Mother-son duo first to travel entire 2,500km of Murray River
Mother-son duo first to travel entire 2,500km of Murray River | Breaking News & Latest Australia Updates
Mother-son duo first to travel entire 2,500km of Murray River — feel good By Amelia Walters ABC Riverland Topic:Records and Achievements Anja Wever and her son, Cy Wever-Jetis, say the journey has deepened their co...
feel good
By Amelia Walters
ABC Riverland
Topic:Records and Achievements
Anja Wever and her son, Cy Wever-Jetis, say the journey has deepened their connection.(ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)
Anja Wever and Cy Wever-Jetis are the first mother-son duo to travel the entire River Murray, according to the Inland Rivers National Marathon Register.
The pair crossed three states in 127 days and hiked and paddled more than 2,500 kilometres.
They are now looking to tackle overseas challenges, including the Amazon River.
When Cy Wever-Jetis graduated from high school in Sydney, he did not expect his upcoming gap year to include the endurance test of a lifetime.
But a month into 2025, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and begin training with his mum to conquer one of Australia's most treasured waterways, the River Murray.
His mum, Anja Wever, also happened to be a competitive rower and had been training for the voyage for 18 months, rowing her single scull craft more than 100 kilometres a week in preparation.
"I'm 53 and I wanted this to be an inspirational piece for middle-aged women," Ms Wever said.
"But when Cy said he wanted to come too, I thought what a lovely opportunity."
Despite the challenges, the pair always had time for a laugh.(ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)
To get her 18-year-old son up to speed, Ms Wever put him in a kayak and dropped him well and truly in the deep end.
"Cy had never kayaked before, so I took him to Sydney Harbour to see how he would go," she said.
The pair carried all their equipment on the water.(Supplied: Anja Wever)
What at first seemed like an unstable and slightly risky undertaking soon became a 127-day journey filled with family bonding, emotional vulnerability and records.
The pair hiked the first 340km of the voyage, beginning in New South Wales's Mount Kosciuszko summit before hopping into their respective vessels at Hume Dam.
The pair ticked off three states in 127 days.(ABC News: Stephan Hammat)
As they began their journey downstream to the Murray Mouth in South Australia, the pair made it their mission to stop at every rowing club in the hope of creating a community connection.
"All we wanted to do was say hello and take a photo with [the clubs], but they really went out of their way to do so much more," Ms Wever said.
Anja and Cy stopped at every rowing club from NSW to Murray Mouth at Goolwa, SA.(ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)
Ms Wever said she was touched by how locals from the regional communities helped her and her son along the way.
Rowing clubs have joined Cy and Anja along the way to encourage their efforts.(Supplied: Anja Wever)
"At one stage my [rowlock] was squeaking and we asked some fishermen if they had any WD40 [lubricant] … to which they said, 'No,'" she said.
"But then two hours later, the fishermen had hunted us down and come back to find us just to give us a can of WD40.
"[We were both] really touched by that … to see that sort of generosity from everybody, it's so lovely."
It was the generosity of locals and the tenacity to make it to the Murray Mouth that got the pair through the harshest conditions.
"We had quite a few of those moments where we were just in despair, you know, terrible weather conditions, ice on the tent, ice on the boat, not enough food and we lost a lot of weight," Ms Wever said.
The pair camped along riverbanks as they made their way downstream.(Supplied: Anja Wever)
"We used to not check the weather every day, but [in the end] we checked the wind like six times a day because we were so worried it was going to pick up," Mr Wever-Jetis said.
Despite the aches and pains, the pair said the trip had given them a new-found love for Australia's natural landscapes.
"I have loved waking up in the middle of nowhere and hearing the birds and the water flowing," Mr Wever-Jetis said.
"All that reflection has been really nice for me, especially because I've just come out of high school."
Cy Wever-Jetis says it has been nice to get away from the bustling Sydney CBD.(ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)
The now-19-year-old said that, although there had been some very challenging moments, giving up was never an option.
"No matter how hard things got between us, we never really thought about quitting," he said.
"We only thought about how we could move through those hard moments and find a way around it."
According to records kept by Goolwa's national trust, the Inland Rivers National Marathon Register (IRNMR), 532 people have completed the voyage since its records began 70 years ago.
In that time, Ms Wever and Mr Wever-Jetis are the first mother and son to complete the length of the River Murray.
Anja and Cy completed the venture in just over four months.(ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)
Ms Wever said she hoped her adventures with her son would inspire other mothers to do the same with their children.
"Get yourself out of your comfort zone with your children because they will find a new side of themselves, and you will too."
And as for what is next on the bucket list, Ms Wever said the pair had already begun planning their next big adventure.
"The Murray I wouldn't do again because I have done it now," she said.
"But I was thinking about the Amazon."
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