White Water Rafting Australia
My last adventure trip to Australia is one that I will never forget. I went to the Tully River, which is what many Australians consider to be the most famous rafting adventure on the continent. The experience was action packed and filled with spills, thrills, and all kinds of fun that I will always remember.
Flickr Photo by melalouise
I chose the Tully River for my first white water rafting experience after I learned that thousands of people every year went to the river just for this purpose. The adventure lasted five hours and took place in the World Heritage Rainforest, a remote part of Australia still unspoiled by the developments of human society.
My day began after I was picked up at the hotel where I was staying. The rafting company I went with had luxury air conditioned coaches, which was helpful since it gets quite hot at this time of the year in the tropics. The drive to Tully was a scenic one, filled with clear rivers and streams, cloud covered mountains on the coast, and fields ripe with exotic fruits and sugar canes. Once we got to the Tully River, we listened to the guides who gave a good talk about safety, and I picked up my safety equipment, along with everyone else in my group. Everyone was excited and ready to get out on the water.
The white water rafting began soon enough, and it was an amazing experience. Some of the rapids I came across in my raft included the Stair Case, the Wet and Moisty, the Alarm Clock, and of course, the Theatre, which is one of the stars of the river when it comes to rafting. I heard from the guides that there are up to 45 rapids available for rafting on the river, but I think one would have to be a real trooper to get through more than a few of them without wanting to take a break of some sort.
I never knew how hungry a person could get while out on the river, but I found my answer soon enough. Fortunately, the guides were used to people getting cravings, and made plans ahead of time to feed everyone with a BBQ lunch by the river. This was opposite Ponytail Falls, and it was a blessed opportunity for me to recharge my batteries. I imagine others felt the same way, as there was lots of panting and sweating when we took that break. Besides that, after bouncing up and down in the boat for hours, it was great to just have a chance to sit down on dry land and wait for things to stop moving.
Once I had a full stomach and a satisfied mind, I got back on the boat with my cohort, and we went off to the remaining rapids of the day. There were even some brave souls who tried some of the more extreme options available on the Tully River, including rapid swimming, raft surfing, and rock jumping, basically things that make you wish you had health or travel insurance. These were done under the supervision of a trained guide, but they were still a little too much for me to handle, so I let them duke it out while I took my time on the river. At the end of the day, we packed up our rafts, changed clothes, and headed to the check out spot. It was amazing.
About the author: Dominic Godwinson, global finance and travel insurance expert and travel enthusiast. Dominic writes about various topics related to finances and travel.
