Celebrating recreational paddling at Bendeela

Our popular Bendeela Recreation Area, on the banks of the Kangaroo River south of Sydney, recently hosted the Festival of Canoe and Kayak (F.O.C.K) with hundreds of festival-goers enjoyed the family-friendly three-day celebration of recreational paddling.

WaterNSW Manager Stakeholder Engagement, Brendan Maher, said WaterNSW was proud to be part of such an inclusive and community-minded event, and develop relationships with the people and operators who use the river.

“Our staff appreciated the opportunity to talk with visitors about our recently completed wombat mange treatment program that has greatly improved the health of the many friendly wombats who call Bendeela home,” Brendan said.

“We value the feedback we sought from paddlers and outdoor lifestyle communities on their priorities when it comes to WaterNSW’s services, which will feed into our broader IPART consultation and inform our 2025-2030 pricing proposal.

“Our teams also discussed WaterNSW’s role in protecting Sydney’s drinking water catchments, which are some of the most pristine natural environments in the State.”

About 350 people attended a mix of free and paid events across the weekend of 23-25 June. Locally-owned indigenous company Gadhungal Marring organised a hands-on activity making a traditional Aboriginal canoe, and the headline music act was Nyirey Kickett, a Nyungah and Wilyakali singer-songwriter.

WaterNSW Manager of Catchments, Lands and Spatial Systems, Daryl Gilchrist, said it was great to meet paddlers from all walks of life and be part of a fun-focused festival at the serene Bendeela Recreation Area.

“I am really proud of the way the recreation area presents. It’s always great to meet with the groups and local communities who enjoy the public spaces we operate,” Daryl said.

F.O.C.K has established Kangaroo Valley as the canoeing capital of Australia, and we look forward to working with the event organisers again in 2024.