Upper Murrumbidgee River
Also known as: Bredbo / Red Rocks Gorge
Scenically magnificent pink granite boulder gorges; towering escarpments; remote Monaro country
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Natural flow; rises in Kosciuszko NP; upstream Tantangara diversion (Snowy scheme) reduces headwater flow
Flow-dependent; gorge needs adequate level but is dangerous in high water (Confirm.)
Spring to early summer (snowmelt/rain); best at moderate flows
Cold alpine/snowmelt water; cool
Gorge very dangerous in high water; flash rises; alpine cold snaps
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Average Grade II, sections to III-IV; Class II-IV
Kayak; canoe
Multiple legs with road access (low-level bridge, Colinton/Bumbalong, Angle Crossing) allow day-trip splits
Competent whitewater paddlers; remote steep gorge dangerous in high water with long steep walkout; not for novices in the gorge
The run
Bredbo-Colinton gorge: 4m waterfall (compulsory portage in high water) with undercut boulder; steepest section drops ~10m in 200m; Red Rocks Gorge 2-4m drops
One compulsory portage (4m waterfall); undercut boulders; tree-lined races; log jams at low-level bridge
Bredbo to Red Rocks Gorge (incl. Bredbo-Colinton granite gorges)
Remote gorge, few other paddlers; quiet
Access & shuttle
Passes through private land and Kosciuszko NP reserves; Red Rocks Gorge in Murrumbidgee River Corridor
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Put-in at Bredbo bridge; take-out Red Rocks Gorge (ACT, approx 1 hr from Canberra)
Car shuttle Bredbo-Bumbalong ~16 km/20 min for first leg; longer for full run
Bush camps along gorge; multiday self-support
Whitewater kit, roll, self-rescue; patchy-to-no mobile coverage in gorges
Cooma; Canberra; Bredbo
Hazards & exits
Dangerous gorge in high water; compulsory portage; cold water
Steep lengthy walkout from gorge; road access at bridges between legs
Self-supported experienced groups; no standard commercial guiding
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.