Reflections on whitewater rafting the Franklin River, Tasmania:
Paddling was the easy part - 'paddle left, paddle right, hold on, get down, bounce up and down a bit, lifting on 1 2 3!, GET DOWN GET DOWN HOLD ON GET DOWN aaaaaand back in your seats, good job team' on repeat in various combinations for 6 hours a day for 8 days
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I thought I would be better with heights
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Sleeping in a cave freaked me out
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My bladder is bigger than I thought
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Water pouring over rocks is the loveliest sound
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I am unable to make eye contact with a fogo bag or a bread clip for a while
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I found my comb at the bottom of my bag on the last day
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The time I spend faffing about with my face and hair in everyday life is wasted - photos of the trip show I looked pretty much the same without washing … I’m not sure yet how I feel about this. What is the point of the stuff in my bathroom cabinet?
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Cap + beanie combo is not fashionable but it works
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Drinking champagne as we drifted down the Franklin on the last day is a visceral experience that I will never ever forget. It makes me cry with joy just thinking about it
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Watching portages along and down terrifying rapids and then having to climb over boulders and bush bash in a wetsuit and life jacket and wet sneakers to the other side is a visceral experience I will never ever forget. It makes me cry with sheer terror just thinking about it. But I did it, and I carried my own paddle (most of the time)
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Having tiger snakes slither through areas we were planning to camp in didn’t make for restful sleeping
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… but being woken with a gentle nudge to have glow worms pointed out in the forested silence made up for a lot
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In total awe at the way the 25 & 23 yo guides managed, fed, maneuvered, medicated, manhandled and entertained 8 adults
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Playing with pebbles on the beach is excellent therapy
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A cold water swim fixes most things
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The Lea Tree retains its magic despite being so disfigured
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Sleeping under the star-spangled night sky and watching the darkness emerge like a protective shadow was humbling
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Being cared for and caring for each other, the river, the land, the sky - it seems so simple, out there
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Hard things teach us about ourselves. It’s not pretty. It’s not perfect. Growth never is, but the only way to grow is to get out of our comfort zone, which seems to grow bigger each day. We are sold the idea of moving away from discomfort, but this is where the rubber meets the road, and we find out what we are made of. Of course it depends what stage of our life we are in - if we are in the rapids there is enough going on. It is in the smooth still waters that some turbulence can help move us along
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Love is learning how to tarp together, even when others come past to check it out just for a laugh
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It was exhilarating, exhausting, exceptionally beautiful. A remote wonder that I will remember and feel forever. Truly magic. My head and heart have yet to land back on dry ground, though I appreciate not having to put on a wet wetsuit today :)
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If you can, do.
All the love and gratitude to Mitch and Max at Franklin River Rafting 🙏
With love,
Amanda xx
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