DAY ONE
Collect your car from Adelaide Airport and head for the Adelaide Hills and Mt Barker via the South Eastern Freeway. Here you branch south heading to Goolwa and, just beyond it, Hindmarsh Island at the Murray Mouth. It's about 85km and takes roughly 90 minutes.
Here you can canoe the Coorong for the ultimate in environmentally aware kayaking experiences, ranging from a short two-hour kayak exploring the Coorong and Murray River Mouth, including a bush tucker walk through the sand dunes, to a four-day expedition covering almost 100km.
The extraordinary Coorong comprises 100km of ocean-facing dunes that protect one of the most significant freshwater ecosystems in Australia. It's also the country made famous by the novel and movie Storm Boy.
Canoe the Coorong is a true eco-tourism operation led by guide Brenton Carle, an eco tourism graduate with years of experience in the Coorong. The tour involves some leisurely paddling – with numerous stops along the way to see the sights and to take in the natural wonders and wildlife that the Coorong has to offer.
STAY
If you're not camping on the Coorong with your fellow kayakers, there's a much more comfortable bed at The Australasian Circa 1858, a small, luxury private hotel. For a real sense of river character try the retreats at Birks Harbour Marina.
DINE
Canoe the Coorong provides a simple lunch and bush food tastings – the local mulloway is a specialty. Nearby Goolwa provides more sophisticated dining opportunities. It was the first Australian town to become a 'Cittaslow town', bestowed by the Italian Cittaslow movement, which believes life is best lived slowly and food is best sourced locally. Try The Whistle Stop Restaurant or the set menu dining at The Australasian Circa 1858.