6 minute read
Packed to the rafters
rafters Packed to the
If you’re looking for a new type of outdoor adventure, Chris Crerar has a recommendation: packrafting. Be one of the first to packraft Down Under, right here in Tassie.
I’ve climbed in a pack raft for the first time when our guide Dan says that we “need to look out for hippos”. “But this is Tasmania, not Tanzania”, I think when he explains more about the “hippos” and why they’re hazardous.
“Sitting just below the surface are many large rocks, like a hippopotamus. You’ll need to spot and navigate around them, otherwise it will become a frustrating and exhausting trip,” he warns.
We all giggle nervously, relieved it’s not a large dangerous mammal we’re trying to avoid, dig our paddles into the Mersey River and set off downstream.
Our group of eight has travelled from Launceston through the countryside to the banks of the river near Mole Creek. Our head guide Dan, sporting a shock of scraggly blonde hair and a Guns N’ Roses T-shirt, leads us into the world of packrafting. He explains how these stable, yet manoeuvrable, inflatables are enabling exploration of wild rivers worldwide. Apparently great for beginners, they also put you in charge of your own destiny. I’m a little sceptical and more than a touch nervous.
We pack our gear into dry bags and then into the floats of the rafts, before working up a sweat inflating them.
I have signed up to ‘disappear’ for three days into the wilderness of the Alum Cliffs Gorge on an adventure that is Australia’s first guided multiday packrafting trip with Cradle Mountain Canyons. We’ll tackle easy to medium intensity rapids, camp deep in the gorge and use a plastic tube as a toilet – all firsts for most in our group of average-fitness ‘soft’ adventurers, aged between 27 and 65.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The views along the way are worth the effort; Be prepared to carry your weight on this tour; The rapids are full-on and fun for thrill seekers.
Ready to join a packrafting adventure?
Here are some tips to help you prepare:
1You don’t need to have tri-athletelevel fitness to join the trip, but some upper-body strength will help out.
2Hop onto YouTube and watch a few packrafting videos. It will give you a head start in what to expect and how to handle the boats.
3Buy a good waterproof case for your phone and/or camera. You will rue not having a way to record moments in the adventure to show friends and family.
4Bring some extra thermal clothing layers. The trips may be run during the warmer months (Nov–April), but this is Tasmania, and the Mersey River headwaters are high in the mountains.
Luckily for us, Dan and our second guide, Al, are not only passionate wilderness guides but also wonderful teachers. We learn paddling skills and the language of the river, with both cautious not to swamp us with information.
The gulf between theory and practice means I’m swamped by the river on numerous occasions, getting a little wetter and wiser each time.
We paddle through gentle rapids towards the towering escarpments of the gorge, sharing the river with platypus and swans, while black cockatoos soar overhead.
Before long the cliffs have closed in and are looming above us. We’ve passed the point of no return and it’s feeling a little like Journey to the Center of the Earth.
After four hours of paddling, we make camp on a bend in the river, at the entrance to the gorge. Over a simple pasta meal, Dan runs through what lies ahead, while Al broaches the delicate subject of using the “poo tube”. Childish jokes flow as freely as the river.
From the moment we begin paddling, day two is a different beast. River levels may be low, but roaring rapids still thunder off the gorge walls.
Adrenaline levels rise and stay high as we near each rapid. We learn very quickly whether
we’ve been listening to Dan’s instructions. Most of us spend the day in damp wetsuits. Everything happens at lightning speed on the rapid. Trying to remember our new skills while descending the churning mass of white water and avoiding rocks means we make mistakes and end up swimming.
None of our mistakes ultimately matters, as they’re dwarfed by the spectacular grandeur surrounding us. There’s talk in the group of it being a ‘Franklin River lite’ adventure and a marvellous introduction to rafting in a wilderness environment.
The gorge becomes our racehorse blinkers. It’s our entire world and focus while we’re deep in it. The only way out is to keep paddling.
We camp, literally, on the walls of the gorge. Rock platforms among the towering cliffs are just big enough for our tents and camp kitchen. Some of us swim in the river below, while others
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Moments of stillness between adrenaline-filled rafting; You’ll need to lean on fellow rafters throughout; Alum Cliffs Gorge is not short on breathtaking scenery; Delicious food is prepared and enjoyed in good company. relax and absorb the natural cathedral that’s home for the night. I sleep like I’m on a bed of feathers rather than a precarious rocky platform.
With paddling skills on the up, we head downstream and out of the gorge on our final day. In some sections, the cliff walls are only metres apart, while in others the gorge opens to reveal huge, jagged escarpments and room for welcome sunlight to reach the water.
At a broad section of the gorge, cliffs soaring above us, we stop, and Dan tells us about the pallittorre, whose traditional lands we’re passing through. Known to them as tulampanga, the gorge remains a sacred place, as it has been for millennia. We paddle on downstream in silent contemplation.
Nearing the end of our trip, Dan paddles past, jokingly calling me a “rock magnet” as I attempt to wriggle my raft off my umpteenth “hippo” landing. I’m definitely feeling a little frustrated and exhausted, but also exhilarated and inspired.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
Book now Feeling inspired to adventure into Alum Cliffs Gorge? Secure your spot at
