BSRV's Program Manager, Miriam Bilander, reports on an exciting adventure out on the water, on the City Sights Kayak Tour.
“Rain, rain go away!” was our mantra leading up to the City Sights Kayak Tour held on Monday the 5th of December, 2022, on the Yarra River in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.
Having been postponed due to heavy rains and flooding in November, this group of twenty intrepid participants with vision loss and volunteers, happily donned their life jackets and boarded two-person sea-bearing kayaks for a novel way of experiencing Melbourne.
With a sea breeze and strong current, it was no walk in the park getting all the way from Boathouse Drive to the Docklands. However, our trusty tour guides, Aiden and Adam, allowed for pleasant rests outside the Melbourne Aquarium and the Polly Woodside Tall Ship at South Wharf.
Some other key sights included, paddling past Flinders Street Train Station, Southbank, Crown Casino and the Docklands. One particular highlight, was squeezing under the Queens Bridge which was built in 1889 and has five wrought iron plate girder spans, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Participant, Jane, exclaimed - “One of the best things I’ve ever done today. Loved it! Just to see the city from the perspective of the river. Wonderful. It was a spectacular adventure, typical of Blind Sports!”
To end the event, the group found a lovely spot to sit by the Yarra River and enjoyed a well-deserved picnic lunch, rich conversation with the musical sounds coming from an art installation on Birrarung Marr’s opposite bank.
Thank you to the City of Melbourne Council for all their support, and in particular, Natalie Flores for taking photos and publishing an article on the Council’s CBD Neighbourhood Portal website.
Read the article on the City of Melbounre, Participate Melbourne website.
This tour was made possible thanks to the support of the City of Melbourne.
