BARRINGTON RIVER KAYAK ADVENTURE
A two day getaway the Barrington River Kayak Adventure is a chance to learn kayaking skills, Camp and have heaps of whitewater paddling fun
The Barrington River Kayak Adventure is a full two day and one evening time commitment of your choosing
The total price of only $528 includes all your kayak equipment and camping gear as well as meals cooked by our chef
We need between 4 and 10 people to run the experience
Prefer to phone , mobile 0438563307
A FANTASTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Designed as a two day getaway the Barrington River Kayak adventure is a chance to learn kayaking skills, and have heaps of fun paddling one of our single person kayaks.
As you consider joining us on the Barrington River Kayak Adventure the following information will be important to you .
Walking Rivers discovered on a Barrington River Kayak Adventure its far more exhilarating, whitewater rafting or kayak paddling a single kayak.
That is to say we promote one person one kayak.
We provide equipment & training in how to use it, therefore you will have an exhilarating experience. To Clarify, nearly anyone with training can enjoy kayak paddling on whitewater.
Hopefully our training will give you the confidence to paddle our bigger Snowy River Adventure or the Nymboida River at some time in the future.
Why pay for a personal experience and share your kayak or raft
Companies only do this as a way to maximise their profits,and not for your enjoyment.
Our kayaks are real river touring boats they are not inflatables. We provide all transport, food, training, and equipment for you to have an excellent Barrington River kayaking Adventure.
Key points why are we different
Why we love our Barrington River Kayak Adventure
The Barrington River kayak Adventure provides a fantastic opportunity for you and your friends, with any skill level to experience the thrill and fun of paddling down a pristine river.
Being only a couple of hours drive north of a major city, Newcastle NSW also adds to the appeal of the Barrington River Kayak Adventure.
A great river for learning
The lower section from Rocky crossing to the Barrington reserve is excellent for people that are new to kayaking. Whether you want to learn paddling skills on flat water or experience a taste of paddling whitewater, this section of the river has ample opportunity you to practice both skills. As the water is moving downstream, it becomes interspersed with pools and some grade one rapids making it ideal for learning.
Advancing on from the lower section is the center section from Bindera down to rocky crossing a distance of approximately 15 kilometers. This section with grade two rapids offers quite a challenge for new paddlers and can take most of the day to complete.
An ever changing river bank
As you paddle along you will see the river bank or its technical term the riparian zone has many old bottlebrush trees and casuarinas that provide homes for a variety of birds and different small animals. You will also paddle through some areas of rainforest and blackboys which makes for a pleasant variety to the scenery you will see during your day on the river.
Our Barrington River Kayak Adventure trip makes for the perfect relaxing two-day getaway. Additionally, it also provides plenty of time for you to become fully immersed in all the natural beauty the river has to offer.
Key points, why we love the Barrington River:
Barrington River Kayak Adventure HIGHLIGHTS
Packed with excitement and fun the two day Barrington River kayking adventure highlight will see you learning and practicing all the skills you will need to safely paddle both the lower and center sections of the river.
Initially, you will possibly meet every rapid with trepidation, and then on each one’s completion, you will celebrate the joy of a successful passage down its bubbling waters.
Sometimes you may not be successful, rolling out of your kayak and having to swim to the bottom of the rapid, but this is all part of the fun and exhilaration that comes with paddling whitewater.
Additionally, sitting around the campfire at night sharing stories from the days paddling while slow roasting marshmallows and then curling up in your tent will leave you feeling like you are in another world.
As with all of Walking Rivers experiences for people with a penchant for photography, the opportunities are everywhere.
Key points, activity highlights:
More about the wildlife
The wildlife in the river corridor is varied and abundant.
The pristine water quality of the Barrington River creates an ideal environment for a variety of wildlife.
Also of significance, areas the river passes through are recognized as critical bird areas. Australia has in total 314 identified Important Bird Areas, (IBA’s) these are areas that are perceived as internationally crucial for bird conservation and known to support key bird species.
The focus for Barrington region IBA is the protection of rainforest birds.
As you meander along between the many rapids keep an eye out for Azure Kingfishers, King Parrots, Black Cockatoos, Rosellas and Blue Wrens, to name just a few of the different species you may encounter.
Key points, about the wildlife:
Getting there is half the fun
We start our journey from our home base in Newcastle, travel North on the Pacific highway turning off towards the township of Gloucester and onto our start point on the river (approximately two hours). Our vehicle can pick people up at one of our designated meeting places along the way and return you to the same spot. We are as flexible as possible with our pickups to try and make it easy for you. Talk to us on an individual basis to arrange your pickup point. Of course, we will bring you back to your pick up location when your adventure ends.
Key points, about getting there:
Stress free camping
For our two day trip because we are not traveling by Kayak, expedition style to different campsites, we do not need to go light on our camping equipment. We set up a base camp beside the river and enjoy as much as possible all the comforts of home.
Furthermore our bus is parked right where we camp, so we have everything close by for the whole time we are away.
Key points, about our camping:
About our Barrington River Kayak Adventure kayaks:
Custom designed kayaks for undertaking river journeys like the Barrington River Kayak Adventure. They are light, stable, easy to paddle, respond well to turning maneuvers and are excellent for learning to paddle whitewater.
