Water by Nature Tasmania, Franklin River Rafting

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 greatly enjoyed my 10-day full Franklin trip with guides Scotty and Ross and would highly recommend it to everyone.Amazing experience to spend 10 days out on the Franklin. It's a stunning environment and we had a lot of fun rafting through it. Did the trip in early February with a mix of weather - clear skies to start, a few days of rain, and finishing with high water and lots of sun. Even though high water and lots of rain lead to a couple of days in camp it was still an amazing trip.The guides were very professional, highly skilled and had no trouble adapting things to our different skill levels. Their cooking skills were also highly valued - with great three course meals every night.

My rafting trip on the Franklin River with Water by Nature was an incredible experience. Seven days in pristine wilderness, roughing it with a great bunch of fellow rafters and great guides, has left a lifetime of wonderful memories. It is definitely a challenging adventure, which made the accomplishment that much more memorable. The food was great and plentiful. I’m in awe of Brett’s catering and cooking skills, feeding multi-course meals to 15 people off a one-burner fuel stove. On night six we were still getting pan-seared scallops and stir-fried Korean beef.Make sure you read and understand what is involved and required by way of fitness. It is physically demanding, more so than I was expecting, especially the climbing over rocks and steep hillsides at the spots where the rafts need to be portaged. But everyone helps everyone else and we all got through with not much more than bruised egos. And it is by no means “glamping”. Conditions are basic, which is all part of the wilderness experience, and the camaraderie of the group sharing the adventure made it all worthwhile.

January 7-13, rafting Franklin river trip with guides - Klaudia, Don & Em.What an amazing experience it was! Awe-inspiring views, pristine river water, excellent guides and beautiful memories. Absolutely loved this trip, and I would highly recommend - this is a must for anyone who loves outdoor adventures. Water-by-Nature guides were extremely professional, knowledgeable, and also fun to be around :) We felt safe rafting under their guidance.

Incredible experience. I felt safe the whole time on the river thanks to the guides, led by Klaudia. We were well taken care of, including having every meal prepared for us. Great trip.

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!

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.

Finally rafted the Franklin River what an adventure.After visiting Tasmania and the lower Gordon in the late 70's with my family. marching in Sydney to stop the damming of the Franklin and finally getting to fulfill a dream of my dad's (just turned 80) and mine to raft the Franklin River.I researched and called all the tour operators and felt most comfortable with Water by Nature and what a great choice it was.We did the 7 day full river tour with a group of family and friends, if you are looking for a trip with adventure in the wilderness then this is a trip you cant miss out on. There are not many places where you can travel days and see no civilization what a bliss, and the food will blow you away (it is making my mouth water thinking about the meals) from prawns to sticky date pudding and many more delicious meals.The river is wild and at all times we felt safe in the hands of our guides. If you are thinking about doing the trip give Water by Nature a call you wont be disappointed.Don't forget your Go Pro if you have one, we got some great footage, if not don't worry as they supply you with a great DVD of your trip. Cant wait to get the time to go back again

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.

We had a fantastic trip. Klaudia, Nick and Jed were excellent hosts. The food was great, and we were looked after exceptionally well. Thanks!