Donnelly River Cruises

Pristine river and beautiful scenery.We had a fantastic trip down to the mouth of the Donnelly river and back. This is a most beautiful, wild, and remote piece of Western Australia, which very few people are lucky enough to see.Pete was full of information about the natural world around us - the river, the landscape, the botany and birds. We learnt so much from his laid-back chatty, entertaining commentary, with questions and discussions welcomed. The boat travelled smoothly and quietly down the river, past the cabins with their fascinating history, right down to the river mouth. This was barred up by sand, but the boat pulled up close by, allowing us to walk on the sand, see the breakers and even dip our toes in the Southern Ocean.Coffee and tea were served, accompanied by Pete's legendary muffins, tasting wonderful in the open air, before we set off on our return journey up river. On the way back we learnt about water conservation, land management, bushfires, what species need fire, controlled burns and what indigenous land management looked like, and some fascinating discussions ensued.I would highly recommend this boat trip. You get to see a wonderful place, with lots of interesting information, while relaxing and appreciate the beautiful scenery.

It is a wonderful way to explore the Donnelly River and see things that you can only get to by boat. It is an informative trip stopping off at the beach before heading back.On the way he explained controlled burn bush fires and highlighted the importance of those, especially in national parks and considering the recent fires in Margaret River and Nannup.Seeing all those shacks near the river mouth did make me think that it must be one of the most relaxing places to spend some time away from it all.The flies on the beach were relentless, so make sure that you are prepared to deal with them.

was really excited for this cruise on 12 April after reading reviews it quickly turned to disappointment the bush was burnt out not Pete's fault but it took beauty away from the trip Pete's boat is old and in desperate need of new seats, the seat hubby was on was broken seat which made his trip uncomfortable and most of the seats were torn also my husband paid Pete cash while boarding the boat we were 3 adults which should of come to a total of $225 however Pete charged $270 cash whether he thought some child running through boat was ours I really don't know but I did say 3 adults also half way through the trip Pete came to me and asked for my card for payment forgetting the cash payment when I told him that hubby paid cash he seemed confused and walked away. The trip was 10 minutes short of 3 hours considering Pete does advertise this as a 4 hour cruise I feel really ripped off would I do this cruise again not likely. The most pleasant part of the trip was the beach where we could get out and stretch for 15 minutes and have a drink and cupcakes

Great experiences for both young and old, love the commentary and the hospitality of the owner and captain Peter, last but not least the blue berries muffin. The kids learnt about trees, their ages as well as shells, rocks, cruise activities and how local producer reduced the amount of spraying insecticide on strawberries by introducing friendly pest eating bugs.Definitely booking in advance and yes please pay by cash.

We took a trek up the Donnelly River with Peter who had made an interesting trip even more so with his trivia and his muffins! We highly recommend seeing this untouched part of the world.

A really gorgeous ride down the river with some very enformative and entertaining commentary along the way! Couldn't be happier with the experience and hope to make it down there again sometime.

Lovely half-day cruise down the Donnelly River, to the beach not accessible by 4WD with plenty of beautiful cliffs, estuaries and small dunes. Good commentary and tasty muffins!

Though on first appearances the boat was in need of a makeover, once underway, it made no difference. The highlight was that conditions were right for the boat to be able to pull onto the beach at the mouth where we enjoyed 15 minutes on the wild and windy coast of the Great Southern Ocean. We also saw there a sea eagle motionless on the wind looking for lunch in the lagoon.A relaxed and informative way to experience this mostly untouched part of the South West.Owner and Skipper Pete is a truly charming Aussie character with an obvious passion for the protection of this unique river and region.Trips are not available everyday except when there are enough people to make it worthwhile. Fortunately our days were flexible, or we would have missed this memorable cruise.Oh, and I feel somewhat bound to mention Pete's famous muffins.

We booked this cruise after a friend recommended it, and we were so pleased we did! Really fascinating experience with knowledgeable Peter, who always has a good story to tell! Learnt more about the local environment than I expected including water and fire management plus excellent muffins! Super to see the Southern Ocean from a unique spot too!

Donnelly River cruise in our own backyard, where the river meets the ocean, just a wonderful experience, with Peters wealth of knowledge and his delicious blueberry muffins making the experience even more memorable. Would highly recommend.