Franklin River Rafting & Frenchmans Cap 11-Day Expedition

Please note that a compulsory pre-departure briefing is held the day before the trip commences at 2pm, you will need to be in Launceston the day before the trip departs.

An early start today, we leave Launceston at 6.00am and drive to our put-in point at Collingwood Bridge. We aim to be there around 12:00 noon and here we will inflate and load our rafts. Before getting on the water the guides will provide a safety briefing and instruction in paddling the raft. Our destination this day is the junction of the Franklin and Collingwood rivers or downstream to the Aesthesia Ravine.

Today we will tackle the Log Jam, Nasty Notch, Descension Gorge and float calmly through the Irenabyss and camp just on the side of the river below the gorge.

Weather permitting we climb to Frenchman’s Cap from our base camp at Irenabyss. We will enjoy the spectacular view from the summit, looking out over the whole of South West Tasmania.  Depending on the weather conditions, we will attempt to summit and return in one day. The two days allows us some flexibility to make the best of the conditions.

This is a long day, with some interesting paddling on the way with numerous campsites to be found on this upper stretch of the river.

We reach the Great Ravine and the first major portage at the Churn. There are also some difficult sections along the river prior to reaching the Churn. We camp at Coruscades Camp within the Great Ravine.

Takes us to the Rafters Basin and out of the Great Ravine.  We paddle and portage through Coruscades, Livingstone’s Cut, Thunderush and the Cauldron to the Mousehole.  It is only a 2km paddle now from Mousehole to Rafter’s Basin where we camp for the night.

The Black Forest or Newlands Cascades is our destination, depending on weather.  If it’s raining, Newlands Cave is the place to be, and we camp under an impressive, large rock overhang.  Today’s we paddle through Propsting Gorge and some of the Franklins best rapids. After lunch, Newlands Cascades, the longest rapid on the river, will have to be negotiated en route to the campsite.

Straightforward paddling to Blackman’s Bend through the deep temperate rainforest of the lower river that was protected by the environmental protests of the early 1980’s.

Our camp tonight is at Sir John Falls on the Gordon River, about 5 km downstream of the junction of the Gordon and Franklin.  On the way down we will be passing by Double Falls, Big Fall and spectacular limestone Verandah Cliffs.

In Strahan we are met by our bus, which will transfer us back to Launceston. Arrival in Launceston may vary from late- afternoon to late evening. We usually have a group farewell dinner this evening.