The best boating experiences in Sydney & NSW

Jet ski along the Hawkesbury River

Whizz past islands, along towering sandstone cliffs and under bridges with Jet Ski Safaris NSW. Tour the Hawkesbury River to enjoy big hairpin bends and breathtaking views. Learn about the river’s history before enjoying a delicious bite to eat and a cold drink. Best of all, you don’t need a licence to ride your own jet ski on this Sydney tour.

Jet Ski Safaris NSW, Bar Point - Credit: Jet Ski Safaris NSW

Tour an oyster farm (and dine in the water)

You won’t taste a better oyster than one plucked out of the water and shucked in front of you – especially after learning about the care and hard work that goes into farming them with Sydney Oyster Farm Tours. Meet third-generation farmers and take a boat ride to visit the oyster leases in the Hawkesbury River, just north of Sydney.

Learn to shuck on the boat – and don’t forget to bring a bottle of sparkling wine for the perfect pairing. The Immerse Yourself package includes a dining experience that will see you in waders, standing in the river itself as you feast on fresh seafood – a memory you’ll cherish.  

Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney

See the sights on a working mail boat

Hop aboard The Riverboat Postman and enjoy the magnificent scenery of the lower Hawkesbury River as the mail is delivered to the river-access-only settlements upriver from Brooklyn. Leaving at 10am each weekday (excluding public holidays), be entertained by the stories of the river and this service, which has run since 1910. On Sundays there may be no mail, but the sailing continues with a three-hour cruise towards Broken Bay, which includes morning tea and a Ploughman’s-style lunch served on board.

The Riverboat Postman, Brooklyn

Live it up on a luxury boat on Sydney Harbour

For a memorable day out, hire a luxury charter boat to cruise around the harbour. Any Boat and Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters offer boats of varying capacities so you can either invite everyone you know for a spectacular cruise or take the family on a special weekend, captain and crew included.

Exploring Sydney via its harbour gives you a completely different perspective of the city – discover secret beaches, admire some of the city’s most beautiful homes and catch a glimpse of wildlife cruising by. The Alfie (pictured) sleeps seven guests, with a dining and lounging area, a sunbed at the front, a full kitchen and a small tender for boat transfers to waterfront restaurants. On sunny days, make use of the stand-up paddleboards and float in the inflatable pool as you wave to passing boats.

Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters, Elizabeth Bay - Credit: Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters

Discover one of Sydney’s lesser-known rivers

The Hacking River is a pristine waterway in southern Sydney bordered by the Royal National Park – with beaches, mangroves and bays dotted along the way. Cronulla Ferries runs a three-hour Scenic River Cruise every Friday morning, from Gunnamatta Bay to the open expanses of Port Hacking. Learn about the early explorers of the area and historical settlements, the state’s first fish hatchery and the names and meanings of Aboriginal sites from your passionate guide as you enjoy morning tea. 

Cronulla and National Park Ferry Cruises, Cronulla - Credit: Cronulla Ferries

Explore Sydney’s harbour through an Aboriginal perspective

Get closer to the living culture of the Gadigal, Guringai, Gammeraigal, Wangal, Cammeraygal and Wallumedegal people by getting on the water. On the Harbour Cruise with Tribal Warrior Culture Cruise, you’ll head out on the Mari Nawi (big canoe) and learn about life pre-colonisation, including traditional fishing methods and food gathering techniques.

You’ll alight on Be-lang-le-wool (Clark Island) and experience a cultural performance, often including a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony, traditional dance and didgeridoo playing. An incredibly inspiring and moving experience, Tribal Warrior Culture Cruise is the only commercial operator allowed to run tours on Sydney Harbour islands.

