Riverlife
Adventure Centre
Riverlife
WATER BIKES
BRISBANE’S NEWEST ATTRACTION
KAYAKING
Experience the Brisbane River up close and personal. See that the Brown snake isn’t really all that brown up close.
ABSEILING
Test your bravery and your endurance by dangling yourself over the edge of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. You’ll never get a better view of Brisbane than from the side of the cliffs.
Weekend
Paddle & Grazing
The weather is fine, but not as fine as you. Show off that Covid body to the world this weekend and let them know that isolation was not as horrible as it seemed. Kayak along the Brisbane River and treat yourself to a cheeky wine and grazing board on your return.
WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
HIRES
TOURS
SCHOOL GROUPS
CORPORATE
Delivering you great experiences
Your health and safety is our number one priority. Riverlife has over 15 years of experience delivering adventurous things to do in Brisbane. We are open for kayak, bike, URB-E and rollerblade hire, and for private group kayaking, abseiling and rock climbing experiences. Our new decked out Citroen Van Gustave is up and running and providing locals a place to grab a coffee, bite to eat and dine-in with friends along the Brisbane River
We can’t wait to see you out kayaking the Brisbane River and climbing the Kangaroo Point Cliffs!
Have some questions?
TEAM BUILDING
+ CORPORATE PACKAGES
Looking to escape the office and build up some team spirit? Riverlife has a multitude of Team Building & Corporate packages for you to choose from. Get in touch with one of our friendly staff to learn more.
OUR PARTNERS
There’s never been a better time to explore all Brisbane has to offer
KIDS
$55
ADULTS
$65
Riverlife Kayak Tours
At Riverlife, the Day Kayak & Twilight Kayak Tours will have you soaking up sunshine, sunsets and city views seeing Brisbane from a new perspective. Our fully-qualified and fantastic guides will make you comfortable and well-informed throughout your experience with us.
Depending on the tide times, we are going to head towards the Story Bridge or South Bank on our kayaking journey. As a result of this we always kayak with the tide on our side for the home stretch. Don’t worry, there are awesome sights and photo spots each way!
After checking-in, the session starts with a safety briefing. Once you are geared up, we are then going to help you and your crew get in your kayaks. While on the water, our guides teach you tips and tricks to get you kayaking like a pro!
What to Look Out For: Visual Highlights When Kayaking The Brisbane River
Downstream – Kayaking To The Story Bridge
The Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is the highlight of our downstream kayaking experience. As soon as you reach it, take shade under it or grab an incredible photos with it at the halfway point of the tour. Construction began in 1935 to provide jobs and improve cross-river access. The Story Bridge opened in 1940, celebrating 80 years this year, and is a fantastic Brisbane icon.
The Myora Shipwreck
If the tide is low, Myora may show! Built in 1890, the Myora was used for general services, fishing, and pleasure cruises. In 1956, it was left to sink! Myora has survived two major floods and is now one with the shore, with mangroves anchoring it to the river bank.
Upstream – Kayaking To South Bank
Kangaroo Point Cliffs
The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are a natural landmark that dominates the inner-city suburb of Kangaroo Point. Quarried from 1829 – 1976, the well-mainted 25m cliff face is the perfect spot for a picnic or BBQ. Or for those more daring, the cliffs are publicly available for use to climb and abseil!
Queensland Maritime Museum
Home to a whole host of historical ships, the Queensland Maritime Museum often acts as the halfway point of our downstream tours. The HMAS Diamantia is one of the last World War II River Class frigates in the world. In fact, the Diamantia is one of the world’s two remaining ships to have hosted surrender ceremonies. The only other surviving ship is the USS Missouri, which is on display at Pearl Harbor.
ABOUT BRISBANE & THE BRISBANE RIVER
Your guide will tell you interesting facts and stories about Brisbane and the Brisbane River throughout your experience. Just in case you want to get clued up before your adventure, check out these fast facts about Brisbane and it’s history:
- The Turrbal and Jagera people know Brisbane as Meanjin, which means “place shaped like a spike”.
- Brisbane’s first European settlers landed here by accident! A group of convicts were trying to sail back to Sydney but got lost in a storm.
- Brisbane was later colonised as a Penal Colony on the orders of Sir Thomas Brisbane. The colony originally settled at Redcliffe, before relocating to what is now Brisbane’s CBD. Why you may ask? Because the natural bend in The Brisbane River made it very difficult for convicts to escape!
