On a recent trip to Copenhagen, I was wandering the city and saw all these people exploring the city on boats with tables filled with food and drinks. I thought, how cool is that, to see the city in a different way! Well lucky for us in Melbourne, we now have the opportunity to do the same with GoBoat.
GoBoat operates electric picnic boats along the Yarra river from a base just opposite Crown Casino. These electric boats can be hired for a minimum of 1 hour for your use up and down the Yarra without the need for a boat licence. You can be the captain or skipper you’ve always wanted to be with GoBoat and it’s so easy to book and head off on your own adventure on the Yarra.
We hired a boat on a sunny Sunday for our adventure and upon arrival at GoBoat, we were given a comprehensive and succinct run down on how to operate the boat and the guidelines of using it. GoBoat provide you with a map with a suggested route and it also shows the different docks along the Yarra should you wish to stop and soak in the surroundings, or you need to make a pitstop to use facilities. Lifejackets are available onboard with one for every passenger and there are ones for children which you can obtain from staff before your journey.
For the first part of our trip we headed up towards the Docklands which allowed us to get used to navigating and using the boat. There was a bit more traffic around this area with tourist boats and other marine craft making their way to their respective hubs but we found that as we turned around and headed towards the MCG, the river traffic dissipated and the river was more peaceful.
As the GoBoat is electric, it was super quiet whilst it was in use and from an environmental perspective, it was great that there were no fumes from a petrol engine. Using the boat was simple with a stick and twisting the handle to accelerate or reverse and moving the stick to move left or right.
We docked our boat down near Herring Island and enjoyed our picnic on the water before heading back. It was such a lovely experience cruising up and down the Yarra. As a Melburnian it was nice to see the city from a different view and it was great to experience this at our own pace. My tip is to make sure you pack a hat and sunscreen because there is no where for you to hide from the sun, and pack a portable speaker! If you’re looking for a different experience in Melbourne with friends and family, definitely give GoBoat a go. With up to 8 passengers and the ability to BYO your own food and drink (note the skipper cannot drink alcohol) the cost is very reasonable once split per person. So make the most of our beautiful city and good weather for a unique experience on the Yarra.
GoBoat – Berths 1&2 Banana Alley, Melbourne 3004. Visit https://goboat.com.au/melbourne/ for more information and to book.
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