Longer than a short whitewater boat but not as long as a sea kayak they are a compromise between the two, primarily because as well as needing to be highly maneuverable in the rapids they need to also be right on the flat water sections of the river.
Key points, the kayaks
Barrington River Kayak Adventure food
We just have to say. When possible, we use locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from our nearby farmer’s markets.
Additionally, we like to top our delicious meals of with some camp style baking. Furthermore, we also provide snacks just in case you get a hungry for something late at night. It is a Walking Rivers policy you will never go hungry, even after a day’s paddle in the fresh air.
Key points, about the food:
About you
Firstly, if you are at all apprehensive about your abilities to undertake something like the Barrington River Kayak Adventure, please remember our experienced river guides will train you in the skills needed to negotiate all of the rapids with ease.All you need is to be moderately fit and have a yearning for some safe and controlled adventure.
Secondly, joining a fully guided adventure is very different to going it alone. Being conducted by professional, trained, qualified people allows us to go to many places that would be unthinkable on our own. Additionally, we consider you to be part of a team overcoming all the challenges the river throws at us.
In conclusion, Walking Rivers has comprehensive risk management and contingency plans in place as well safety procedures in short it, means you will be free to not worry about anything too much other than having fun.
We don’t include
ITINERARY
Pretrip meeting
When:
Approximately one week before leaving
How:
We endeavor to telephone or email every person who has booked the Barrington River Kayak Adventure with us. After the introductions, your guide will tell you about the logistics of the journey and any other relevant details.
The call also gives us a chance to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your adventure.
Additionally, we will confirm the exact departure time and location, for each person or to alert you if there are have been any last minute changes.
Departure day/night
You will be a member of a team partaking in an adventure experience from the moment we meet at our vehicle departure point.
Our guides will assist you to pack your gear into a trailer behind our four wheel drive troop carrier , introduce you to anyone you haven’t met and work to ensure you are relaxed and comfortable about the adventure ahead.
You decide..
As we have a full training and paddling schedule, we prefer to go the night before.
We have a campfire dinner, which we try and time it to coincide with everyone’s arrival.
Going the night before means sometimes we set up in the dark or with the vehicle lights but it gives us the advantage of heaps more time on the river.
The first couple of hours is spent enjoying a drive through the different countryside traveling to our base campsite at Barrington river reserve. For others they prefer to drive their own car up to the reserve.
On arrival at our destination, we set up our tents beside the river on the Barrington reserve, Have dinner and generally, get prepared for another short bus journey up to Rocky Crossing the following morning
Day one
It’s here at Rocky Crossing the real fun begins as this is where we launch our Kayaks and get prepared for a paddle back to our campsite. However, before we get in the boats, we will do some onshore training just to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Its a great chance for some revision for the more experienced paddlers and for the new kayakers they will quickly see how easy kayaking is.
We will be covering the following paddle strokes and whitewater skills;
- Forward and reverse strokes
- Sweep strokes
- Draw strokes
- Bow-rudder
- Slap support recovery stroke
- Ferry-glide. upstream and down-stream
- How to read white-water to find the correct path down rapids.
- Eddy out
- Self rescue techniques
- Equipment demonstration.
- Group management
- Safety Procedures.
Don’t worry if that seems a lot to remember; we have plenty of time to practice and go over all the different techniques once we are on the water and paddling back to camp.
The river starts off with a nice long flat tranquil pool;
Great for enabling people to get their balance and to get used to how the kayaks move in the water.
The paddling distance to camp is approximately 11 kilometres, the river encompasses elementary grade one rapids and even with time spent on training it can be paddled comfortably in the afternoon.
At the far end of the pool, if the weather is warm, there is an excellent place for a swim and also for the more adventurous a jump or dive into the water from different height rocks is possible.
Camp in style
Finally back at camp, there will be some free time for people to relax and enjoy the ambiance of camping beside such a beautiful river.
The campfire experience as well as giving us the opportunity to share kayaking stories also allows us time for reflection on what a fantastic day we had.
For those people that are tired bed is going to be very welcome at whatever time you wish.
Day Two
Rise and shine ready for fun and adventure.
Firstly we have a hearty breakfast after that its back into our vehicle for a short drive to our second day’s launch site at a place called Bindera. Today’s paddle is from Bindera down the river to Rocky Crossing.
It’s approximately a 12-kilometer paddle, and with lunch, in the middle, it will take us a significant part of the day. We travel at a leisurely pace to allow for plenty of swimming, photography, animal observing and relaxation.
Additionally you will be implementing all the skills you learned yesterday as today ‘s section of the river has primarily grade two rapids.
Heading home
Upon arrival at Rocky Crossing, after reloading the kayaks onto the trailer, its back into the vehicle for a thirty-minute drive back to camp. At camp, after packing everything, we will board the bus for our final journey back home to our everyday reality.
IMPORTANT:
Our approximate return time to Newcastle is between 5 -7 pm, however, due to the number of variables in wilderness travel we recommend that you don’t plan any critical appointments that rely on us being back at this time. Fixed times and dates can cause unnecessarily stressful complications should our return be delayed by something out of our control. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss your travel plans in more detail. We can pick you up or drop you off at the Airport or from your house.
