Rafting trips

A rafting trip along the Franklin is not about grade 6 rapids and high velocity thrills and spills.

It’s a wilderness trip first and foremost, a rare chance to soak in an unblemished landscape of pure natural beauty. So pure in fact that you can drink the tannin stained waters that carry you 125km towards your take out point on the Gordon River.

Our Domestic Product Manager Heidi Smith reveals her white-water top tips for the Franklin River Rafting section of the Great Tasmanian Traverse.

1. Bring a plastic cup with a handle – The water in the river is delicious. It is very easy for people to get dehydrated while rafting and it’s much easier to clip a cup with handle to the raft and use this rather then a water bottle!
2. Take a comfy seat – If you have a thermarest, invest in one of the ultralight (weight is always a consideration on this trip) sleeves or similar. It makes life on the pebbly beaches at camp each night much more comfortable.
3. Be mentally & physically prepared for highs and lows – Both in water levels, water temperature, physical endurance & energy levels.
4. Read up on the history – I admit I wasn’t aware of the immense history of the area, from the Aboriginal relics in the Kuti Kina caves to the significant role the river has played in both Tasmanian and Australian history.
5. Bring a distraction – Most days you reach camp at around 4pm and there are no shops or settlements anywhere nearby – you may wish to be absorbed by the amazing scenes that surround you each evening, or chill out and relax with a book, Sudoku, sketch pad,  crossword puzzle –whatever you’re into.