32 great paddle trails
Finding a great place to go kayaking, canoeing, or stand up paddleboarding in the Northern Districts of Victoria 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.
- Tintaldra
“Again! Again!” Sound familiar? Kids often shout it out excitedly after going on an awesome theme park ride. You could feel the urge to do the same after riding the fast-moving and playful waters of the Murray River from Tintaldra to Walwa. - Wahgunyah
Wahgunyah may well be the lesser-known partner in the cross-border relationship it has with Corowa in New South Wales but that hasn’t always been the case. Corowa was settled 18 years later than Wahgunyah and at that time it was simply known as North Wahgunyah. - Brimin
You’ve probably never heard of Brimin. It’s more of a locality than a town and there aren’t any tourist brochures. However, it is a fantastic place to indulge in a little bit of Murray River boating, camping and fishing so you really should drop in some time. - Bundalong
There is a feeling of nervous excitement that comes with realising you aren’t quite sure where you are or what is coming next. Maybe it should be called the ‘Bundalong feeling’ because it is a constant companion here. - Lake Mulwala
Mulwala is an Aboriginal word that means big lagoon. It is an appropriate name for the vast pool of Murray River water behind Yarrawonga Weir which provides the venue for this paddle and a chance for you to take the Global Paddler Quest2K challenge. - Yarrawonga
This stretch of water has a significant place in Australian paddling history and culture as the long-time host of the opening stanza of the yearly whirlwind of paddles that recently changed its name from the Murray Marathon to the Massive Murray Paddle. - Burramine
Burramine is a quiet spot on the Murray River near Yarrawonga with a name that dates back to the arrival of the first European settler in 1842. Her name was Elizabeth Hume, her property was the Yarrawonga Run, and she called her homestead Byramine. - Cobram
Orchards, vineyards, and dairy farms irrigated by Murray River water ensure that Cobram always comes on like a dream with peaches and cream and drinks like strawberry wine. She’s not sixteen but she is beautiful and it can feel like she is all yours. - Ulupna
Long before the white man ever laid eyes upon the Murray River the land on both of its banks from Tocumwal to Strathmerton was the territory of the Ulupna Clan of the Yorta Yorta Nation and much of it still wears their name and whispers of their presence. - Barmah National Park 667
This is the first of three day trips that make it possible for you to ride the flow of the Murray River for its entire 100+ kilometre journey through the largest river red gum forest in Australia. Why not combine all three for a multi-day paddle camping odyssey? - Barmah National Park 699
This is the second of a trilogy of day trips that allow you to experience the Murray River’s journey through the largest river red gum forest in Australia. Put all three days back-to-back in a single visit and you will have an awesome paddle camping adventure. - Barmah National Park 736
This is the last of three day trips that take in the full length of the Murray River’s journey through the largest river red gum forest in Australia. Each day is amazing individually but together they make for a truly unforgettable paddle camping experience. - Barmah Lake
Barmah Lake is a rare remnant of a much bigger body of water that covered the Barmah-Millewa Forest floodplain 25,000 years ago. It is a showpiece of the largest river red gum forest in the world and a brilliant place to see the birds that come here to breed. - Echuca
You can almost smell the rum and sawdust as you glide past Echuca’s historic timber wharf. The sense that you have been transported back to the mid-1800s is so palpable that you could be forgiven for wondering if your vessel might actually be a tardis. - Tallangatta
Some say Tallangatta inspired the Elvis Presley song We’re Gonna Move in his 1956 film Love Me Tender because the town was shifted 8 kilometres west that very year to escape the rising waters of Hume Reservoir. Surely that was not just a coincidence. - Wangaratta
When you float through Wangaratta, you feel like nothing else matters. The playful sweeps and swirls of the Ovens and King Rivers focus your attention on right here, right now, and there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. We love you, Wangaratta. We can’t resist your winsome ways. - Lake Dartmouth
Everything about Lake Dartmouth is big. The dam wall that created it is the tallest in Australia. It has a potential surface area of 60 square kilometres and a maximum depth of 150 metres. That officially makes this the largest artificial water storage in Victoria. - Lake Buffalo
It is hard to imagine a time when Lake Buffalo will not be in the top five of our list of great paddling destinations in Victoria. Magnificent Mount Buffalo National Park, gorgeous wetlands, and peaceful farms are only the beginning of what you will find. - Lake William Hovell
Vinoeing is to canoeing what glamping is to camping, and this is the perfect place to enjoy a drop of vino and paddle in a stunning location. Lake William Hovell is very close to the King Valley wine region and the Milawa Gourmet Region, so there’s never any excuse for roughing it in the sustenance department. - Serpentine Creek
We love it when somebody else has mapped out a paddle trail, and all we need to do is enjoy it. Many people have told us they feel the same. That’s why we were excited to discover that this one was ready to go when we arrived. We think it’s great, and we’re sure you will too. - Serpentine Weir
The Loddon Valley is one of the precious gems of the Bendigo region. The best way to see it sparkle is to float along the waterway from which it takes its name, and you will be delighted to discover there is a perfectly paddleable pool of Loddon River loveliness right here at Serpentine Weir. - Elmore
Elmore’s residents are clearly grateful for the Campaspe River, the surrounding natural environment, and the many native birds and animals with whom they share their part of the world. The population is growing, and it is easy to see why more and more tree-changers want to call this special place home. - Lake Eppalock
Lake Eppalock was created in 1964 when the Campaspe River was dammed just downstream from its junction with the Coliban River. Its primary purpose is to store water for irrigation and town use but it is also Central Victoria’s premier water sports playground. - Shepparton
In his 1897 Australian classic Such is Life, Shepparton author Tom Collins mused that life’s two greatest pleasures are impossible to enjoy at the same time. One is to have something to do and to do it well. The other is to have nothing to do and be content with that. Impossible? Clearly, he wasn’t a paddler. - Murchison
If your sweet dreams are about sleeping under the stars and rolling out of your swag onto a soft river beach with nothing to do all day except swim, fish, and paddle in a lazily flowing inland stream, then the Goulburn River at Murchison is your kind of heaven. - Nagambie
The Nagambie waterways are a network of lakes, backwaters, and wetlands that are packed with islands, interconnected channels and secret hideaways which inspire the imagination, stimulate the adventurous spirit, and provide endless opportunities to play. - Mitchellstown
Mitchellstown is the town that never was. I reckon that’s enough to make it an iconic Aussie tourist destination but I know you want more. How about free waterfront camping and a winery tour that takes in two of the stars of the Nagambie Lakes Wine Region? - Trawool Valley
Some paddle trails become instant favourites the first time you experience them, and if the idea of paddling, mountain biking, and camping in a valley that has been heritage listed for its high scenic quality, geological and cultural interest, the Trawool Valley is sure to become one of yours. - Molesworth
Coming soon. - Thornton
Thornton is the starting point for an invigorating paddle through the blue space of the Goulburn River in the vast green space of Victoria’s High Country. It doesn’t matter how far you choose to float. Just being here is arguably the best mental health therapy you can get. - Lake Eildon – Delatite Arm
This is an exploration of a superb series of scenic inlets on Lake Eildon’s Delatite Arm. The stage is set by the rugged hills and verdant forest of Lake Eildon National Park and peaceful overnight stays are possible in campsites only accessible by boat or on foot. - Lake Eildon – Big River Arm
Lake Eildon’s glittering open water and idyllic bush setting are not a well-kept secret. Warm weekends see water sports lovers of all persuasions arrive in their droves. However, there are still corners you can have to yourself and one of the best is Big River Arm.
