When you go out there you don’t get away from it all, you get back to it all. You come home to what’s important. You come home to yourself.
Peter Dombrovskis, Tasmanian Wilderness Photographer
Trip Notes
Click to see detailed trip notes of our different Franklin River Rafting Tours.
Wilderness
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. On Franklin River Rafting tours 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.
Imagine first light,
as morning mists lift silently past jagged quartzite peaks.
As craggy fingers of pine stretch skyward,
the pure sparkling water cuts a rushing path through the verdant banks.
Breathe some of the cleanest air in the world.
Image by W. Glowacki
Eco-tourism
We are fortunate that the Franklin River runs with pure drinkable water and we do our utmost to ensure this continues. “Take nothing but pictures , leave nothing but footprints”
Tasmanian produce is purchased fresh where possible and in bulk to reduce packaging and “food kilometers”. Recyclable material is separated prior to and during the trip and processed in Hobart. Liquid fuel stoves are used for our cooking needs and a group of up to 10 people consume less than 1 litre of fuel a day whilst on the river. On our Franklin River Rafting ™ expeditions we do not light campfires as they can consume rare driftwood, scar the ground, crack rocks, may start bush fires (including igniting peat) are inefficient and can produce a large amount of smoke. We use minimal amounts of soaps, detergents and toothpaste. We have a clean and efficient toilet system to ensure we leave very little behind.
If you would like to discuss any of this in more detail please CONTACT or call us on 1800-1111-42 anytime.
Paddling
Each expedition normally uses two rafts each paddled by a guide and a crew of two to five, with a maximum of ten people per departure. We have a selection of modern self-bailing rafts including the largest, most comfortable and safest boats on the river. You are issued a Watershed dry bag, the only truly dry dry-bags see www.drybags.com (approx. 70 litre) to store your personal clothing and sleeping bag.
Unpredictable river levels mean your Franklin River rafting trip will always be an adventure – it is possible to encounter both very low levels and floods within days of each other. Water levels often rise 3 meters and occasionally up to 5 meters 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. Each trip has a spare day built in to cope with possible delays. Whatever the level, rafts offer the best way to explore this unique wilderness.
Much of the Franklin is a drop-pool river, so should you fall in there is normally time to get back into the raft before the next rapid. Some rapids require portaging, however, we have developed safe and efficient methods of negotiating them.
View our trip map.
Guides
Our guides are professionals, with a great passion for the Franklin River, chosen for their local knowledge, white water rafting and cooking skills. They look forward to helping you get the most from your holiday. Your safety, comfort and enjoyment are our priorities. We go to great lengths to provide a varied and interesting menu using fresh Tasmanian produce. Please advise us on the online booking form if you have any dietary requirements.
Our senior guide Brett has been guiding whitewater rafting trips on the Franklin River since 1987 for Wildtrek and Peregrine.
Camping
We use spacious flysheets as camp shelters and have found they work very well in this normally serene environment. Most of our camps have secluded satellite options and several are under large dry overhangs with spectacular outlooks. You are welcome to bring your own small tent if you wish. We usually bring tents for extra protection especially on wet trips. We provide comfortable air mattresses with pillows and closed cell foam mats for insulation, you may bring a Thermarest. Insects are not usually a problem. We expect to begin each day’s rafting at around 9.00am, have lunch by the river around midday, and aim to finish at about 4.00pm. This gives us time to take a swim, explore the river environs or to just relax.
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 gear list provided.
Climate – during the summer months (December to March) the daily maximum temperature ranges between 17°C and 30°C. Climate Chart for Hobart – 10 metres above sea level
| Month | Max. – Min. Daily Temp. | Month | Max. – Min. Daily Temp. |
| January | 23 – 11 | July | 11 – 5 |
| February | 23 – 11 | August | 12 – 4 |
| March | 21 – 9 | September | 14 – 5 |
| April | 17 – 8 | October | 17 – 7 |
| May | 13 – 6 | November | 18 – 8 |
| June | 11 – 6 | December | 21 – 10 |
For more detailed and current weather information check the Bureau of Meteorology page.
Videos Franklin River Rafting Tours
Experience the Franklin River shows some of our favourite footage from 2015/16 – at Tasmania, Australia. Watch video on youtube
A few snippets of the many good times rafting the Franklin River in the years 2014/15 – at Tasmania, Australia.
View video on youtube: Water by Nature Trailer 2015 Franklin River Rafting-HD (3:33 mins)
Some highlights of our first trip of the season, 7-Day Full Franklin River, Oct 5-11 2014.
View video on youtube: BEST OF FRANKLIN RIVER RAFTING TRIP 2014 Oct 5-11 (3:12 mins)