Each spring, Bron Powell returns to a vast inland wetland in north-west New South Wales, drawn by reeds taller than a person, restless bird colonies and the quiet pulse of water spreading across flat country. The Macquarie Marshes have become both her workplace and her teacher, a place where kayaking and conservation meet in practical and purposeful ways.
Bron first discovered the Marshes nineteen years ago after moving from the Blue Mountains to Dubbo. She had only vaguely heard of them. With almost no public access, she could glimpse little more than reeds from the roadside, yet even that partial view was enough to spark something deeper. She had always considered herself an environmentalist. Once kayaking entered her life, the connection felt inevitable. Through volunteering and later working with National Parks, she began exploring further, building knowledge season by season until guiding others through the wetlands became the natural next step.
The site was Ramsar-listed in 1986 for its international importance. In flood years, tens of thousands of Straw-necked Ibis nest shoulder to shoulder in extraordinary colonies. Spoonbills, egrets and herons join them. Migratory birds arrive from as far as Russia and Japan, while nomadic Australian species track water across the continent. Even outside major floods, Magpie Geese and Brolga breed here when conditions allow. It is a system that expands and contracts with rainfall, usually retaining a semi-permanent watery core, though the 2017 to 2019 drought pushed it to the brink.
More Information
https://www.macquariemarsheskayaktours.com.au/
https://healthyriversdubbo.com/
https://www.flow-mer.org.au/area-pages/macquarie-river-and-marshes
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