Water by Nature Tasmania, Franklin River Rafting

I took the 8-day full Franklin River rafting trip 22-28 Dec 2020. The guides who went with us were Klaudia, Ash and Max. This trip through such beautifully stunning and largely untouched wilderness is something that has long been on my bucket-list and the reality lived up to, and in some ways exceeded, expectations. However it is not a trip for the faint-hearted: paddling four of the eight days in cold wind and rain, battling gastroenteritis and a couple of the portages/”climb-rounds” were physically challenging. A level of physical and mental fitness was required and skills in wilderness back-packing were useful. At 66 years old (and feeling those years), I was able to cope and enjoy the trip, so age is not a barrier, but be aware there will be demands made of you. That said, even in the rain and cold (with the wetsuits and thermals provided), the scenery, flora and fauna were magnificent and rafting the rapids was exhilarating. When the sun came out, it became a journey through something like paradise, with adventure and comradery thrown in.

Communication with Water by Nature Tasmania was quick and clear and booking easy. The guides were well-trained and experienced, which showed in their navigation of the rapids. The decisions on which rapids to portage and which to run was clearly conservative and made with the safety and ability of the clients in mind. The instruction and ongoing encouragement/ training through the trip moulded the largely green crews into reasonably efficient teams. Having rafted the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, I started out thinking I would be a couple of strokes of the paddle ahead, but this type of rafting is very different with much less water and many more rocks and any advantage I may have had was soon overtaken. As leader of the trip, Klaudia was very prescriptive (necessarily so at times) in her instruction and rebuke, but, of the guides, she was the most well-versed in the history, botany, geology and biology of the area. Ash and Max brought a lot of fun and play to the trip without in any way allowing that to impinge on their professionalism on the raft. Some of the equipment (e.g. Tents) was rather old, but had been maintained so that in no way did this at any point Impact the safety and other equipment (e.g. Air mattresses) was new and remarkably comfortable. A highlight was the food. I never expected delicious and plentiful three course dinners every night in the wilderness! Breakfasts, lunch and snacks were equally tasty and generous. I am still amazed that Klaudia could spread so appetising and ample a table for fourteen people using only two fuel burners!

Fantastic trip along Franklin River, very capably lead by Brett and his team. The rafting adventure (140km in 6 days) was great fun and the surrounding pristine wilderness was spectacular. Highly recommended, this should be on everyone's bucket list.

Just been on a 7 day Franklin rafting trip with Water by Nature - an unforgettable experience. The water levels were high which made for an exciting trip through this beautiful wilderness. Our guides and the provided rafting equipment were all excellent.

As others have said, the quality of food was amazing and completely unexpected. Not many could keep a cheesecake intact after bouncing down Descension Gorge and the Great Ravine.

I just got back from a 7-day trip down the Franklin with Water by Nature. The short summary - it was AMAZING! The guides were super experienced and friendly, the rafting is just the BEST (We were lucky in that it had just rained a lot, making some of the rapids even more exciting), and the food.well. I didn't loose any weight (I don't eat this fancy living in town surrounded by good restaurants)! If you like rafting, or just being in remote wilderness, then you should definitely do this trip - you definitely
won't regret it!

A absolute once in a lifetime trip, one of the highlights of my travels and somewhere I am always trying to get back to. Brett and Klaudia do a fantastic job, unbeatable location and the food would make you forget you are deep in the wilderness. I have been lucky enough to go down the river with them twice and hoping to go again soon. I recommend the hike to Frenchman's cap if you get the opportunity.

This was an experience I'd been looking forward to for many years. It lived up to all expectations. The environment and its river is incomparable. Every time you pass through it (and for most of us it is once in a lifetime) it is a privilege. Action. Serenity. Physical demands. Fun! And in the hands of the Water by Nature crew, you know your tummy will be satisfied, you will learn loads and your safety will be number one. I went there to do a story for Wild magazine, and left deeply impressed. The guides were Amazonian women, all with a wicked sense of humour. In a family group, all the teenagers were specially cared for (and proved useful as youthful workhorses #smartthinking). Yes, I would do it again with WBN.

