Boat Hire in Mallacoota: Who Hires What and What It Costs

Prices are for a half day (4 hours) and a full day (8 hours). For Buckland's BBQ pontoon boat, the prices are its half-day and full-day rates. Prices can change, so check when you ring to book.

Mallacoota Hireboats is family-run and has been going since 2012. Grant Cockburn hires out power boats, the fast boat Kermit, the Inlet Barbie pontoon, kayaks, SUPs, pedal boats and bikes.

Mallacoota Hireboats is at 10 Buckland Drive, with the jetty at M38 Coulls Inlet. It's open seven days, 7:30am to 6pm. Phone 0474 818 058.

If half a day is more than you need, there are shorter hires:

• Power boats from $110 for 2 hours
• Single kayaks from $30
• Pedal boats $10 a half hour
• Fishing rods $10 a day

No boat licence is needed for their power boats, kayaks, SUPs or pedal boats. You do need one for Kermit and the Inlet Barbie. For paddling, see our Mallacoota kayaking guide.

Mallacoota Barbie Boats is run by Grant "Gutsy" Shorland through Scallywags, and enquiries go through scallywagsmallacoota.com.au/barbieboats.

A barbie boat is $250 for a half day (4 hours) and $400 for a full day (8 hours), and you can also hire one by the hour. You don't need a licence to drive one. The boats are stable and suit families and groups of all ages, and they have to stay inside the inlet.

Hire comes with life jackets, a 15-minute safety briefing and an inlet map. Fishing gear is available on request, and cancellations need 24 hours' notice. There's more in our barbie boats guide.

Buckland's Jetty Boat Hire is on Lakeside Drive. Phone 0428 580 660, email bucklandsboathire@gmail.com, or see bucklandsjettyboathire.com. It takes cash or EFTPOS.

It's open seven days, daylight hours only, weather permitting. If the shed is unattended, ring 0428 580 660.

The boats:

• A slow half-cabin boat for 8 people. No licence needed.
• A slow blue Polycraft for 4. No licence needed.
• A fast yellow Polycraft with a MinnKota motor and a fishfinder, for serious fishing. You need a marine licence.
• A BBQ pontoon boat for 8 people, with a BBQ and cooking utensils supplied. No licence needed.

Fuel, safety equipment and maps are supplied, and fishing rods are available on request.

The slow and fast boats are priced by the hour:

The BBQ pontoon boat is $250 for a half day and $400 for a full day. Prices can change, so ring to confirm when you book.

Buckland's hires kayaks too. Single then double, they're $15 and $20 for 1 hour, $30 and $40 for 2 hours, $40 and $55 for 3 hours, $50 and $70 for 4 hours, and $70 and $100 for day hire. Where to paddle is in our kayaking guide.

Mallacoota Wilderness Houseboats is at 177 Lakeside Drive. Phone 0409 924 016.

If you'd rather someone else drove, Mallacoota Cruises runs lake cruises, scenic cruises and eco tours aboard the M.V. Loch-Ard, which dates from about 1910. It runs birdwatching tours too: see our birdwatching cruise guide.

Not for most boats. Here's where it lands:

• Not needed: Mallacoota Hireboats' power boats, kayaks, SUPs and pedal boats
• Not needed: a Mallacoota Barbie Boats barbie boat
• Not needed: Buckland's slow half-cabin boat, slow blue Polycraft and BBQ pontoon boat
• Needed: Kermit and the Inlet Barbie at Mallacoota Hireboats
• Needed: Buckland's fast yellow Polycraft, which takes a marine licence

The public boat ramps are at Bastion Point for the ocean, Karbeethong, and near the caravan park in town. There can be a queue at peak times.

Bastion Point sits at the mouth of Mallacoota Inlet, and its beach, lookouts and boat ramp are all open again. The inlet's entrance to the sea closes from time to time.

The Main Wharf is at the northern end of Buckland Drive, just down from the Bakery and Scallywags, with a public boat ramp and fish-cleaning tables. The Narrows join Mallacoota's Top Lake and Bottom Lake.

If you want a skipper who fishes, see our Mallacoota fishing charters guide. For fishing from your own or a hired boat, start with fishing in Mallacoota.

Book boat hire, charters and tours for Christmas and January as early as you can.