Moree Boat Club rowers at Moree Water Ski Park ahead of the Outback Rowing Australia come-and-try weekend. Image: Sascha Estens
Rowing is not the first sport that springs to mind at Moree Water Ski Park, but this weekend, oars will be part of the picture.
Outback Rowing Australia will bring boats and equipment to Moree for a two-day come-and-try weekend on Saturday, July 4, 2026, and Sunday, July 5, 2026. The sessions will run from 9am to 1pm each day at Moree Water Ski Park.
About 40 people have already registered, a number local organisers say has impressed Outback Rowing Australia.
One of the Moree Boat Club founders and organisers, Sascha Estens, said the weekend was Moree’s first learn-to-row/back-to-row event.
“It’s a come-and-try for people that have never rowed before, but it’s also for a lot of us. I hadn’t rowed in 20 years until last year,” she said.
The weekend is aimed at high school ages and above, with Moree Boat Club rowers from last year helping new recruits. The club was founded by Sascha Estens and Kirsty Tomlinson.
Moree also has experienced coaches involved, including Chris Clyne and Peter Koster, who have represented Australia.
The event gives locals a chance to try a sport more often linked with city rivers, school rowing sheds and established clubs.
“For a long time, it’s been a sport for people away at boarding schools, and only boarding schools that have water,” Sascha said.
“We want to open it up to people that would never have this opportunity before.”
Moree’s place in the Outback Rowing circuit grew last year, when local rowers trained at Moree Water Ski Park before travelling west for racing.
“Seventeen people went from Moree last year,” Sascha said.
“We had 17 rowing in the races, and there’s not one person that went that’s not going to back up and do it again next year.”
The Moree group also came home with the ‘Best Bush Boat’ award.
This weekend’s program includes a meet-and-greet at Moree Golf Club, rowing at Moree Water Ski Park, and rowing machine races at the Moree v Narrabri rugby match.
Sascha said organisers hoped the rugby sideline would help draw in former players and others keen to try rowing.
Moree Plains Shire Council has contributed $4000 to the weekend through its events partnership program.
“Council is proud to contribute $4000 to the come-and-try day, and that’s part of our events partnership program,” Mayor Susannah Pearse said.
“That program is all about supporting ideas that our community members have to try new events and bring new things to town.”
Cr Pearse said the event was a chance for people to try something new at Moree Water Ski Park.
“I think it’s absolutely a terrific initiative,” she said.
The Moree Boat Club thanked Council for helping support the weekend.
The cost is $35 for people who are not Outback Rowing Australia members. Boats are provided by Outback Rowing Australia’s Bush Boat Bank.
Registrations are available at https://outbackrowing.com/events
