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Some gifts get unwrapped and forgotten. A jet boat ride gets replayed for weeks. Full throttle across open water, hard 360 degree spins, and a soaking you'll laugh about long after you're dry, jet boating turns an ordinary day into the story someone tells at every dinner party for months afterwards. Whether it's Sydney Harbour, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Airlie Beach or Phillip Island, jet boating has earned its place as one of the most gifted experiences in the country. It's fast, it's a little bit wild, and it needs zero experience to hop on board. On Sydney Harbour, jet boats carve past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge at speed, with plenty of spins thrown in along the way. Head north to the Gold Coast and the thrill comes with warm water, wide canals and skyline views instead.
Canoeing gives you a steadier ride and room for company. Kayaking puts you in full control of your own line. Both get you close to places a car or a footpath simply can't reach.
Whether you're after a guided tour with someone else doing the navigating, or a hire session where you set the pace, the range covers harbours, lakes, rivers and national parks right across Australia. Looking for something close to home? Between Sydney Harbour, Byron Bay, the Coorong in South Australia, Queensland's Whitsundays and Noosa, and Victoria's Grampians, there's likely a launch point not far from wherever you're starting from.
Ready to pick a spot? Here's what's currently on the water across Australia, grouped by region so you can find something near you.
Sydney looks completely different from water level. Watch the sun come up over the bridge on a Sunrise Morning Kayak on Sydney Harbour, or save it for golden hour with a Sunset Kayaking Session on Sydney Harbour. Over at Manly, a Guided Kayak Tour with Snacks and Drinks turns a paddle into a proper outing.
Further up the coast, a Byron Bay Sea Kayak Tour puts you in open water with a good chance of dolphins for company, while a Guided Sunset Kayak Tour on Brunswick River is a calmer, quieter version of the same coastline. Down at Lake Macquarie, choose a daytime Lake Macquarie Kayak Adventure Tour or wait for dark and go glow-in-the-water with an Illuminated Night Kayak Tour on Lake Macquarie.
Prefer to set your own pace instead of following a guide? Paddle Board, Kayak and Pedal Boat Hire on Avoca Lake gives you unlimited use of all three for the session, so you can switch between them as you go.
In the Adelaide CBD, an Adelaide City Guided Kayak Tour takes you along the River Torrens with a guide doing the talking. Out in wine country, a Barossa Kayaking Experience works solo, or bring someone along in the Double Kayak Session. Over on the Yorke Peninsula, Glass Bottom Kayak Hire lets you look straight down at the marine life below while you paddle.
Then there's the Coorong, a national park where the Murray meets the Southern Ocean and the birdlife takes over. A Full Day Guided Coorong Kayaking Tour with Lunch covers the full stretch or keep it shorter with a Guided Kayak Tour with Lunch on the Coorong.
On the Gold Coast, a Guided Kayak Tour in Surfers Paradise is an easy way to see the canals from a new angle, or start the day properly with Kayak and Snorkel with Breakfast in Gold Coast. In Brisbane, a Brisbane Kayak Tour shows off the city by day, while a Brisbane City Twilight Kayak Adventure does it as the lights come on.
Up in Noosa, a Noosa Everglades Guided Kayak Tour with Lunch winds through one of only two everglades systems in the world. Further north, a Kayaking Turtle Tour in Whitsundays pairs paddling with a genuinely good chance of spotting turtles in the wild.
Canoeing has its own home base in the Grampians, where a Grampians Canoeing Adventure gets you out among the mountains, and a Guided Twilight Canoe Experience on Lake Fyans saves the best light for last. Along the Great Ocean Road, an Anglesea River Guided Nighttime Kayak Tour takes you upriver after dark, torch in hand.
A kayak has you sitting low with a double-bladed paddle, so you paddle on both sides as you go. A canoe sits you higher, usually kneeling or on a raised seat, using a single-bladed paddle. Canoes generally have more room for a second person and gear, kayaks are quicker to manoeuvre solo.
No. Most guided tours are built for total beginners and start with an on-land briefing before anyone gets in the water. A guide paddles with the group the whole way, so you're never navigating alone.
Quick-dry clothes, a swimsuit underneath, and shoes that can get wet, like old sneakers or sandals with a back strap. Bring a hat, sunscreen and a change of clothes for afterwards. Most tours provide a life jacket as standard.
Yes. Tours like the Gold Coast Kayaking and Snorkelling Tour are paced for first timers, with a guide on hand the entire way and calm, sheltered water to start out on.
A self-guided tour, like the Sustainable Self Guided Noosa Kayak Tour, gives you a map or marked route and lets you set your own pace without a guide alongside you. It suits people who've paddled before and want a bit more independence.
It can be, especially with the right setting. A Sunset Kayak with Seafood Dinner in Lake Macquarie pairs the paddle with dinner for two, which tends to land better than dinner alone.
It varies by tour, but most include the kayak, paddle and life jacket, plus a guide for the full session. Some go further. A Sunset Kayaking Tour with Picnic on the Coorong adds a picnic spread to the paddle, so check the individual listing for what's included before booking.
Kayaking and canoeing aren't the only way to slow down on the water or speed up. If you'd rather ride the rapids than glide across flat water, white water rafting is worth a look. For something calmer and just as low to the water, stand up paddle boarding is a good next step. Want more speed? Jet skiing tours and jetpack and flyboard experiences take things up a notch, while scenic sailing is the option for people who'd rather someone else do the steering. Prefer to look under the surface? Reef snorkelling and diving and fishing charters show you what the kayaks paddle straight over. Browse the full range of water sports experiences to compare everything in one place.