Tours

ITINERARIES:-

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5 Day Trip
7 Day Trip
10 Day Trip

From its headwaters in the alpine lakes of the Cheyne Range until its confluence with the Gordon River some 130 km later, the Franklin River flows through a wilderness national park. You will see no dams, buildings or cars; in fact there is no permanent human habitation in its catchment.

The banks are lined by temperate rainforest punctuated by rock formations and small beaches, while the air is some of the cleanest in the world.

Water levels often rise 3 metres and occasionally up to 5 metres in 6 hours, we usually have plenty of warning when this is going to occur. The river level can also drop quickly, we may wait for this to happen, depending on the section we intend to run.

Our Environmental Policy

Water by Nature continually strives to minimise the impact our tours have on the special and fragile places we visit. On the Franklin we do not light campfires because the soil is so 'peaty' it may itself ignite. Portable stoves are used for our cooking needs. We carry portable toilets on the river to ensure we leave nothing behind!

Finally, we are fortunate that the Franklin runs with pure drinkable water and we do our utmost to ensure this continues.

Guides

Our guides are professionals, chosen for their local knowledge, rafting and cooking skills. They look forward to helping you get the most from your holiday. Your safety, comfort and enjoyment are our priority.

Camping

We prefer to use tarpaulins (flysheets) as camp shelters, as we find that in many instances adequate tent sites are difficult to come by, due to the density of the forest and general steepness of terrain. It is however possible to bring your own small tent if you wish. We provide comfortable air mattresses, you may bring a thermarest or closed cell foam mat as well. Insects are not usually a problem.

We expect to begin each days rafting at around 9.00am, have lunch by the river around midday, and aim to finish at about 3.00pm. This gives us time to take a swin, explore the river environs or just to relax.

Our guides take pride in their cooking skills and go to great lengths to provide a varied and interesting menu using fresh produce. Please advise us if you have any dietary requirements.

Weather

Often warm and sunny, however rain and cold conditions both on and off the river may be encountered, and nights are usually cool.

Much of the Franklin catchment receives in excess of 2500mm precipitation annually. It can snow on the peaks even in summer however, it is generally protected and comfortable in the river valley. For your comfort please follow the equipment list provided.


	Affiliated to Water by Nature (International)