The Murray's great partner, a long, slow river winding through the Australian outback.
Length
1,472 km
Source
Eastern Australian highlands
Mouth
Joins the Murray at Wentworth
Continent
Oceania
Countries
Australia
Did you know?
In droughts the Darling can stop flowing entirely, breaking into a chain of still waterholes.
Little-known fact
Its lower course runs almost dead straight for long stretches, a rarity for such a large river.
Highlights
- Partner of the Murray
- Can dry to a chain of pools
- Runs unusually straight
Life in the Darling
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Animals & fish
Wels catfish
A monstrous European catfish that can top 2.5 m and has learned to beach itself to catch pigeons.
Waterbirds
Common kingfisher
A dazzling blue-and-orange dart that plunges from a perch to spear fish in an instant.
Grey heron
A patient, statue-still angler that stalks the shallows of rivers and lakes across the Old World.
Mallard
The familiar green-headed dabbling duck — ancestor of most domestic ducks — found on waters worldwide.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here