Drysdale Pack Rafting
EXPERIENCES / KIMBERLEY
Drysdale Pack Rafting
Overview
We begin with a charter flight to Drysdale Station. From there, we make our way to the Drydale River and begin navigating downstream in Alpacka Rafts.
We spend the next 14 days exploring the Drysdale river on the rafts, paddling about 20km per day. We will come upon serene billabongs teaming with wildlife, play and swim from sandy beaches and experience the tranquil beauty of the area as we move through the paper bark forests.
We will also have fun in easy class 1 and class 2 rapids. Sometimes, we may also need to portage our rafts around the more uncompromising difficult rapids. Each night we will set up camp by the river, some of you may like to contribute to dinner by catching a fish or just to relax and take in your surroundings.
The third week will take us to Solea Falls. We will reach Solea Falls in ultra light mode, taking only the essentials for these few days of paddling. The return to the main camp will be on foot along the rapids and by raft on the long pools. This part of the National Park is very different from what we will have seen during the first two weeks. The landscape is more rugged, more mysterious, more “cultural” with many rock art sites.
On the final day, on Saturday 6 April, we will be picked up by a float plane for our return trip to Kununurra.
Last chance. Heavy rain forced us to put back the departure by a week to 24 March. We can add an extra 2 or 3 but not one as the flight costs for one extra would make the trip run at a loss.
KIMBERLEY
March
24 - April
13 2024
This trip is being run by "No Traces Bushwalking" owned and operated by Sébastien Heritier, one of our guides who also runs his own business. This is the only company to offer pack rafting on the Drysdale River.
Drysdale River National Park is one of the least accessible national parks in Australia. There are no public roads, no airstrips and no tracks so it is a really appealing environment for the No Traces philosophy. The park is located in the North West corner of the remote West Kimberley.
The Drysdale River flows through a pristine landscape forgotten by the modern world. This is the kingdom of nature.
The Park showcases vast tracts of Kimberley wilderness, and features open woodland, gorges, cliffs, waterfalls and the creeks of the Drysdale River.
Over 600 species of plants are known to exist within the park. About 30 of these are aquatic and swamp varieties. A variety of fauna also exist within the park including 100 species of birds, wallabies, bats, sugar gliders and saltwater crocodiles. The river is a succession of large lazy pools linked by long rapids.
Hidden in space and time are the hypnotic Gwion Gwion figures, an ancient Aboriginal painting style describing a mysterious time of dancing and ceremonies.
We use Alpacka Rafts. These rafts have been selected for the expedition because they are lightweight and durable, ideal for the conditions we will encounter. The preferred models Sebastien has nominated are the Wolverine and the Narwhal single rafts which allow you to store all the gear in dry bags that are stowed inside tubes on the raft.
Thus, our gear will stay dry and the rafts will not be congested. We can also offer double rafts on demand.
We will spend the next 14 days exploring the Drysdale river on the rafts, paddling about 20 km per day.
We will come upon serene billabongs teaming with wildlife, play and swim from sandy beaches and experience the tranquil beauty of the area as we move through the paper bark forests. We will also have fun in easy class 1 and class 2 rapids.
Sometimes, we may also need to portage our rafts around the more uncompromising difficult rapids. Each night we will set up camp by the river, some of you may like to contribute to dinner by catching a fish or just to relax and take in your surroundings.
The third week will take us to Solea Falls. We will get there in ultra light mode, taking only the essentials for these few days of paddling. The return to the main camp will be on foot along the rapids and by raft on the long pools.
This part of the National Park is very different from what we will have seen during the first two weeks. The landscape is more rugged, more mysterious, more “cultural”. We will take the opportunity to admire some very ancient rock paintings sites which alone would deserve this entire place in the world to be classified on the UNESCO list as a world heritage site for humanity.
For this part of the trip, you will need a small backpack.On the final day, we will be picked up by the float plane for our return trip to Kununurra.
Details
DATES
17 March - 6 April
PRICES
Full price: A$7895
Early bird (pay by 16 Dec 2023): A$7105
Willis's Walkabouts other discounts do not apply to this trip.
GROUP SIZE
4 - 12 guests
CAMP SITE
We expect most to be on sandy beaches. You are very unlikely to see anyone else at any of the campsites.
ART
The Drysdale area has an incredible variety of Aboriginal rock art.
SWIMMING
Many opportunities for swimming each day.
WILDLIFE
You see a variety of birds along the river and have a good chance of spotting freshwater crocodiles. If you take your time, there are lots of small creatures to observe.
CLIMATE
Average daytime max 33-34ºC, average nighttime min 19-22ºC. It has, however, been known to go as high as 39ºC and drop as low as 9ºC. It is likely to be fairly humid but substantially less so than the peak of the wet season. There is a good chance you will get some rain, very little chance that it will last for too long.
FIRE
We will light a small cooking fire in the morning for boiling water and in the evening to boil water and prepare the evening meal.
TRIP RATING - HARD
Terrain
On the river, class 1 & 2 rapids. Some portages. No major climbs on the portages.
Vegetation
Can vary from year to year depending on when last burnt so we can't be sure what we will find on the portages. The camp sites will not have much vegetation.
Distance
About 20 km per day.
Pack Weight
The rafts carry everything but you will need to carry the rafts and gear on a few portages.
Itinerary
*This itinerary is subject to change
This tour must be booked through the No Traces Bushwalking website
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