Canoes
There are some places in the wilderness where nature over delivers and gliding downstream on the Kangaroo River from Beehive Point to the mouth of Yarrunga Creek with the backdrop of the Morton National Park in Kangaroo Valley, is one such place. It’s the MUST DO wildlife experience in NSW with its eerily beautiful backdrop of a convict-built sandstone road, winding uphill and linking the rainforest with our colonial past. Home to the majestic azure kingfisher, wedge-tail eagle, diamond python, rock wallaby, white-breasted sea eagle, water dragon and more, this is nature at its best, untouched and wild. On the drive down through the rainforest it is usual to see kangaroos, wombats and echidnas.
So, take a seat in one of our custom-built double-canoe rigs and immerse your senses in the sheer beauty of this stunning waterway. Indulge your taste buds with fresh canapés and a local award-winning cool climate wine and discover what is unapologetically Wildfest® heaven.
We run two sessions per day – 11.30am arrival for briefing with noon departure and 2.30pm arrival with briefing for a 3pm departure. You are on the water for about 2 hours. Sat 1 & Sun 2 October 2022 on sale now. Cost is $195 Per Person. We have maintained this price for 5 years now but it will increase in 2023. Private bookings on other dates available on request and are very popular either in Kangaroo Valley, on Berrima Weir or Lake Burley Griffin.
Maps are provided via email one week before your experience where we check in on dietary requirements and beverage choices. Its best to allow 20 mins from Kangaroo Valley village to drive through Morton National Park to where we enter the water.
Personalised Gift Vouchers available on request.
Right now the road through Fitzroy Falls is closed and not expected to reopen until October. Macquarie Pass through Robertson will reopen in late May and Jamberoo Mt Road is open now for those travelling from the Highlands. Pls factor this in when booking. If coming from Sydney you tale the coast road for the most direct route. Why not stay in the Valley for the long weekend and enjoy the village, local restaurants and other events happening during this period.
Description
For those of you not accustomed to canoeing, our double canoe rigs are stable and virtually unsinkable. It’s like gliding on a catamaran as you wine and dine your way around this fresh water lake. The area we are exploring is very calm and the currents are mild, making paddling effortless. It’s an easy and safe way to get you into the waterways of the Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven and of course life jackets are supplied by our guides who accompany you on the trip. Also being fresh water, it’s a wonderful place to swim.
Bowral to Bendeela Reserve or Beehive Point is 45 minutes’ drive and the last 5 kilometres to Beehive Point is well graded dirt road. Transfers to and from this experience are not included in the price but can be arranged if required. There is ample parking to self-drive and all our guests have driven their sedans right to the point for their experience. You just have to take the last section slow.
Additional information
| Experience | Canoes, Cool Climate Wines & Canapés KV |
|---|---|
| Day | Sat 1 Oct, Sun 2 Oct |
| Time | 11.30am to 2pm, 2.30pm to 5pm |
“We hadn’t done anything like this before, but I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job of preparing and provisioning this type of activity. Everything important for the enjoyment and comfort of the group we were part of (12 adults and one youngster between three pairs of canoes) was taken into account, and the guides, Travis and Dean, were excellent…..I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this outing, it was fabulous!”
“There’s escaping the city for an afternoon, and then there’s driving 20 minutes down a dirt road to a secluded river and hopping into a canoe. And I haven’t even mentioned the best bit: this canoe is filled with wine and snacks….This isn’t an ordinary off-you-go oar bearing experience”
“The Most Spectacular Day. I highly recommend the Wildfest Canoe, Champagne and Canapés adventure! We loved the whole experience, from the very start to the end. We felt so rejuvenated and refreshed on our drive home.”
“Fantastic day on the river.Took my husband as a surprise to Canoes, champagne and canapés – what a fantastic day ! Weather was beautiful and our guides made the trip amazing – they knew all the history of the area and provided us with time to just enjoy the views. A snack box and a few drinks made for the perfect afternoon – highly recommend this to see another part of Kangaroo Valley”
“Luxury and Wilderness Combined. Well….this popped up on Facebook and it sounded new and interesting so I booked for 2. What a surprisingly wonderful weekend it turned into. We arrived at the lake, and we were met by a charming hostess offering drinks and sunscreen. After a quick safety talk by our very experienced guides, the 6 canoes with 2 people in each set off. We were rafted together for stability and to provide a table for our champagne. At a very easy pace we set off to a water wonderland and a sunken forest and a historic convict built road. On the way we enjoyed immensely our locally produced Far Ago Hill Wine and our Bento box of extremely tasty morsels of locally produced delights. We were thoroughly impressed and blown away with the spectacular surroundings …and we have friends lined up to experience the next one. We will be there too.”
“Great friendly service from the booking to the tour guides. Well planned day, accommodating and great food. Highly recommend!”
“We could not have asked for anything more. The Wildfest team provided an amazing experience surrounded by beautiful scenery, great food and lovely service. We could not have asked for anything more.”
Just a stunning way to experience Kangaroo Valley and the food & wine of the Southern Highlands. I have now done this trip twice and I have to say there is nothing like it! The serenity is out of this world and the food and wine selections are amazing. The canapés were a selection of seasonal treats including herbed lamb cutlets, goats cheese tarts, crumbed figs with a capsicum relish and an exquisite beef and mushroom mix on tiny hash brown. On the last trip we drank the Artemis Sparkling Riesling which was the perfect accompaniment to our brunch.
But enough of the food! I have never had any experience in a canoe before and did wonder beforehand if it was going to be difficult, but I had nothing to fear. The rig is easy to manoeuvre and you can get along at a fair pace even with only one person paddling. It is also very very stable. There were birds, goannas and even the odd jumping fish and as an ammeter photographer and nature lover I was in heaven.
There is a place where you can enjoy all the sights and sounds of nature and still indulge in the finer things in life.
As you would expect the food and drinks are one of the highlights of this experience and they did not disappoint. The table on the canoe is decked out with a water bottle, bento box and cutlery for each person. There is also a bottle of wine for each couple. For those who prefer beer, this is supplied on demand by Travis and Dan, who dart between the groups in their single canoes, sharing their knowledge and delivering beers from their esky.
I would recommend it to those who enjoy spending time in nature as well as to those who need an extra incentive to head outdoors. With this experience all of the hard work is done for you, all you need to do is turn up and enjoy it.
Check out the full article here: https://www.weekendnotes.com/canoes-experience-nature/