Great fun, knowledgeable and personable tour guide. Short drive from Sydney city center. Nice lunch slo h the shoreline brought by the guide. Paddled through the mango trees, observed wildlife, historical sites and their history, got to know and chat with other kayakers from all over.
I went to the Sat 27/1 Middle Harbor Eco tour by myself. Despite informing the staff my limited kayaking experience and not a strong kayaker (only done this once or twice). I was put in a solo kayak because the other 4 people were a family. From the start, the guide consistently raced ahead, maintaining 15-25m ahead of the group. This gave the impression of impatience, which raised concern about the purpose of having a guide for safety when they remained so far ahead 90% of the time. The only time the group stayed closed was when we were in the mangroves, and there was limited open water. Being alone in my kayak, I struggled to keep up constantly, especially as the other participates were paired up. I was expected to be as fast as them and the guide. Throughout the entire journey, I had no opportunity to rest and just flat and enjoy the view. During river crossing to the opposite side, the guide urged the group to paddle quickly as a group due to potential dangers from passing boats/ships. However, the guide and the double kayakers immediately sped ahead, leaving me behind and struggling once again. This was dangerous and unprofessional. Was it hard to slow down and make sure the group stay together and safe? Paying for a tour felt futile when I consistently felt stressed, tired and made to feel inadequate with my speed. I was shouted at to ‘paddle faster!’, ‘put your muscle into it!’ were accompanied by an overall lack of consideration and understanding. While I understand my slow speed was holding the group, this should have been taken into the consideration from the beginning. Eventually, I yelled back ‘it is not the spend, it is my strength!’ What was intended to be an enjoyable trip turned into a nightmare kayaking boo camp.
This was a huge success. I gave my son & his family (5 people, visiting from Singapore) this as a Christmas present. We all love nature, & were thrilled to be able to paddle through the mangroves. Special thanks to Kate for being so thoughtful & accommodating to me, as an 81-year old. And I can recommend this trip on the relatively still water of Middle Harbour for others who have limited ability.
We took interstate family on this kayak tour of middle harbour and loved it! Kate is an excellent guide, the morning tea was wonderful and the whole experience very special.
The kayak trip was wonderful and our guide Angela was super informative and did a magnificent job guiding us around the harbor. I highly recommend the tour.