Water has the final say.^[9] In February 2025 a consultation process was undertaken by the Department for Housing and Urban Development, but no decision had been made by March 2026. Ruby Hunter Foundation chair Cheryl Norris, diagnosed with a terminal illness in early 2026, expressed a wish to get it done while Ruby's brothers Wally (Eric Richards) and Jeff Hunter were still alive.^[10]

• Katarapko Game Reserve, historical game reserve on Katarapko Island
• List of islands within the Murray River in South Australia
• Protected areas of South Australia
• Riverland Biosphere Reserve
• Riverland Mallee Important Bird Area