Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
Every day scores the same, usually
Mon 2 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Tue 3 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Wed 4 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Thu 5 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
Sun 8 · 69 out of 100
From the usual week for these dates, not the forecast.
No forecast for this spot on these dates. Usual weather for your dates
The spot in four facts
- Grade III-at its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 16.4 kmthe section
- Best Dec–Feb7 good days in 7
Usual weather for your dates
not a forecast
| Day | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2to 8usually | 6 kn | 23kn | 17°C | 0.4 mm |
No forecast for this spot on these dates. These are the usual readings for that week.
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Best time to go
best Dec–Feb
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep3of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Mount Skene to Glencairn on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears how it usually is on these dates, from past years' weather: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Licola to Basin Flat 17.3 km away
- Licola to Basin Flat 19.1 km away
- Licola to Basin Flat 22.4 km away
- Basin Flat to Burgoynes Track 25.5 km away
- Burgoynes Track to Cheynes Bridge 26.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Mount Skene to Glencairn
A river section on the Barkly River, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III-, on the international scale. It runs 16 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually January, February and December, with about 7 good days in 7; in June and July, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Licola.
- River Barkly River
- Grade Grade III-, on the international scale.
- Length 16 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,980–US$3,790 each
about US$1,980–US$3,790 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to MEL, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$958–US$2,000 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$362–US$603 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$194–US$355 |
| Total | about US$1,980–US$3,790 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Licola
30 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Licola its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 30h 40m
About 30h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MEL, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 2h 50m by road
Flights MDW → MEL on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Licola · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Licola · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits