You don't need a licence to drive our houseboats but you do need to be at least 21 years of age. To ensure you have a wonderful time we explain navigation rules, brief you about the full operation of the vessel, and then take you for a short drive under supervision to make you feel comfortable before setting out on your own. No navigation experience or knowledge is needed. Clear instruction during your briefing will show you how to use the river maps provided and our vessels are fitted with navigation instruments to help you safely travel throughout the river. As you will rarely be more than several hundred metres from the riverbank, 'line-of-sight' navigation is simple and easy. Driving is easy with forward and reverse gears and a steering wheel. We provide our own operations manual to assist you during your charter. The Clarence River is one of the safest boating playgrounds in Australia. We make scheduled calls to you to establish your plans for the day and to confirm that you are safely anchored each night. Guests may contact us throughout the day by mobile phone.

Houseboating is a fantastic family holiday. Many charter groups comprise families with children. Please be aware that the lifejackets provided on our vessels are not suitable for babies or small children. We strongly recommend that you tell us in advance if you need small children's lifejackets so that we can ensure they're available when you arrive.

Our online booking page includes an availability calendar for each of our vessels, or you can call us on 02 6647 6638 to find out.

A full list of inclusions and what you need to bring is provided on each houseboat's individual page. The links from the 'Our boats' page give more details. In very general terms you will need to bring your own consumables, groceries and personal items (eg food, drinks, toilet paper, shampoo, medications etc) while we provide just about everything you'd expect in a comfortable home away from home (eg blankets, towels, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans.) We also sell ice and frozen bait. Both Coles and Woolworths will deliver your order to our premises but you should book your delivery window early to ensure your delivery matches closely with your arrival time. Be aware, when packing, that storage and hanging space is limited on all houseboats. You should bring casual clothing, only as much as you need, and choose soft bags in preference to suitcases.

All of our houseboats have at least one TV, DVD player, radio and CD player as well as a selection of board games, jigsaws and books. You should bring your own DVDs and CDs. Idyll Daze is fitted with USB connectivity for your phone or MP3 player. You can view the inclusions on each boat from the links on the 'Our boats' page.

For general enquiries by phone or email we're available between 9:00am and 5:00pm. If you want to drop in and talk to us or see the boats we encourage you to call us first to make sure we're available.

The general check in time, if no other arrangements have been put in place, is 1:00pm. We will attempt to contact you a few days before your hire to lock in an arrival time which may be earlier than 1:00pm. Most of the time it suits us to get you away as early as possible but we have to make sure your boat is ready and we try not to have more than one hire party on the jetty at the same time. You can check in later than 1:00pm if you like, but the houseboats can not travel after dark. If you are not loaded and ready to embark by 4:00pm you may be required to stay at the jetty overnight.

There's a couple of reasons. Firstly, hirers who can demonstrate, to our satisfaction, the necessary experience and skill to safely navigate beyond Browns Rocks may request and may be granted permission to travel to Yamba. However, you should not make a booking assuming that you will receive this permission. The reason we restrict most hires from going past Browns Rocks is because the river is difficult to navigate from that point. It has numerous shallow rocky areas and is subject to strong tidal flows. The houseboats are designed to be navigated in the calmer, more sheltered water upstream. It is simply too dangerous to allow an inexperienced skipper to go further. The main reason, however, is that our name describes our location in NSW and makes us easier to find. We were previously called Clarence River Houseboats, but, as wonderful as our river is, our research showed us that potential customers recognise and search for the towns more than the river. Yamba is a great place and has a multitude of accommodation options if that's where you want to holiday. However, we like to showcase the numerous beautiful and idyllic locations and experiences waiting to be explored further upstream.

The general cruising area includes almost 200km of waterways. Upstream (towards Grafton) you can go to Rogan's Bridge, about an hour past Grafton. Downstream (towards Yamba) general hires can only go as far as Browns Rocks, about an hour past Harwood. The river between Browns Rocks and Yamba is shallow, rocky and subject to strong tidal flows. It is not suitable for inexperienced skippers. If you can demonstrate the necessary maritime experience to safely navigate between Browns Rocks and Yamba you can ask for permission to travel further, however, you should not make a booking assuming that permission will be given. We provide maps on all of our boats and explain the cruising area during your briefing. Click here to view the cruising map which shows where you are allowed to go, and safe places to anchor. You should also be aware that under NSW Maritime Regulations the vessels are not permitted to travel after sunset or before dawn. They must be safely anchored during these times.

The on-board maps clearly mark the out of bounds areas and we explain them to hirers during the briefing. The out of bounds areas are dangerous for a variety of reasons (eg too shallow, objects in the water, unsafe for novices). Despite anything shown on our maps, hirers must obey all instructions from NSW Maritime authorities which may include temporary closures of certain areas that our maps show as available. The vessels are not permitted to travel after sunset or before dawn. During this time they must be securely anchored. The vessels are not permitted to be taken or secured to any jetties on the river except at the G2Y business premises. Our boats are fitted with GPS tracking and any hirer found to be in an out of bounds area or travelling when they should be anchored will forfeit their bond and will immediately be removed from the vessel.

Under NSW Maritime Regulations You are not permitted to bring on board pets, or any other animals firearms fireworks. You should also be aware that there is limited 240V power on all houseboats. You should not bring, or use on board, any non-essential electrical equipment such as gaming systems. In particular, you should NOT bring on board anything with a heating element - toaster, iron, hair dryer, coffee machine.

We don't allow pets on any of our houseboats, however, your pet can have a holiday of its own at Maclean Kennels & Cattery. To make an inquiry or booking call 0428 464 630 or email bookings@macleankennels.com.au ​

We provide free parking at the business premises for the duration of your holiday. This parking is NOT under cover.

Generally, all bookings commence at 1:00pm on the first day of hire and end at 10:00am on the last day of hire. Please note: we may, by prior agreement, let you commence your holiday earlier than 1:00pm, or return it later than 10:00am, if the vessel is available and we have sufficient time between bookings to clean it and conduct our routine maintenance checks; if you arrive at our premises later than 4:00pm you'll be able to board and occupy the vessel, but you may not be able to leave the jetty until the next day if we don't consider you have sufficient time to reach safe anchorage before dark; late returns without our prior agreement are subject to a late return charge which is detailed in the terms and conditions of hire.

We're only a phone call away if you have any problems. Simply call us as soon as you need help and we'll provide guidance over the phone or, if necessary, we'll come to you as soon as we can to assist. We also provide you with an after hours emergency number. It is a condition of hire that the hirer notify the manager as soon as possible if there is any malfunction of the boat, motor or accesories, or any loss or damage equipment occurs.

All of our vessels are insured, however, under the terms and conditions of hire, the hirer is responsible for damage and loss of equipment up to the value of the bond. Wilful or negligent damage is not covered. If a hirer is found to have not followed our briefing instructions it will cause the hirer to be held personally responsible for any damage to the houseboat and equipment.

We check the boat and record the engine hours. After the engine usage charge is finalised we clear your bond. You're welcome to pre-book your next G2Y Houseboats holiday so you don't miss out.