We all know spending time outdoors is good for us, right? It’s great for our mental health, can help relieve stress and it just makes us feel so darn good. So, why don’t we do it more often?! Crazy, huh? Especially as the Southern Highlands has got the whole great outdoors thing really going on. We’re a lucky bunch!
Here’s a local activity we’ve discovered that gets you outdoors in style, and leaves you feeling so totally invigorated and re-energised. It doesn’t get much better than that. Canoes, Canapes and Champagne, run by local outdoor tour co WILDFest.
You paddle down Kangaroo River in a custom-rigged canoe (guaranteed not to capsize – happy days!). Blue sky, fresh air… clear head, eagles soaring above you (literally) and nothing but water and trees. There’s that, PLUS you’re sipping on a glass of local beer/wine/bubbles and munching away on some delicious canapes.
So good.
We road (ahem; water)-tested a WILDfest Canoe, Canape, and Champagne experience and were left completely awestruck. Not only at the beautiful Kangaroo River, but because we felt completely indulgent as we (gently, gently) paddled down the river, sipping and munching away. How’s that for an afternoon outdoors?!
Setting off…
The adventure begins with an oh-so-pretty drive down to Beehive Point. We already started to unwind as we drove deeper into the bush on a dirt road and down the valley towards the river. It took a moment for the panic to subside as our mobiles lost coverage and we realised we no longer had access to emails. Aaaand then comes the relief – a few hours with NO MOBILE! That’s a good thing!
After meeting our fellow canoers, and some quick intros and instructions from our guides, we head off on our adventure. The lead guide for these tours is local outdoor legend Travis Frenay (have a read all about him here). He spends most of his time out on a canoe, so we’re in good hands! He’s oarsome! Sorry…….couldn’t resist.
Let’s do this…
There’s a lot of excitement as we check out our canoes, hop in, get comfy and pour ourselves a glass of Tertini bubbles or wine or a Southern Highlands Brewing Co beer – whatever tickles your fancy and your tastebuds.
We make a mental note of which canapes we want to dig into right away (that would be the warm crumbed lamb cutlet, smoked salmon on potato cakes and the delicious tartlet) and which we’ll save for later (FYI – the fancy chicken sandwich, tomato and bocconcini sticks and the mini pav).
Once all of the oooh-ing and aaahhh-ing settles down we set off and start to paddle at a pretty relaxed pace, chatting and sipping away and getting to know our canoeing mates.
Our guides have some cool tales and loads of knowledge of the area and the river which we’re all really keen to hear about as we paddle away.
Take five…
After a rest stop and a dip in the river, we head back, soaking it all in.
There’s plenty of deep breaths being taken and agreement at how amazing we feel being on the river. We chat about how much we LOVE this and promise ourselves that absolutely-one-hundred-percent-there’s-no-question we will be purchasing ourselves a canoe and doing this every other weekend, because how awesome is this!?! Loving it! (writers note: am yet to buy that canoe).
These tours run all throughout the warmer months of the year. The next tour dates are in April, followed by the next round in the warmer month of October. Check it out here. You’ll absolutely LOVE it!
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