[4] The river flows in northerly direction and is crossed by the Bruce Highway near Howard.

Together with the Gregory River, it discharges into the Burrum Fish Habitat Area in Hervey Bay that flows out to the Coral Sea, at Burrum Heads.

The area includes intensive inter-tidal flats, shallow sand banks, a meandering main channel with small patched of fringing mangroves.

[4] The catchment area of the river occupies an 3,371 square kilometres (1,302 sq mi) of which an area of 108 square kilometres (42 sq mi) is composed of riverine wetlands.

[4] The river has a mean annual discharge of 153 gigalitres (200,116,445 cu yd).