I have done 2 trips with Water by Nature and signed up for a 3rd trip bringing my extended family along. They are a fabulous truly local concern. They have incredible experience on the river and known it well in all it’s moods. I felt safe and was able to relax and enjoy the adventure. Added to that the gear is great, the food amazing. Can’t recommend them enough. Go for it. Grab yourself an adventure in Tassie’s amazing wilderness

I have now rafted the Franklin twice with Water by Nature - and I would do it again in a heart beat.
The first time, in 2017, was a large private group of family members. We spent 7 days on the river with Klaudia, Adrian and Blake. I was the youngest member on the water (apart from the guides) by about 50 years, so it is true that pretty much everyone can do it. Floating down stretches of beautiful gorges, dense rainforest, a fair share of small, medium and terrifyingly large rapids (don't worry, you walk around the really really big ones), witnessing some of the most beautiful Australian landscape I have ever seen. The guides are all a wealth of knowledge about the ecosystem and the river's remarkable history, including the famous Franklin dam campaign.
Camping by the river at night is peaceful and beautiful. Klaudia and team cook the most delicious meals each day, and breakfast, lunch, snack and aperitifs do not get sacrificed either. It's incredible how many goodies they can squeeze onto the rafts.
My second time on the river in 2019, with guides Klaudia, Jed and Scotty, was equally as memorable as the first - my mum and I joined a group of people on the river we didn't know to start with, but had formed solid friendships with by the end of the trip.
If you are thinking about the Franklin - go! You will not regret it. Both trips are the most fantastic things I have ever done. You will not see more spectacular scenery or have more fun in one week. It's the trip of a lifetime.

Hi,

since you’re reading reviews on "Rafting on the Franklin" you’re probably facing 3 questions
a) Is it worth it?
That’s easy: yes
There are things that are worth doing “if you’re in the area”, but this should be one of your reasons to come to Tasmania in the first place!
I agree it’s not cheap, but if you want to do some outdoor things, then this is money well spent.b) Will I be able to do it?
Well, sitting on the edge of a rubber raft for several hours is not really physically demanding as such … depending on the weather ;-). So if you’re fit enough to sleep in a tent and to move a paddle you should be (and feel) fine.c) Which company should I choose?
I cannot say that Water by Nature is “the best” company for this – simply because I haven’t done this tour with any other. What I *can* say is, that Water by Nature has more than ticked all my boxes (even those I didn’t know before), whether it’s safety, quality of equipment, communication, organization, preparation, DVD, fun, food (OMG – so delicious), customer care etc.etc.and made my trips such an wonderful and fulfilling adventure – really an experience of a lifetime (which is an expression I do not use carelessly!).
My special thanks to Dan, Jed, Jim, Brett, Esther and Klaudia

P. S.: I made 2 trips on the Franklin in Dec 19 (Upper) / Jan 20 (Lower)

Brilliant guides, gear, and service, exceptional food, absolutely stunning river adventure in any conditions.

Book it!
Hello everyone - I cannot express enough, how wonderful of an experience rafting on the Franklin River was with Water by Nature. The guides, the food, the FREAKING AMAZING RIVER, Tasmania - all of it was hands down spectacular. This trip is definitely not for the faint of heart and I highly recommend that you have a certain level of fitness, to truly maximize and enjoy the river - but the guides are spectacular and insanely knowledgeable about the river - so you are in good hands, if fitness and rough waters aren't your cup of tea. Prior to my trip, I had a medical issue while diving in Australia, which caused me to have waxing and waning vertigo - Klaudia, Scotty, Esther and Nick - were so accommodating, understanding, and ensured that I was always safe. THANK you guys! The food - its not what you would expect. The food was excellent, freshly made everyday, and copious in amounts. As for the river, its spiritual, elegant, and wild. Thank you Tasmania
All in all, the trip was a once in a lifetime experience and highly recommend it to everyone.

