Franklin River Day 7 – Brook of Inveraestra to Corruscades

We had a later start than usual from the Brook of Inveraestra, finally setting off at 10:00am.  We scouted the two-step rapid near the camp site which turned out to be good fun and an easy rapid; it had looked a little difficult the evening before.

Some of us shot this rapid, while others lined their boats through the smaller channel at the side, due to concerns about shallow rocks

During the day a number of rapids were shot by us all.  As we had different skill levels and confidence levels, some rapids were lined by a few individuals while others paddled through.

Nik negotiating the Side Slip rapid (photo David Tasker)

It was a long day, largely due to the huge portage that was required at The Churn – a rapid which started with the water swirling through a narrow gap in the rocks and was too dangerous to raft.  We pulled our boats up on the bank and unloaded them.  Following a good one hour lunch we commenced the portage along a well defined but very steep track that Sean had identified.

We found this plaque commemorating the 1959 visit of the first 4 Franklin canoeists near The Churn portage track on a now fallen and rotting tree trunk (photo David Tasker)

This portage was long and was so steep that it required the use of a permanently fixed rope at the downstream end where it descended to the river after winding through the rain forest for some distance.  The track was obvious although rough and steep.  We had to completely deflate and pack up all of the rafts for the first time on this expedition.

The Churn portage descent

In all, it took us 3 hours to complete the portage, which was closely observed by a resident quoll who ran out onto the track to check up on us occasionally.  It was a hot day, and we were exhausted by the time all the rafts and gear had been carried over the hill, through the forest, and back down to the river again.  We were all glad to eventually get wet and cool again.

During the course of the day we lost one paddle which was recovered just downstream, one cup and one glove.  At the end of the afternoon we had to paddle through Serenity Sound – a long quiet flat stretch of the river just before the Corruscades rapid where our next camp site was located.  As we approached the end of Serenity Sound and I approached the camp site, Jamie turned his raft to look at something floating in the water.  He discovered that it was David’s glove that had been lost above The Churn before lunch!

Most of us had a swim or a wash in the waters of Serenity Sound below our camp site, taking advantage of the hot summer weather which we knew was unlikely to last for long in South West Tasmania.

Gentlemen bathing near the Corruscades camp site (photo David Tasker)

The Corruscades camp site was excellent, with plenty of room for all our tents as well as a good area for everyone to use for cooking and relaxing.  After dinner I offered everyone a choice of a Cherry Ripe or Turkish Delight chocolate bar.  Jamie also shared around some fantastic d’Anvers chocolate fudge.  It was a great evening for the chocoholics.

Relaxing at the Corruscades camp site

When I got up for a call of nature during the night, I saw glow worms under the cliff behind the tree ferns, which complemented the clear stars visible through the canopy of trees above.

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