Brisbane: Paddle in the moonlight

Kayaking on the Brisbane River. Photo / Supplied

Daniel Richardson sees the city from a kayak.

After the devastating Brisbane floods in 2011 the city had a rare chance to reinvent itself.

I was in town for only a short work trip - Thursday to Sunday - and as a young bloke, wanted to get out and about, meet a few locals, share a few stories and have a couple of lemonades (read: a few beers).

I found the chance to get into the social aspect of Brisbane, which was my kind of exploration. A cool collection of bars and restaurants line the river and they had a nice hum to them on a Thursday night. The hot weather allowed for a casual dress sense and lightened the mood.

The river, which flows for 344km, divides the city and is one of the main geographical focal points. So I took to the water for a unique view of Brisbane at night - by kayak.

It didn't seem like the safest activity given ferries barrel up and down the river and well, you know, it was dark and all.

The last time I had been out in a kayak was in my second year studying for a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise at Massey University, days when I would turn up to a practical class on a Friday morning feeling pretty worse for wear after enjoying an irresponsible amount of $3 student vodkas the night before.

I remember flopping during the slalom aspect of my test, but bringing it home with a rare burst of speed down Palmerston North's Hokowhitu Lagoon to get the required marks in the endurance leg. The result bugged my lecturer, who taunted me with reminders that he would see me again the following year to repeat the paper if I didn't pass.

As we neared the Brisbane riverside from where we would be departing, those hazy memories of my student days came flowing back to me just like a vodka and orange at the old Empty Vessel pub.

Riverlife gets corporate and social groups along for a kayak down the river where you essentially go there and back to see how far it is. We had a couple of companies on work dos, tourists and myself along for the ride.

It seemed like a great idea to do with mates given they also tacked on an option after to have a couple of beers and, more importantly, eat a seemingly endless supply of prawns.

General manager Josh Wicks came along for the jaunt and one of his fellow tour guides gave me the pre-safety briefing and shared his collection of well-rehearsed jokes. He didn't miss a beat as the first-timers lapped up his wisecracks about life-jackets and we were soon on the water.

We hugged the shoreline the whole way down and it was a surprisingly relaxed outing. My kayaking improved as the journey continued - if only my old lecturer could see me navigate the waters now.

Our instructors stopped us midway down our travels and challenged anyone to see if they could stand up in their kayak and maintain their balance. A couple of participants were keen, while an instructor or two missed out and were forced into the drink.

There are plenty of great ways to see Brisbane; earlier in my trip I took a bike tour with a volunteer guide who had a wealth of knowledge about the city.

The city streets are 22 yards (20m) across - the length of a cricket pitch - as a nod to their sporting heritage.

Brisbane is fast establishing itself as a cultural hub given the presence of the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art.

Everything is accessible, with council-funded bikes available for rent at many spots along the banks of the river. They can be returned at any other station.

Recreational cycling is a big part of the evolving Brisbane, and bike lanes run parallel to the river. The year-round warm weather makes it the ideal place to jump on a bike, given it rarely rains, When it does, though, it buckets down.

In the space of four days, I felt like I scratched only the surface of Brisbane, but I will be back to get a stronger sense of what makes this city tick. I found they love socialising, are an active lot and, most importantly, make good hosts.

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