Travelling Post 42 - Rafting that white water

Its been 8 or so years since I last went rafting, and that was in Austria. On Thursday of last week I rectified this time gap and went rafting on the Tully River in Northern Queensland. Reputed to be the best spot in Australia for rafting, it was a must do activity on my East Coast tour. My memory of rafting 8 years ago is obviously a little hazy but I don't remember it being that much fun, I also remember it being much harder. There was some stopping and starting in the morning but post lunch we really got going, the main problem of the day was the sheer busyness of the river. The company I was with had around 9 boats on the river so it was a bit cluttered, aside from that it was a great day.

The day started off with a bit of a worry, with me slightly concerned the 7 crew members of the boat would accidentally cause each other severe head injuries and concussion throughout the day. On our first rapid a former US Navy officer lurched forward as a young English girl fell backwards and their heads collided. More accurately the Navy officers cheek collided with the girls helmet and left a nice 'u' shaped gash on his face and a blood soaked life jacket. Oh the perils of rafting, but fear not worried readers I was left unharmed throughout the day, much to the chagrin of our guide who constantly tried to tip us all into the water but failed miserably.

The most amusing part of the day was the names of the rapids, but as my parents are reading this I shan't go into that, lets just say you can tell it is a male dominated sport.

Of the week I'd been on the East Coast by that point it was the best day so far and all I can say is bring on more rafting when I get to New Zealand (and Wales when I return home.)

Next Stop: Magnetic Island (which I've already done I just have to post about.)