Crossing Bathurst Narrows and New River Lagoon

[dplanet]

As you know there is one row boat crossing at Bathurst Narrows on Port Davey Track and another one at New River Lagoon on South Coast Track. I would like to know if it is a possibility that an alpacka raft can be used to cross those in reasonable weather conditions. Please use the link to see how the alpacka raft looks like:
https://www.alpackaraft.com/store/index ... &do=detail
Has someone tried it?

[Son of a Beach]

Wow... I wish I had one of those to better explore the Irenabyss! 2kg is not bad, but at approximately AUD$1200, I don't think I'd be able to justify the purchase for the amount I'd end up using it.

Not sure sure about the SC / Port Davey tracks though, which already have big strong boats there especially for the purpose. Seems like 2kg of weight in the pack that you could do without.

[sirius Tas]

Hi dplanet ,
Just wondering what the advantage would be considering the extra weight?? I've never been there...but to my knowledge there should be one boat on each side at both crossings...so requires 3 crossings to leave boats on each side. Would have thought that preferable than carting your own in???

[Mowser]

Hi,
The raft looks great but i honestly dont know why you would want it on the Port Davey or South Coast Tracks? At both crossings there is a boat either side. The boats at the narrows are rather heavy and i reckon by yourself they'd be an effort to launch and land but you'd manage. Having 2 people to move the boats is much better. If bad weather came in while you were crossing the narrows (as has happened to me, calm one minute, wild as blazes the next) in the Alpaca, i wouldn't like to be in the boat as i'd be greatly concerned about capsizing or being blown further into port davey. It is a rather wide crossing. I have met people who have arrived at the crossings to find both boats left on one side. That is bad Southwest Bushwalking etiquette. Luckily the people i met were able to hitch a ride across on a fishing boat at the narrows. If necessary you could swim across at NRL. NRL boats are little tinnies and no probs at all to move. In conclusion, considering the extra weight and the facts boats are already at the crossings, i would lean away from carrying the Alpaca on this walk. Would be very useful though if you wanted to shoot a river or two in some more inaccessible areas!

[sirius Tas]

Hi,
Mowser is spot on...though owning my own runner dinghy and using it in the Arthur River...without some sort of protection like a boat boot...which is a secondary nylon skin covering the main outer hull..it simply wouldn't last past the first scrape against rocks or protruding branches. These rafts are mainly for fishing platforms in calm water...simply not up to the task at Port Davy. With wind against tide down there...as is the case in Macquarie Harbour...you quickly get 1-2 m vertical waves with that raft no match in that situation. I would strongly urge you not take it. There should be heaps of walkers down that way this time of the year...so if boats too hard to handle on your own...just wait a tad until someone else comes.
Plus just think of the extra yummies you can take with out the extra weight....lots more useful. My thoughts only of course. Hope you have a great time anyway...take care hey. Cheers.

[lexharris]

Hi dplanet,

It all depends on the conditions at the time I guess. New River Lagoon is more sheltered and more shallow than Bathurst Narrows and you'd probably be OK in the raft even in poor conditions. Bathurst Narrows is more exposed and you can get a decent wind and a fair current ripping through there at times. I'd pick a calm day and wait for a slack tide ... The pictures below were all at the mildest time of the year, Feb/Mar.

[climberman]

Hi dplanet. I own an Alpacka, the dory (now superceded by the Fjord Explorer). It would do the crossing easily, it's only 200 odd metres. The other consideration is that as you have your own water transport, you can cross wherever you like, which may narrow down the required crossing length. The other folks' reasons for not carrying it are sensible though... if you already own a packraft, I'd plan a different sort of trip, try 40% walk and 60% raft, by distance. Or at least throw in a packraft 'leg' - raft from Melaleuca to the Port Davey Track !

IMO sirius Tas's concerns are from not understanding the alpacka, which is in a different league to most peoples' raft or float tube experience. They are NOT primarily calm water fishing platforms, they are wilderness transport units which have been used in up to Class IV whitewater (sure as hell not by me though !).

Roman Dial's link below of walking and rafting in Patagonia and New Zealand have me AMPED for this kind of trip. I am considering saving hard for a second raft, probably a YukonYack with sprayskirt, for my +1 for trips.

Some of the PAckrafting forum folks seem to be from or travel to Tas so you may get an answer from them too.

Here are some fun packraft links for you and other readers:

rafting the Denison and Gordon Rivers, Tas: http://www.alpackaraft.com/forums/viewt ... f=13&t=176
Tassie: http://www.alpackaraft.com/forums/viewt ... f=13&t=154
http://mediafeliz.com/index.html
http://www.aktrekking.com/beyondSpec/raft.html#alpacka
http://www.alpackaraft.com/forums/
http://mulvanyadventures.blogspot.com/2 ... ition.html
http://packrafting.blogspot.com/
http://www.alpackaraft.com/forums/viewt ... 423&hilit=

Jules

[climberman]

Another fun wilderness bike 'n' raft along the Lost Coast of Alaksa via Pugsly and Packraft.
http://lostcoastbike.blogspot.com/

[dplanet]

Nice photographs. Thanks for the info.

[climberman]

Some more pics, this time in Patagonia.

http://www.antofaya.com/galleries.html
http://www.digitalitis.com/cooking/v/200803Explorers/