8 great paddle trails
Finding a great place to go kayaking, canoeing, or stand up paddleboarding in the Adelaide and Southeast regions of South Australia is easy when you are a Global Paddler member. All you need to do is pick a number on our trip locator map and click or tap on the trail name with the same number in the list below. Global Paddler memberships are available from our online store.
Each Global Paddler guide includes a map, colour photographs, logistical details, a route description, local points of interest, quirky facts, and recommended places to eat, drink, and stay the night so that every day you spend on the water is fantastic.
- Torrens Island
During its colourful history, Torrens Island has been home to Kaurna Aboriginal people, dairy cattle, quarantine stations, World War I internment camps, and power stations. It has also witnessed the birth of Royal Australian Navy vessels. If only islands could talk. - Barker Inlet
Barker Inlet and its residents are protected by the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, Barker Inlet – St Kilda Aquatic Reserve, Gulf St Vincent Important Bird Area, and Torrens Island Conservation Park. Everybody wants to look after this place because it is extra special. - Ships’ Graveyard
Shipwrecks are exciting discoveries for anyone who spends time on the water. Each holds a promise of an intriguing maritime story from a time long, long ago. Just one wreck would be enough but this is an incomparable opportunity to visit over twenty-five in a single day. - West Lakes
This is a suburban paddling venue with a lovely sense of camaraderie. Paddlers, rowers, and sailors float happily together and walkers, runners, and cyclists enjoy parklands on its shores. No matter what your pastime, everyone seems delighted to share a smile or a wave. - Onkaparinga River
Every bridge that crosses a waterway opens a window to somewhere you’d rather be. There are seven bridges between Port Noarlunga and Old Noarlunga and each has a view of the sparkling Onkaparinga River. Isn’t it time you stopped looking and started paddling? - Goolwa
Goolwa was the first inland port in Australia and once considered as a possible location for the capital of South Australia. Things are a lot mellower these days. Residents now take pride in being the first town outside of Europe to be recognised as a Cittaslow town. - Coorong Channel
Coorong Channel is a truly remarkable place where you will unquestionably see hundreds of birds. There is also a good chance you will meet both long-nosed fur seals and emus, and if you are very lucky you may even be delighted by pods of happy dolphins. - The Coorong
The Coorong is a magnificent inland stretch of water that runs down the South Australian coast from the mouth of the Murray River. Waterbirds flock to it in huge numbers and emus patrol the shores. It is a bird-watching paddler’s idea of paradise.
