The blue skies of spring are here and the sun is streaming down to warm the earth and awaken the buds of sleeping trees. Songbirds are celebrating. And amidst it all, our mountain rivers skip and jump on their way to the Murray and out to the ocean. This is their time to shine—when the water is high and fast. This is the season for river adventures!
“If you’re looking for whitewater, for a challenge, for that excitement, essentially the rivers paddle best when there’s more water moving,” says Rowan Blakers from Bright Adventure Company.
Rowan, who runs kayaking and rafting tours in the High Country, says winter and spring rains swell the rivers in September, and while they’re too cold and fast for swimming, they’re ideal for paddling. Kayaking tours run right from the centre of Bright where the water is fun, yet beginner-level tame, and whitewater rafting adventures unleash on the King and Mitta Mitta rivers.
“If you’re looking for that whitewater experience, you come in spring,” Rowan says.
The same fast flowy conditions that bring the fun also come with added risks—like hydraulics and strainers—hidden river dangers that exist in much the same way as rips at the beach.
“If you know what you’re looking at, it’s super obvious that it’s there and stay to away from it. But unless you have that knowledge, it just looks like water moving,” says Rowan.
“Water’s very, very heavy, and if it’s flowing on you and pushing you in, it’s very hard to move against it.”
Such things needn’t be scary when you approach them with the right level of knowledge and caution, and these risks highlight the importance of kayaking or rafting with an experienced group rather than attempting to go it alone. Rowan says BAC’s expert river guides are trained to navigate safe passages around such dangers and keep tour participants out of harm’s way so that the experience thrives on the fun.
“Our aim is to avoid those hazards in the first place; with briefings up front, with instruction on the water, with direction on the water, instructions how to paddle and what to do,” he says.
If that sounds way to adventurous for your liking, Rowan suggests waiting until the rivers relax in the summer, when the water is lower, slower, and warmer—perfect for swimming.
“From mid-summer through to autumn, we paddle lower down on the Ovens River where more of the tributary streams and creeks join in,” he says. “There are still some fun rapids down there, but it’s not the wild whitewater experience you get on the Mitta Mitta in September or October.”
You can find out more about rafting and kayak adventures at Bright Adventure Company.
Images thanks to Bright Adventure Company.
September 2025