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This ten day adventure takes you the full navigable length of the Franklin
River, deep in the heart of Tasmania's Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Our journey includes a walk to the imposing Frenchmans Cap, the monarch
of the south west, as well as rafting through one of Tasmanias most
spectacular gorges.
Unpredictable river levels mean our trip will always be an adventure - it is possible to encounter
both very low levels and floods within days of each other. Whatever the level, rafts offer the best way to explore this unique wilderness.
Meeting Point
We meet the afternoon before Day One at 4.00pm at the Astor
Hotel, First Floor, 157 Macquarie Street, Hobart (03) 6234 6611.
This meeting is to issue and check gear. It is possible to initially meet
on Day One, by prior arrangement.
Time of Return
On the afternoon of Day Ten we expect to fly by seaplane to Strahan on
the west coast. From here our bus will return to Hobart by early evening.
Please note that very occasionally delays can be caused by extreme weather
conditions. We recommend catching the last flight out of Hobart on the
day after the trip.
Grade and Fitness
Adventurous - A reasonable level of fitness is important and should increase your enjoyment of this
trip. The Frenchmans Cap walk involves an ascent and descent of more than 1000 metres. In addition there will be some
portages which require us to carry rafts and equipment around certain rapids. You should feel confident swimming
with a buoyancy vest should you fall out or the raft capsize. Rapids vary from Grade One to Grade Six though
most are Grade Two or Three. The most difficult level run on most trips is Grade Four and it is possible to
walk around many of these rapids should you choose.
Itinerary
This is a guide only and may alter with river levels.
Day 1
We depart at 7am from the Astor Hotel. We follow the Derwent River then
climb into the central highlands passing Lake St. Clair before descending
to the Collingwood River, a tributary of the Franklin. Here your guides
will load the rafts and give a safety briefing. The day is spent mastering
the rafts and enjoying easy rapids leading down to our evenings camp
at the junction with the Franklin proper. A short climb can take us
to Donaghy's Hill for panoramic views down the Franklin River and across
to Frenchmans Cap.
Day 2
An early start sees us traversing the first of the Franklin's gorges,
Aesthesia Ravine. After tackling the Log Jam and Nasty Notch portages,
we rocket through the rapids of Descension Gorge before arriving at
the beautiful 'Irenabyss' or chasm of peace, our base for the next two
nights.
Day 3
Today we scale the Cap. In fine weather we'll have views that encompass
the entire south west World Heritage Area, including the rapids of the
Franklin sparkling below. If the weather is poor or you choose not to
climb the Cap, there are a number of lower level walks nearby that offer
a different perspective of the river.
Day 4
Today it's straight back into the action. Dozens of rapids, interspersed
with quiet reaches, lead us past Mt. Fincham, the Jericho Walls and
the Crankle and onto our campsite at the base of the Engineer Range.
Here we relax under a canopy of towering sassafras and myrtle trees
and may go swimming.
Day 5
A spectacular day that brings us to the awesome Great Ravine, one of
Tasmanias deepest gorges. First we'll tackle the Side Slip rapid before
coming to the Churn. Teamwork and tenacity will be required to portage
at least part of this huge obstruction in the river. Soon after we'll
arrive at our camp for a well earned rest on the banks of Serenity Sound
deep in the Ravine.
Day 6
We'll use all of our well practised rafting skills to negotiate the
Coruscades, one of the longest rapids on the river. A short float takes
us through to our next portage at Thunderush, then its on to the last
obstacle, the Cauldron. Our expert guides will ensure that we pass these
awesome rapids safely and efficiently. Our final camp at Rafters Basin
is a great place to relax after the achievements of the day.
Day 7
Today we head into Propsting Gorge and arrive at the Mt. McCall Track,
where our resupplies await. Those people only taking part in the Upper
Franklin section of the tour will leave us here, others may join for
the Lower Franklin section. After repacking the rafts we continue through
the exciting Trojans rapids before arriving at Rock Island Bend and
the Pig Trough, with its delightful waterfall cascading into a fernlined
grotto. Safety dictates that we portage the actual Pig Trough rapid
before we round the bend to tackle the famous Newland Cascades. This
section will have everyone whooping with delight as we plunge through
a maelstrom of spray and whitewater. At rapids-end is a place for a
deserved break. On the bank, natural overhangs provide the ideal shelter.
Echoing cliffs and plumes of spray add to the magnificent setting. We
sometimes spend a day here.
Day 8
The river abruptly leaves the quartzite gorges of the Middle Franklin and enters the limestone country of the lower reaches. Tranquil pools are broken by the occasional large rapid - 'Little Fall' is a great spot for action photography! Slowly the river increases in volume. The Jane River enters from the left just above our midday break on Flat Island, a beach of polished river stone dominated by the impressive Elliot range.
We then continue to our evenings camp under a canopy of ancient trees
by the deep pool at Blackmans Bend. We may be lucky enough to get a
visit from the local platypus.
Day 9
The thick rainforest which clings to the river banks is punctuated by
limestone cliffs and strange rock formations. The river widens and now
flows quietly. There is time to reflect; to conjure up visions of Aboriginal
peoples hunting the Ice Age plains in the days before the forest spread
to claim the open country. Today we will carefully show you some of
the unique limestone caves which sheltered these people some 14,000
year ago.
Later in the day we will tackle the unexpected 'Double Fall' before making our final camp, perhaps on one of the lower river's many sandy beaches.
Day 10
Almost immediately we encounter the last step down in the rivers bedrock, 'Big Fall'. It's a deceptive rapid which we portage easily and quickly. Around the corner is the gaping Pengana Cave, a towering vault in the cliffs. We enjoy our last lunch near the junction of the Franklin and Gordon Rivers.
Our final few hours are spent drifting along this mighty river, carried along by the huge volume of water that makes the Gordon Tasmania's largest waterway. Soon we reach the picturesque Sir John Falls where our 'Wilderness Air' seaplane will meet us for the return flight over Macquarie Harbour to Strahan on the west coast. A bus trip back to Hobart completes our journey.
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