‘20 years ago, you couldn’t hire a kayak on the river’. Now, this river business is booming

Twenty years ago, John Sharpe gazed upon the Brisbane River and saw an opportunity.

He’d been spending a lot of time around it, working in Kangaroo Point for six years while helping to found and build the Story Bridge Adventure Climb, now one of the city’s premier tourist attractions.

“It was then that I identified that we needed more tourism and sporting activities along the edge of the Brisbane River,” he explained.

Riverlife Adventure Centre celebrates its 20-year anniversary this September. Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland

With a keen sense for capitalising on Brisbane’s weather and natural ecology, armed with a few kayaks, Sharpe got to work setting up an adventure business from the old Naval Stores at Kangaroo Point on the banks of the river.

“First we had to negotiate with Council and convince them that this was a good idea.

“The lord mayor at the time was Campbell Newman and the opposition leader was David Hinchliffe. You couldn’t really get anything done unless you had bipartisan support because Hinchcliffe had the majority.

“So I needed to get both the lord mayor and deputy mayor down to the Naval Stores to explain my vision and put forward a case that Brisbane needed a Riverlife Adventure Centre.”

Sharpe was granted 12 months to make it work, and with the business celebrating its 20-year anniversary this September, it’s clearly been a success.

“From the very first moment we took those kayaks down the river back, it’s been the ride of a lifetime,” Sharpe said.

“Twenty years ago, you couldn’t even hire a kayak on the river, let alone abseil Kangaroo Point’s iconic cliffs.

“Through Riverlife, we have opened Brisbane’s access to both.”

In 2023, Riverlife saw the start of a new era with local tourism heavyweight and entrepreneur Sam Jarmy taking the helm as owner and managing director, in partnership with John who remains as minority owner.Credit: Courtney Kruk

The adventure centre now operates a range of activities, including abseiling and rock climbing the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, bike and rollerblade hire, and parties and functions in the old storehouse.

Despite trepidation about being in the Brisbane River at night, co-owner Sam Jarmy said the twilight kayak tour remains their most popular.

“It’s so peaceful on the water at nighttime,” Jarmy said.

“You get all the city lights, and you can just relax. Seeing the Story Bridge lit up is pretty epic.

“And when we take people the other way, up towards South Bank, you’ve got all the bridges and the colours of the casino and the ferris wheel to look at.”

It’s surprisingly calming out on the water after dark, though the city’s ferry network ensures kayakers are never too complacent.

“We do get the occasional call from CityCat that one of our kayakers has wandered too far into the middle of the river,” tour operator Kate said.

“But most people are pretty good.”

Since launching the Story Bridge Adventure Climb and Riverlife, Sharpe has continued to expand his adventure and urban tourism efforts, founding Tangatours Water Sports on Moreton Island, Walkabout Creek Adventures at Enoggera Reservoir and Vertigo at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

“And it’s all been from that opportunity Brisbane City Council gave us in 2004,” Sharpe said.

Find out more about Riverlife’s 20th birthday celebrations here.