Kayaking in a Canyon of Glowworms

The journey to McLaren Falls Park

We meet our kayaking guides for this evening, Tom and Calvin, and join seven other keen kayakers in a van attached to a trailer full of kayaks. From here, we hit the road to the put-in point at Lake McLaren. Throughout the 15-minute drive through rolling green hills of farmland, our guides show us a few points of interest such as “rare animals” like sheep. Their wisecrack remarks keeps the tour fun and lighthearted.

Wine and cheese on the lakeside

Admittedly, we took a sneaky trip to McLaren Falls Park yesterday to check out the falls and do a couple of walks. But as we cross the bridge over a cascade of waterfalls and into the park full of autumn colours, our guides give us heaps more insights about the place that we didn’t know when coming here yesterday. Where most people make the most of the walks here when visiting McLaren Falls Park, this evening we are going to be making the most out of Lake McLaren!

We park up alongside the lake and as fast as lightening, our guides whip out of the van and put together an impressive spread of cheese, crackers, salami, nuts, dried kiwifruit, chips, dip, and wine! Woah! The table is complete with a tablecloth and wine glasses! Now we can snack while Tom and Calvin sneakily set up the kayaking equipment like ninjas. Why can’t all tours be like this?!

Pre-kayaking banter with wine, cheese and lake views

Conversing with ducks and gearing up

We sip on locally-produced wine, socialise and take in the beautiful evening views around us, such as the array of exotic trees reflecting in the lake before us. Soon enough, the feast is joined by more guests in the form of ducks. Calvin starts having a conversation with a duck who is a regular to the feast, called Ronald (or something), who can usually catch chips in the air. When Ronald fails to perform, that’s when Calvin moves onto giving us a quick paddling lesson then gearing us up for the kayaking trip.

There’s plenty of gear to keep us warm and dry, from fleeces to kayaking skirts to splash jackets. We can even wear these weird kayaking mittens called “pogies” if we want.

Kayaking on Lake McLaren

Once we are looking sexy, we double up in a sea kayak with a red light attached to the front and hit the lake. Already, it’s getting dark yet the placidity of the lake still captures the stunning reflections of the trees around us. Once every kayak is in the water, we start paddling to make our kayaks do a smooth gliding motion across the lake. We pass large black swans on our way further down the lake where it starts to narrow. We can now only make out the silhouettes of the trees towering above us.