Our Whitewater Canoe journeys


We specialise in guided multi-day whitewater canoe journeys on the longest whitewater canoe trail in Australia, which includes sections on the Nymboida, Boorimbah (Clarence) and Mann Rivers in Northern NSW.

During the journey we will spend time living and moving together as a community, connecting with all of life – our surroundings, ourselves and others to tangibly experience our interdependence. We will travel downstream as a tribe, carrying everything we need to survive and thrive in our canoes, and all contributing to cooking and camp creation. Each participant will be provided with a 60litre barrel to put their belongings in.

Why would this experience be good for you?


Spending a few days immersed in nature has many mental and physical health benefits, and these combined with the adventure into wild locations only accessible by canoe, will energise your mind body and soul.

Being in canoes creates a platform for a much more intimate understanding of yourself and of the water. It is not like the gun-ho, guided experience of a rafting adventure. Instead boats are paddled in pairs, facilitating an opportunity for you and your paddling buddy to actively develop trust, communication and understanding, as well as experiencing first hand the outcome of your paddling decisions.

The Clarence & Nymboida rivers have a safe, drop-pool style, so capsizes and mistakes are harmless fun, with ample room to collect our wits and process our experiences in the calm pools below.

The excitement of the rapids is well complemented by the peaceful, pristine, natural gorges that engulf us as we venture further downstream. Wilderness campsites far from civilisation provide the backdrop for impressive stargazing opportunities as we commune around the campfire by night.

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If you are looking for a Whitewater Weekend check out our family friendly options for deepening connection through a shared experience, or explore paddling a range of different craft on our Skills & Training Sessions

If you are after a Epic Escape - we run these over New Years and Easter

If you are craving a deeper, transformational journey - check out our Whitewater Immersions

Or if you have a group of mates keen, you can create your own journey or if you are an experienced paddler, we can also help with gear hire, river knowledge, camping and shuttles.

Our Upcoming Journeys

Summer
New Years Paddling Escape 28th Dec-1st Jan 2024

Compassionate Communication (NVC) Canoe Journey with Heart Talk Matters Jan 10-15th 2024

Finding your Flow 13-18th of Feb 2024

Autumn

Whitewater Wilderness Women's Yoga Retreat with Wild Women Journeys 6-12th April 2024

Women's Whitewater Canoe Expedition with Arcadia Women's Adventures 8-13th March 2024

Family Friendly/Whitewater Weekends

Autumn 

Family Fun 23-25th Feb  2024

Mum's & Sons 1st-3rd March 2024

Mother Daughter 22-24th March 2024

Spring

Dads and Daughters 20-22nd September 2024

Dad's & Lads 20-22nd September 2024

Skills & Training Weekends

Summer

Intro to Whitewater Kayaking Feb 16-18th 2024

Whitewater Canoe/Kayak Guide/Instructor Course Feb/March 2024

Spring

Intro to Canoe Tripping 30 Aug - 1st Sept 2024

What if I haven’t paddled a canoe much/ever?

We welcome courageous beings who are keen to immerse themselves in the art of learning something new and embrace the failing forwards nature of beginner-dom.

If your canoe experience is limited, don’t stress: no paddling experience is required and beginners are very very welcome!

We will teach everyone the skills, features and safety tips needed to give whitewater canoeing a go. An open-minded, positive outlook and sense of adventure, will be all you need to bring. Many of our sections of the river we paddle are perfect for developing canoeing skills, as there are easier grade 1 and 2 rapids for the first few days, allowing time for solid skill development, and little consequence for mistakes. As the journey continues and your skills improve we will approach  some more challenging rapids and depending on the river level, we may need to portage (walk around) some of the big ones. 

A great progression in physical challenge will be equally matched by a journey deeper into our understanding of ourselves and the way we can effectively communicate, trust and collaborate with each other. An embodied practice of learning and experiencing simultaneously, which ripples through your lives in the future, as memories and experiences that shape you as you move forwards with a renewed sense of connection and understanding. 

Do I need to be super fit?

We believe your attitude is valuable, so with a good one of those, it is amazing what your body is capable of.

To get the most out of the adventure though, It is preferred that you have a moderate level of upper body/core strength and that you are comfortably able to sit for 4-6hours a day paddling, as well as prepared for the possibility of falling out of your canoe and floating down a rapid. It is also helpful if you are able to walk on uneven, slippery surfaces at times, sometimes dragging or pushing a canoe with other team members, if a portage (walking around a rapid) is required.

The Wilderness is a beautiful platform for developing new skills, friendships and exploring new places, both in the world and our relationships with others. During our holistic adventures we encourage participants to accompany the physical aspects of self powered travel by welcoming a multi-faceted transformational journey. After all, away from technology, and immersed in reality, it is a great place for some reflection and introspection. We are excited that you could JOIN US on such a unique opportunity!

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We are explorers came and paddled here - check out their video to see more


Where is it? How do I get there?

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Our journeys operate on the Clarence & Nymboida river system, and these are both free-flowing, wild rivers that are greatly influenced by recent rainfall; it means that we need to be fluid with our journey locations in response to emerging weather conditions. 

Many of our journeys start and finish at the Clarence River Wilderness Lodge or the Nymboida Camping & Canoe Centre

We will provide accurate meeting point information within a fortnight of our journey commencing. 

At all locations we will provide a safe place for you to park your car and a shuttle back to this point at the end of the journey.

Our guides are trained and familiar with all sections of the river system, and we reconnaissance them again after any significant flood event, to ensure they are still safe and accessible. We thoroughly enjoy adapting to the recent conditions and embrace the seasonal variations that this natural environment provides.

Above is a map showing the range of meeting locations we operate from.

If you are coming from:

Average commute times to our river journeys:

Byron Bay/ Ballina Airport

2.5-3hrs

Gold Coast Airport

3-3.5hrs

Brisbane Airport

3.5-4.5hrs

What's Included:

An introduction to canoeing skills, followed by a 2 day whitewater journey in canoes

Outdoor Education Instructors trained in Wilderness First Aid

Qualified & experienced Whitewater Instructors & Guides to keep you safe on the water

Delicious Nutritious Food for your entire stay - Featuring: Local, Organic, Sustainable produce 

Wilderness Camping under more than 5 stars, with nights spent relaxing by the fire 

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Also:

Also:

Canoes, Paddles, Barrels, Lifejackets, Helmets and all other rescue gear

Wilderness First Aid kit and Satellite Phone

Campsites, National Park Permits & Car Shuttles 

The option to hire tents and sleeping mats

AND A free Digital Detox - because we go beyond the reaches of reception, freedom from phone calls and emails!

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