North West Bend Reserve

At Morgan the Murray performs one of its most significant manoeuvres — the great North West Bend, where the river abandons its long westward run and swings decisively south toward the sea. The reserves around this bend protect the red gum floodplain that the change of course created.

Lagoons and backwaters fill the low ground behind the bank, drawing waterbirds when they hold water, while the river red gums shelter woodland species and the cliffs nearby host nesting birds. It's quiet, characterful country with a strong sense of the river's geography.

The bend is also a historical pivot: it marked the limit of easy upstream navigation for some craft and helped make Morgan the port it became. Come for the birds and the river, and stay for the sense of standing at a hinge in the landscape.