Tour details

DRYSDALE RIVER NATIONAL PARK

Start: Kununurra.

Finish: Kununurra

Duration: 14 days

The expedition starts early on Sunday 26 March 2023. We will meet the  planes at Kununurra for our flight up to the Drysdale River station. Drysdale river station is next to the Drysdale river on Kalumburru Road.

Once we have landed, we will load and inflate the rafts.

We will use single rafts but we can also offer double rafts on request. If you have your own packraft, you are welcome to bring it along. Please advise me early, so that I can make the necessary changes.

We will be using Alpacka rafts that were designed and manufactured in Alaska and Colorado since 2000. These rafts are made from the most lightweight and durable materials available and are recognised as the benchmark in adventure rafting. They allow you to store all your gear in the inside tubes of the boat, so you will only need to have the gear you need for the day available. You will not need to carry at the end of the rafting, because we will be walking a circuit and can pick them up on our return.

All food and supplies will be taken with us in the plane and the rafts, there is no food drop.

We will paddle the Drysdale for 14 days.  I plan to leave camp at 7 am each morning. Our day will start early to avoid paddling in the heat of the day. We will set the camp up around 3pm.

The weather in the area can varies greatly. In April, the season is changing.  Day temperatures can still be over 35°. The nights can be hot and humid or just perfect.

At the end of the trip, on Saturday 8 April 2023,  a sea plane will take us back to Kununurra. You can also continue the journey with us on foot to explore for 15 days the mysterious Carr Boyd Ranges near Kununurra.

Inclusions:

Plane flight  from Kununurra

Sea Plane flight to Kununurra

Evening 3 course meal

Experienced guide with extensive knowledge of the area

Alpacka raft, helmet and life jacket.

Dry packs and Bow Bag to keep on the boat and inside the boat.

Exclusions:

Accommodation at Kununurra

First night dinner in Kununurra

Breakfast, lunch and snacks

Farewell dinner in Kununurra

Optional activities:

Nil

Please view the equipment list to ensure you have the right equipment.

DRYSDALE RIVER DESCRIPTION

Drysdale River article written by Dulaka Martig, 2018 Golden Paddle Award 

Drysdale River Article written by Brad Meiklejohn, Alpacka Raft Legacy Ambassador

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 Notraces philosophy.   The park is located in the North West corner of the remote West Kimberley. The Drysdale River flows through a pristine landscape of untouched 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 with in 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.

NoTraces is the only company to organise a rafting  expedition in Drysdale River National Park.

On Sunday 26 march 2023, we start our rafting expedition at Kununurra, a one hour charter flight will take us to Drysdale River station. We will then make our way to the Drydale river to commence navigating downstream in 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 Classic, the Wolverine and the Narwhal single rafts which allows 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 demands.

We will 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.

On the final day, on Saturday 8 April, we will be picked up by the float plane for our return trip to Kununurra.

All rafting equipment will be supplied by NoTraces bushwalking

1. Caribou, Classic, Wolverine or Gnarwhal One-Person Rafts or Forager Two-Person seating
2. Paddles
3. Helmet
4. Personal floatation device
5. Internal Dry Bags ( to be stowed in the raft tubes)
6. External dry bags (for items you will need during the day)
7. Paddling gloves

If you have your own equipment that you prefer to use, please contact Sebastien to discuss

PHOTO DESCRIPTION

The Drysdale River

We will start our packrafting expedition from Drysdale River Station

Our first camp on the Drysdale. It is not far from the start of our expedition

The first days, the river is flowing slowly between the melaleucas in shallow waters

Drysdale flooded pool

The pools on the Drysdale River are connected by fun class 1 and 2 rapids. This one is a class 1 rapid

Enjoying the sunset, listening to the birds singing, feeling the peaceful power of nature

Back to the nature in the early morning

Finding our way on the flooded wet season channels

To the next rapids

To the next short walk exploration

To the next camp

To the next day

To the next pool. Great Egret on the right of the picture

To some more challenging rapids

The very few challenging rapids will involve a portage

The Alpacka raft is great for that too!

Camping on flat hot rock camps

Or on sandy camps in an "out of the time" atmosphere

Fishing sometimes

Jump on the Drysdale with us in March