TRIP ITINERARY

Day One: Arrival in Hobart. Greeted at airport by a Gryphon and shuttled to our hotel. Meet for dinner as a group. Hotel Stay.

Day Two: A relaxing day in Hobart to get over jet lag and explore the city. Visit Salamanca with our Gryphon or wander on your own. At 4pm is the mandatory meeting with our river guides. Hotel Stay.

Day Three: An early 6am departure sets us off on our Franklin River Expedition. We aim to be at Collingwood bridge around 12:00 noon. 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. Camping.

Day Four: Today we will tackle the Log Jam, Nasty Notch, Descension Gorge and float calmly through the Irenabyss. We will camp just to either side of the river below the gorge. Camping.

Day Five-Six: Weather permitting we climb to Frenchmans Cap from our base camp at Irenabyss. We will enjoy the spectacular view from the top and possibly camp beside Lake Tahune, just below the summit. Depending on the weather conditions, we may also attempt to summit and return in one day. The two days allows us some flexibility to make the best of the conditions. Camping.

Day Seven: Back to rafting on the Upper Franklin. This is a long day, with some interesting paddling on the way. There will be numerous campsites to be found on this upper stretch of the river. Camping.

Day Eight: 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. Camping.

Day Nine: This day 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(1.2mi) paddle now from Mousehole to Rafter's Basin where we camp for the night. Camping.

Day Ten: Great Paddling! 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 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. Camping.

Day Eleven: We have made it to the Lower Franklin! Today is straightforward paddling to Blackman's Bend through the deep temperate rainforest of the lower river. This area was protected by the environmental protests of the early 1980's. Camping.

Day Twelve: On the way down the last section of the Franklin we will stop to explore the famous aboriginal cave, (Kutakina or "spirit") as well as passing by Double Falls, Big Fall and Verandah Cliffs. Our camp tonight is at Sir John Falls on the Gordon River, about 5 km downstream of the junction of the Gordon and Franklin. Camping.

Day Thirteen: The paddling is over as we transfer by yacht in the morning to Strahan. In Strahan we are met by our bus (or our Gryphon depending on client numbers) which will transfer us back east. Our goal today is to make it to Coles Bay, and Freycinet National Park, however due to weather conditions in the south-east we may end up staying in Hobart again tonight with a short drive up to Coles Bay in the morning. Hotel or Cottage.

Day Fourteen: Freycinet National Park. Today is a great day to relax and enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. However if you are still ready to go, you can explore the park on your own or accompany your Gryphon on a hike. Cottage.

Day Fifteen: Hike and explore in this gem of a park on your own or take a trip with your Gryphon to a wildlife park in Bicheno. Here you will get to see and photograph some of the weird and amazing wildlife that calls Tasmania home, including of course Tasmanian Devils. Cottage.

Day Sixteen: After a morning walk along the coast we make the trip back to Hobart and true civilization. Hotel.

Day Seventeen: A long day with some very different things to do. We get an early start, and after a short drive to Tahune we will explore an airwalk that takes us among the canopies of this unique forest. After lunch, time permitting, we will take an afternoon hike to Esperance Lake in Hartz Mountain National Park. We end our trip, finally returning to Hobart tonight. Hotel.

Day Eighteen: Shuttles to the airport and flights home.

What is Included:

All internal transport.
All accommodation for duration of trip.
All meals except where noted below.
All guide fees and tips.
Rental of all necessary rafting equipment.

What is Not Included:

Meals prior to dinner on the first night.
Admission to any shows or museums in Hobart.
Alcoholic beverages.
Lunch in Hobart on Day Two.
Lunch on Day Fifteen.
Meals following breakfast on Day Eighteen.
Tips for Gryphons if appropriate.

Price

$4,999 per person

Dates

All scheduled dates are currently full. Call or email us if you are interested in being on a waiting list ...