- On average, Brisbane has 283 days of sunshine each year – no wonder we love kayaking so m
SAFETY WHEN KAYAKING AT RIVERLIFE
We are dedicated to showing you a great time kayaking on the river, but safety is always our priority. Before every session we will provide a full safety briefing. We will cover everything that you need to know in this briefing, however, here are a few things you can be aware of before getting started:
Please Do Not Cross The River At Any Point Whilst Kayaking At Riverlife
The Brisbane River is a fully operational transport hub, unlike other areas you may have kayaked before. That means there are plenty of larger and faster crafts than kayaks on the water. Please stick to the passive craft lane, which your guide will point out to you.
If You Fall Out Of Your Kayak, Don’t Panic!
Every Riverlife kayaking participant is given a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). The first thing to remember, if you do fall in, is do not panic. There are simple and safe techniques for getting back in which are demonstrated in your safety briefing. If you can’t swim that’s okay! Just please ensure you have booked a guided experiences. That way, our fully-qualified instructors can help you along the way.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Riverlife operates with a Zero Tolerance Drugs & Alcohol policy for all activities. Because of this, if found to be in breach of this policy, you can not participate in the adventure. Should you arrive intoxicated, there are no option for rescheduling or refunds. However, if you are looking to have a drink afterwards, we have alcoholic beverages available.
KIDS / CONCESSION
$55
ADULTS
$65
WEEKLY ABSEIL SESSION
Looking for a thrill? Abseil Brisbane at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Start at the top of the cliffs before you step off the edge, 20 metres from the parkland below. As soon as you reach the top, stand back and enjoy the uninterrupted view of Brisbane. Watch city cats, ferries and kayaks meander the iconic Brisbane River while you wait in anticipation for your name to be called. When it is your turn, step up to the edge, take a breath and begin your abseil.
Let our experienced abseiling instructor’s help you conquer your fears and guide you safely over the edge while you experience the extreme rush that comes when you abseil Brisbane Kangaroo Point Cliffs. With trust overcoming natural instinct, you will be abseiling down the 20 metre high cliffs in no time.
Riverlife abseiling sessions are guided by qualified and experienced instructors. No experience is necessary as each session includes full instruction, a safety briefing and equipment. Participants must be at least 8 years of age.
*The minimum age for abseiling is 8 years old.
What is Abseiling?
Abseiling is a controlled descent over a vertical drop. There are two important parts in that definition: controlled and vertical drop. It is also known as rappelling from the French word rappeller. This translates to ‘to recall’ or ‘to pull through’.
Let’s start with the vertical drop. This can be anything from a cliff-face to a building, or even a bridge over at Story Bridge Adventure Climb! This makes Abseiling one of the most versatile adventure activities available.
The most important part of Abseiling is control. At Kangaroo Point, our abseil activity is approximately a 20m descent. At this kind of height, it is essential that the descent is safe and controlled. This control will be managed by both you as the participant and one of our fully-qualified guides. Our guide will do all the heavy lifting, all you as the participant needs to do is feed the rope through your hand and slowly walk down. Don’t worry, all this is explained and demonstrated before your abseil.
About Brisbane and the Kangaroo Point Cliffs
When on a Brisbane abseil at Riverlife there are some incredible views of Brisbane. The high vantage point of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs showcases Brisbane better than anywhere else. But there is more to this spot than stunning sunsets! Check out these fast facts about Brisbane and the Kangaroo Point Cliffs:
- The Kangaroo Point Cliffs is a natural cliff face. European settler, John Oxley, described Kangaroo Point as a “high, rocky bank” surrounded by “jungle” in 1823.
- The cliffs have changed a lot since then! From 1829 – 1976, the cliffs were quarried. Brisbane Tuff is the unique, volcanic extract from the cliffs. The heritage-listed Commissariat Store and The Old Windmill, both located in the CBD, were constructed using Brisbane Tuff.
- Brisbane was the busiest submarine port in the world during World War II. Dozens of ships on their way to Pearl Harbor were diverted to Brisbane for safety. Hundreds of wharves for docked ships filled the Brisbane River by December 1943, complete with building and repair facilities.
- Brisbane is also the birthplace of the classic Australian treat, the Lamington! French chef Armand Galland accompanied Lord & Lady Lamington to Brisbane in 1900 to cook for them. The Lamington’s were always hosting uninvited guests and Chef Armand was at his wit’s end! In a pinch, he took a slab of day-old french sponge cake, iced it with chocolate and coconut, and voila! The Lamington was born.