Carve out your next Canoe and Kayaking adventure with Crown land accommodation
New South Wales boasts some of the most unique and stunning river systems in the world. Our vast, beautiful inland rivers are a wonderful backdrop for those looking to explore the state. For adventurous travellers, these rivers are the perfect channel through which to enjoy your journey. For canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts, we have four of the most gorgeous trails. The great thing is, each of those trails has some fantastic locations on the way where you can sleep for the night on Crown land. These locations allow you to stop and start your journey where it suits you, knowing ahead of time what sort of accommodation you can look forward to.
Murrumbidgee River Canoe and Kayak Trail
The Murrumbidgee River Canoe & Kayak Trail follows 230 kilometres of river, all the way from Burrinjuck Dam to Wagga Wagga. The trail follows the essential path of the Murrumbidgee River, which carries crucial water supplies from the Snowy Mountains Scheme to some of the state’s driest and most arid land. The river flows all the way from Kiandra near the Great Dividing Range through the Murray–Darling Basin and rolling hills of Gundagai to join the Murray River near Boundary Bend.
The trail follows a select section of the river to give travellers the best experience. To manage the trail, you’ll need basic canoeing or kayaking skills and moderate fitness. The wonderful thing is that there is a choice of accommodation. Below is a list of the all the Crown land accommodation you can use on your next Murrumbidgee River canoeing and kayaking adventure:
- Yass Caravan Park
- Riverside Caravan Park
- Gundagai River Camping and Caravan Park
Macquarie River Canoe and Kayak Trail
Not quite as long as the Murrumbidgee trail, the Macquarie River Canoe & Kayak Trail covers the 150 kilometres from Wellington to Narromine. The Macquarie River is in the heart of the NSW outback, flowing through Oberon and Dubbo to join the Barwon–Darling River, which combines with the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers to form the Murray–Darling Basin.
The trail is a fantastic way to see some of NSW’s most elusive bird and animal life. Those attempting the trail will need basic canoeing or kayaking skills with moderate fitness.
Tumut River Canoe and Kayak Trail
The Tumut River Canoe & Kayak Trail is an exciting and challenging trail that requires a much higher level of skill than the others. While the trail is a lot shorter, it is a far more advanced trail.
The Snowy Mountain Hydroelectric Scheme feeds into various dams and tunnels that eventually lead to the Tumut River. This water flow is an important aspect of the local irrigation scheme.
In the summer months, the river has up to Grade 1 rapids and canoeists and kayakers are advised to wear helmets. The river follows the scenic rural landscape, combining real adventure with gorgeous views. Accommodation can be found along the way at the following Crown land locations:
- Gundagai River Camping and Caravan Park
- Riverside Caravan Park
Hawkesbury Nepean River System Canoe and Kayak Trail
The Hawkesbury Nepean River System Canoe & Kayak Trail is actually a combination of trails that span the Nepean, Colo and Hawkesbury Rivers. The trail spans more than 160 kilometres in total and provides an incredibly varied journey. These rivers actually flow into Sydney’s main water supply, the Warragamba Dam, so they are a key aspect of the NSW landscape, even for the city slickers among you.
The weather and other traffic that populate the rivers can drastically change the conditions, so it is recommended that those attempting the trail have some experience. Careful planning and research is needed to understand the conditions and basic river rules. There are some fantastic recreational canoeing and kayaking spots along the trail, accompanied by various accommodation. Below is the Crown land accommodation along the route:
- Torrens Water Ski Gardens & Caravan Park
