Great Places to Kayak in New South Wales
With over 900 perfect beaches along the coastline of NSW and a large network of rivers and creeks, you will love exploring this great State.
You may like the adventure of whitewater padding or the simply pleasure of a tranquil forest. We are spoilt for places to paddle. This is only a few small ideas and of course there are 100’s more.
Sydney Harbour
What a way to see Sydney Harbour!! With the harbour fringed by National Park you can explore amazing coves and beautiful beaches on your yak.
You may want to take a tour to take in the history or take a solo venture. A great starting point is Rose Bay where you head towards the Harbour Bridge and Opera House past Shark Island. This is an ideal way to see Sydney Harbour!
Ben Boyd National Park
(Eden)
If you love the wilderness than you should head to the Ben Boyd National Park, which is on the Far South Coast of NSW near Eden.
This is a relaxing paddle with the estuary wandering through beautiful forest and the sound of birdlife. A good paddle is from Boydtown and paddle along the river to Twofold Bay. Mowarry Beach is another spot worth checking out.
Kangaroo Valley
(Southern Highlands)
The tranquility of the scenery surrounding the amazing area of Kangaroo valley is a must for any kayaker. Located just 2 hours south of Sydney in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Kayak on the Kangaroo River which starts as a little stream and emerges into lush pastures, surrounded by crystal water, rainforest and panoramic views. A really popular paddle starts at the historic suspension bridge where you kayak downstream through several rapids enjoying the amazing scenery. This takes about 2 hours to cover the 5km paddle and is perfect for beginners to more experienced paddlers.
Nelson Bay
(Mid North Coast)
An area known for its amazing waterways is Nelson Bay on the Mid-North coast of NSW. A dream location for sea kayakers as there are many offshore islands within an hour’s paddle or if you are more adventurous Broughton Island is a 15km paddle from the heads of the Bay.
The natural surroundings of this crystal clear water make it popular for sea and bird life. Known for the local dolphins, you can kayak up close and get personal with this wildlife.
Lake Burley Griffin
(Canberra)
If you are into some more relaxed paddling than you will love Lake Burley Griffin, which is in the centre of Canberra and is a popular kayaking destination.
This has a 40 kilometre shoreline so there are plenty of spots to anchor and explore. With two islands on the lake being Springbank Island which is in the West Basin and Aspen Island in the Central Basin you can jump off and explore these islands.
Brogo Dam
(South Coast)
Brogo Dam is about 25kms north east of Bega on the South Coast of NSW.
There is no better way to explore than on a canoe or kayak, as you uncover goannas, water dragons, sea eagles and swooping kingfishers. The Dam has pristine water and large gorges rising 55 metres in the area known as Nelsons Creek. These sheer cliffs have flowering rock orchids in spring which are magnificent against the eucalypt and fig trees and the ferns and vines are just divine. This is nature’s beauty in the raw.
New South Wales has so many beautiful places scattered throughout every region of this state. This is only a few of many places you could explore and we hope you are inspired to get paddling soon. Here as some useful links:
- » Canoe NSW – www.paddlensw.org.au
- » Great Information on Places to Paddle – www.visitnsw.com
- » Global Paddler – Click on the Logo below to see some great information on where to Paddle in NSW
