Organised by Western Paddlers NSW and Central West Trans and Gender Network, the event was for members of the LGBTQI+ community and supporters to catch up.

There was plenty of colour on display as participants took advantage of the spring weather, paddling along the Macquarie River from Sandy Beach to the boat ramp near Riverdale and back.

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"It was an opportunity for the community to get together, have a catch up and enjoy the day out paddling," Bron Powell said.

"Particularly with COVID, people can feel isolated, so now that we can get together again we thought it was a good idea.

"It's also just something different. It's not just a picnic, you can actually come along and try something you've never done. A lot of people had never paddled before or hadn't done it very often."

About 35 people took part in the paddle and Ms Powell said she hoped to make it an annual event, if not something that occurred more often.

Paddle with Pride was sponsored by Essential Energy and the Pride Foundation Australia. It was also supported by headspace, Wambangalang Environmental Education Centre and Rhino Promotions.

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