Just finished a 10 day trip on the Franklin with Water By Nature and it was wonderful. One of the most adventurous things I've done. The guides were great - Scotty knew the river incredibly well and Travis was such a positive and calm influence. We got really lucky with the weather, but the water level was low (0.75m at the put in) so we had less exciting rapids than some trips and a bit more paddling.
Brett and Klaudia (who I think are the owners) were great pre-trip, answering all my questions. I found Brett a bit dismissive of my concerns during the safety briefing before departure though. I would suggest they update the packing list and would definitely recommend a drink bottle that can be attached by carabiner to the raft. I'd also suggest a travel towel you can wrap around yourself for getting changed, a travel clothes line to hang under your tarp and water proof pants to keep your clothes dry at camp whilst walking between tarps and to toilets etc. Apart from that, the packing list was good.
The food was good and they catered for my dietary requirements very well except for on the boat on the Gordon.
The scenery and atmosphere were phenomenal and I loved hearing about the history of the protests and the area. We also saw a platypus, sea eagles and glow worms, which were cool.
This was a very wild and adventurous trip and not for the faint hearted, unfit, or those not use to roughing it. You need to be able to carry heavy loads on and off the rafts, which I naively hadn't expected. It was a wonderful trip though and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to know what the Tasmanian Wilderness is really like.

Great rafting experience. Chaps seem truly local and know the best spots on Franklin river. They had shown us secret beauty and hidden caves and waterfalls along the way. Strongly recommend.

Epic adventure in one of the most dramatic and wild places in Australia.

Exceptional guides with fantastic banter, amazing cooking, superb river skills and just bloody good humans.

A once in a lifetime opportunity!

High quality gear and service provided throughout the entire process.

This rafting trip was a true highlight. I had never rafted before, but the guides (Klaud and Sam) gave us clear, easy to follow instructions which enabled me to quickly get the hang of what to do.
The landscape was amazing - pristine temperate rain forest, rocks, the river itself with its rapids and pools - I couldn't get enough of it.
The guides made sure that I always felt safe, even when going down the rapids. I had a lot of fun. We got to do little side trips to look at canyons and water falls and caves.so much beautiful, untouched nature.
To my surprise, the food was really good. I ate better on the river than I eat at home! We camped in beautiful spots. One of the highlights of the trip was waking up in the middle of the night amongst fern trees that were lit up by countless glow worms.
The trip was so good that on the way home, as exhausted as I was, I immediately signed up for another rafting trip with Water by Nature)

It was very reassuring to have Brett leading our trip down the Franklin. He was the most senior and respected raft guide on the Franklin and with the unusually seriously high water we felt safe in his hands.
My raft was expertly guided by Esther. She had a calm authority that left me in no doubt that she had us covered. Whilst I can't deny I was super scared many times I knew that I could trust Esther entirely. I am keen to send my family on this trip and would seek Esther out to guide it. She is awesome.
We found ourselves stuck camping in the ravine for 4 nights waiting for the river to reduce to a safe level. Brett was a master at keeping spirits high and positive. He achieved this with food and treats. We ate constantly. The food was incredible. Fresh, varied, hot, plentiful and made from scratch. Amazing effort in pouring rain over a single burner.
The other guides were fabulous too. Guides Nick, Tim, Dan and Jed with us on the river and Klaudia back in Hobart providing weather updates and communicating with our families.
The Franklin river is incredible. Wild, unspoilt and so much water! On the first day of rafting I found myself in tears on several occasions, overwhelmed by the enormous beauty of it all.
This was not a trip for the faint hearted. It required reasonable fitness and a good deal of courage. But absolutely recommend! I will remember it forever and am so grateful that I did it with such a wonderful team.

If you want an adventure that disconnects you from this digital world, that pushes the boundaries of body, mind & sprit, then look no further.
The BEST multi day adventure in the world, but not for the faint hearted.

A great trip with Water by Nature down the mighty Franklin River. This trip has been on my bucket list for years and it certainly lived up to years of expectation. I loved every second and would not hesitate in recommending Brett and his team. Thanks for a great experience.

Our two trips down the Franklin with Water by Nature have been fantastic, we had no rafting or camping experience and all was amazing. Brett and the team looked after us from pre-booking and throughout the whole trip. Highly recommended if you want access to this amazing journey.

I have done Franklin River Rafting in Nov 2019. Thanks for an amazingly well-organized trip. Very friendly and experienced guides. Felt extremely safe in their hands. High quality equipment. Fantastic food options. Very well balanced agenda. They are really making an effort to make your holiday an amazing experience.