Guided kayaking runs on the Brisbane River right through the middle of the city, including after dark beneath the lit CBD and the Story Bridge — one of the few genuinely urban paddles in Australia.
Kayaking on the Brisbane River is one of the few urban paddles in Australia where the setting is the point. Guided tours launch from Kangaroo Point and work the city reach — under the Story Bridge, past Howard Smith Wharves and along the cliffs, with the CBD towers directly above you.
The after-dark tour is the one worth doing. The CBD is fully lit, the Story Bridge carries its LED display, and the reflections on the water are the reason people book it rather than the daytime version.
Kayaks are fitted with lights and the group stays together under a guide. It is calmer than it sounds — the river through the city is sheltered, and night generally brings less wind than the afternoon.
The daytime paddle covers the same water with the cliffs and the bridge in daylight, and suits anyone who would rather see where they are going.
No. Tours use stable sit-on-top or tandem kayaks, and the briefing covers everything a first-timer needs. Reasonable general fitness is enough; this is flat water rather than surf or whitewater.
Tandem kayaks are available, which suits couples, families with older children and anyone nervous about paddling alone. Minimum ages apply and vary by operator.
Two things make the Brisbane River different from a lake, and neither is dangerous if you know about them.
The river is tidal a long way upstream, so there is a current, and it changes direction. Guides plan routes around it — which is a good reason to paddle with one rather than hiring independently on your first outing.
CityCat wash is the other. Ferries run the same reach frequently and throw a wake. Guides position groups accordingly and brief you on turning into it. It is startling once and routine thereafter.
Assume you will get wet, at least splashed. Quick-dry clothing, and a change for afterwards. Closed shoes or secure sandals that will not come off.
Sun protection for daytime paddles is essential — water reflects and the river offers no shade. A hat with a strap, because an unsecured hat is a lost hat.
Phones need a waterproof case or should stay in the dry bag. Most operators provide dry storage for essentials, and life jackets are mandatory and supplied.
Ordinary rain does not stop a paddle. What does is wind, storm activity and — the significant one — heavy upstream rainfall, which turns the river brown, brings debris down and raises the current. In those conditions tours are cancelled and rightly so.
Summer afternoon storms make late-day paddles less reliable between December and February. Winter evenings are cool but stable and clear.
Launch points are around Kangaroo Point, reachable by CityCat or CityHopper to Holman Street at Queensland's 50-cent flat fare, or on foot from the CBD across the Goodwill Bridge in about fifteen minutes.
These are third-party operators working under permit rather than Cooee activities. A night paddle followed by dinner at Howard Smith Wharves is a good evening and an easy one to arrange around a charter.
Cooee Tours acknowledges the Turrbal and Yuggera (Jagera) peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Brisbane stands. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
Kayaking pairs well with a Kangaroo Point and Howard Smith Wharves evening. Family owned and operating in South-East Queensland since 1974.
Plan a Brisbane day