Lane Cover River NP, NSW
25.0 km (6 hrs )
★★★★☆

Continuing my exploration of Sydney's rivers, I took the opportunity of a beautiful sunny day to paddle the Lane Cover River. There are two options for Lane Cover River - heading upstream through the Lane Cove National Park or the much longer route downstream to Sydney Harbour.

On this Saturday I decided to paddle out to Sydney Harbour, so starting from the Lane Cove National Park Weir, I headed down along the tranquil waters of the upper reaches of Lane Cove River. As luck would have it, I started at high tide, which allowed me to make good progress out to Hunters Hill. The river widens considerably once past Fig Tree Bridge (Burns Bay Road), but it was not until I reached Greenwich that I encountered any appreciable swell, or water traffic. Here the ferries were something to watch out for as they passed with considerable speed.

I ventured as far as Berry Island (about 13 km), before deciding to head back on the incoming tide. The tide was a great help, increasing my average speed for the return journey. A nice, but long day out on the water.