Barefoot Boats

19/06/2026

🎉 We’re so proud to share that Barefoot Boats has been named a finalist in the Regional Tourism Awards for the 2ND year in a row!

For our little family-run business on the Manning River, this is a pretty special moment. We’re just locals who love where we live and enjoy sharing it.

Your own boat, your own crew, and the Manning River at your pace.

To everyone who’s jumped on board with us, thank you. Your support and adventures are what got us here.

Here’s to more barefoot days on the river.

NSW Tourism Association

Hire one of our pontoon boats for a half-day or full-day hire. Enjoy cruising the Manning River, fishing, swimming, and cooking delicious food.

10/04/2026

🚤 Want to know where to go on the Manning River? We’ve got you.
Justin’s brand‑new self‑guided Manning River tour is now available with every Barefoot Boats hire 📖🎧
After growing up on this river and spending a lifetime exploring it, he’s pulled together the stories, spots, and must‑sees he’s always asked about at the jetty — now as an easy audio or book guide you can enjoy while you’re out on the water.
Hire a boat. Hit play. Drift, explore, and see the river through a local’s eyes 🌊
👉 Book your boat here: https://barefootboats.com.au

05/04/2026

Justin’s officially launched his self‑guided tour of the Manning River — and this one’s really close to his heart. He’s been on this river system since he was a little kid, growing up here in the Old Bar, Manning Point and Harrington area, spending countless hours on the water and hearing the stories of the river told and retold over the years.
If you’ve ever hired a boat, you’ll know he’s always being asked: Where should we go? What should we look out for? What’s worth seeing? This is his way of answering that — and sharing what he knows and loves about the river with others.
The tour is available as a book or an audio series you can read or listen to while you’re out on the water with Barefoot Boats. It’s full of local stories, history, special spots, and insights you’d normally only get through a chat at the jetty or after years on the river.
He’s genuinely excited to finally share this with everyone who hires a boat — whether you’re visiting for the first time or a local who thinks they know the river already. Drift along, hit play, and see the Manning through his eyes 🌊
Such a great way to experience a place he’s been connected to his whole life.

03/04/2026

Easter on the Manning River, Hell yeah!

14/03/2026

Goose ✔️
Maverick ✔️
Iceman… on the way ❄️
You can take the man out of the Navy, but not the Navy out of the man.
Justin wants a fleet.
Mary is freaking out.
Follow for updates 🚤😂

03/03/2026

❤️💛 Red & Yellow Day 💛❤️
At Barefoot Boats, the red and yellow truly run in the family ❤️💛
Justin proudly volunteers with Surf Life Saving, and most weekends you’ll find him at Crowdy Head Nippers, helping keep our kids safe, confident, and growing a love for the ocean — and for giving back to their community.
This one’s especially close to home. Charlotte — our incredible lead deck hand — is one of those Nippers herself. Over the Christmas period, we celebrated Charlotte’s strong work ethic, leadership, and calm confidence on the boats — and we proudly attribute a big part of that to her participation in Surf Life Saving.
Nippers teaches responsibility, teamwork, resilience, and looking out for others — skills that don’t stop at the beach. We see them every day on the river.
Surf Life Saving is about more than patrols. It’s about shaping capable, community‑minded young people and growing the next generation of surf life savers. Today, we’re proud to celebrate the volunteers, the Nippers, and the families who keep the red and yellow strong ❤️💛

11/02/2026

30/01/2026

Beat the rush, save some cash — off‑peak rates kick in today and run until Easter school holidays. Perfect for locals’ days out!

Hire one of our pontoon boats for a half-day or full-day hire. Enjoy cruising the Manning River, fishing, swimming, and cooking delicious food.