Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

The Franklin and Gordon rivers run through some of the least accessible country in Australia, cutting gorges through quartzite and limestone in temperate rainforest. A plan of the early 1980s to dam the Franklin for hydroelectricity was stopped, and the river still runs free. The river remains undammed. Rafting the Franklin takes seven to fourteen days through serious whitewater and is one of the more demanding wilderness trips in the country. For everyone else, the Lyell Highway crosses the park with short walks at Donaghys Hill, Nelson Falls and the Franklin River nature trail.

History

The park grew out of the earlier Frenchmans Cap National Park, with protection dating back to 1908, and it now covers about 4,460 square kilometres. It was inscribed in 1982 as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, for cultural as well as natural values. The dam that would have flooded the Franklin was part of the state hydro-electric authority's plans and had the state government's backing; the Tasmanian Wilderness Society, led by Bob Brown, turned it into a national issue (Wikipedia, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park).

The landscape

• The Franklin River - an undammed river running through rainforest gorges.
• Donaghys Hill - a short climb to a view over the Franklin and Frenchmans Cap.
• Nelson Falls - a fall reached by a short boardwalk from the highway.
• The rainforest - myrtle, sassafras and horizontal scrub along the roadside walks.

When to go

November to April for walking and rafting; the west coast is wet in any season and rain should be expected. Rafting trips run in summer only and require experience or a commercial operator. Winter brings snow to the highway.

Practical notes

Most of the park is inaccessible without a serious expedition. Rafting the Franklin is expensive, physically demanding and genuinely risky. The roadside walks are short and give only a glimpse. Rainfall here is among the highest in Australia.

Nearby

Queenstown lies west; Lake St Clair and Derwent Bridge are east.

Key facts