The Tinny Rally — Murray River Edition
7 Days. 726km. One hell of a job.
Some projects land in your inbox and you know immediately they're going to be different. The Tinny Rally was one of those.
Dan, the organiser and owner behind what's become one of Australia's most talked-about adventure events, brought me on to document the Murray River Edition — a 7-day, 726km river expedition from Mildura to Mannum with 180 legends in tinnies, zero guides, and as much freedom as the river could hold.
My job was to capture all of it.
The Brief
Dan needed content that could do two things at once — show the world what the Tinny Rally actually is, and make people feel like they absolutely had to be on the next one.
That meant daily recap reels from the river every single day, a short explainer video for people who'd never heard of it, and a full-length event film that would live on YouTube and do the heavy lifting for future registrations.
How It Worked
I was out there for the full 7 days. No safety net, no second unit, just me, the gear, and the river.
One of the best parts of this job was getting to bring my old man along. He captained the boat while I shot, meaning he drove, and I hung off the side of a tinny trying to get the frame right. It was a great week. Getting to show him what this job actually looks like out in the field, and having him be part of it, is something I won't forget.
We moved with the fleet every day. Cliffs, sandbars, remote bush camps, lock crossings, riverside pub stops. Every day had its own character, and every day needed a recap reel turned around to keep the audience following along in real time.
What Got Made
5-minute YouTube video — a collaboration piece explaining what the Tinny Rally is, built for people discovering it for the first time
20-minute YouTube event film — the full story of this rally, from launch at Mildura to belt buckle presentations at Mannum
7 daily recap reels — one per day, published as the rally unfolded, showing the highlights and the chaos
Additional bonus reels — not in the original scope, but the footage was too good to leave on the drive. I made them anyway.
Photography — stills across the full 7 days covering the people, the landscapes, and the moments in between
What It Did
The content reached over 250,000 people across the rally period. Hundreds of inquiries came in from people wanting to get on the next one. For an event that's already selling out every run, that kind of visibility turns a waitlist into something with real weight behind it.
The Takeaway
This is the kind of project that reminds you why location-based content is so powerful. You can't fake 726km of river. You can't manufacture 180 people who all chose to spend their week living out of a tinny with strangers. You just have to be there, stay ready, and make sure you get it.
That's what we did.
Want to see what it looked like? The videos are on YouTube — search Tinny Rally and you'll find them.