Tribal Warrior Cultural Cruise, Sydney Harbour

Jump aboard a mystic cruise in the Blue Mountains   

A plate of fluffy scones with jam and cream, a meandering river cruise down a 50-million-year-old gorge and a psychic reading? It’s unlikely you’ve attended anything like this three-hour Mystic River Cruise on the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler. Departing from Jamisontown, you’ll glide through the spectacular Nepean Gorge in the Blue Mountains, the ascending sandstone peaks and largely unexplored parkland providing an appropriately dramatic background for your personal psychic reading from the onboard medium. Keep an eye out for wallabies, lizards and white-breasted sea eagles as you ponder your newly illuminated future.

Note: cruises run monthly from January to October.

Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler, Jamisontown 

Explore the largest saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere 

With a myriad of bays, islands and inlets to explore, CoastXP’s Lake Cruise and Nature Walk Tour lets you in on Lake Macquarie’s secret spots, local geology and maritime history along its 174km of foreshore. Step aboard the eco-tourism adventure boat for a cruise before alighting at Wangi Peninsula for an informative bushwalk through Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area.

Look out for kangaroos, eagles and the pied oystercatcher as well as wild orchids, wattle and coastal banksia as you learn about the original inhabitants, the Awabakal people. Afterwards, enjoy a grazing box with breathtaking views across the lake towards Pulbah Island (a sacred site to the Awabakal people).

Note: tours are available from November to May. 

CoastXP, Lake Macquarie

Spend a romantic evening on Lake Macquarie

Fall asleep under the stars and wake up to the sounds of gently lapping water on an overnight Romantic Indulgence package with Silver Sun Sailing. Onboard the 40-foot yacht, Spellcaster III, you can enjoy a two-hour cruise complete with champagne before the boat anchors in a secluded area, the skipper departs and you have a floating home to yourself for the evening. Everything you need for dinner and breakfast is provided to cook at your leisure in between stargazing and watching the sun rise above the water. After a sleep in, the skipper will return to sail you back to the marina, cruising past the lake’s bays and sand islands on the way.

Silver Sun Sailing, Lake Macquarie - Credit: Silver Sun Sailing

Kayak in crystal-clear water with turtles and dolphins

A trip to the Byron Bay region has a calming, restorative energy – something you’ll definitely feel on a Brunswick River Nature Kayak Tour with Go Sea Kayak. You’ll be exploring the oasis that is the Brunswick Heads River, paddling with the tide (so it’s suitable for any age and ability).

Over two hours, the local guide will help you spot kingfishers among the mangroves, green turtles, dolphins, blue-spotted stingrays, and schools of mangrove jacks and flathead as you float by secluded beaches and volcanic mountains. Take a mid-paddle break on the riverbank for a swim before you head back feeling revitalised.  

Go Sea Kayak, Byron Bay

Fish for Murray cod off a houseboat in Deniliquin 

At the heart of the Riverina town Deniliquin is the Edward River (Kolety), a waterway lined with red gums, rich in Indigenous history (the Wamba Wamba, Perrepa Perrepa and Yorta Yorta people maintain strong connections to this Country) and essential to its thriving agricultural community. If you’re a fishing enthusiast, hiring an Edward River Houseboat is a dream – with plenty of isolated fishing spots there is a high chance you’ll be eating a dinner of barbecued Murray cod – as fresh as it gets. The Gralyn houseboat sleeps up to eight people with everything you need including air conditioning and a washing machine.  

Edward River Houseboat, Murray River

Enjoy the golden age of river travel in the Murray

Is there a better way to explore the Murray River than by steamboat? Join a daily sightseeing cruise, lunch and dinner cruise, or even a multi-day voyage aboard Murray River Paddlesteamers’ new acquisition, the PS Australian Star. Powered by its original 1907 wood-fired steam engine and rhythmic paddlewheels, the historic vessel offers an all-inclusive itinerary as you float along the river soaking in the changing scenery.

With a fine dining restaurant, lounge and bar all servicing 19 plush and modern staterooms, as well as a knowledgeable crew, you’ll learn the river’s rich stories as you feast on regional produce. Three-, four- and seven-night itineraries include stops to explore historic towns, boutique wineries, cultural landmarks and natural wonders.

Murray River Paddlesteamers, Echuca