TasWeekend: Rapid rush on whitewater wonder

TAHUNE Adventures offer a top day out for nature-lovers and thrillseekers alike.

WATCHING the sun set over the convergence of the Picton and Huon rivers from a cantilevered deck about 50m above the fast-flowing waters is a rare treat. This is the uplifting experience available to visitors who arrive at the Tahune Airwalk in Tasmania’s southern forests in twilight hours, after everyone else has gone home.

We make the 1½-hour drive from Hobart on a Friday afternoon, pulling into the carpark as the sun prepares to check out for the day. Checking into our cosy cabin just a stone’s throw from the visitor centre, we grab a couple of torches as the light rapidly fades. Crossing the bridge spanning the Huon River, we follow a short flight of steps up to the massive steel structure that is the airwalk.

The stunning view from the Tahune Airwalk.

The last time I visited was about 14 years ago as part of a media pack following then opposition leader Mark Latham in his ultimately unsuccessful mission to become PM. In recent years, the Tahune tourist attraction – once operated by government business enterprise Forestry Tasmania – has been taken on by private operator Ken Stronach. Forestry, now rebranded as Sustainable Timber Tasmania, offloaded the business and leased out the facilities in late 2016 because its core concern was “growing trees, managing land and selling wood”.

While the airwalk above the forest canopy remains the major attraction, Tahune Adventures is also keen on showcasing the area from the water.

After a good night’s kip, perhaps helped by the fact we have no digital distractions because we are out of mobile range, we front up for our Twin Rivers Adventure.

Our guides for the day are two fit young chaps – Chris St Jack, the outdoor activities supervisor, and rafting trip leader Tom Calderwood. We are joined by another couple, a Brit and a Californian visiting the island state from Sydney. The first step is getting kitted out. I am already wearing bathers, over which go a full-length wetsuit, a fleece jacket, a spray jacket and a flotation vest.

Taking on the rapids with Twin Rivers Adventure.

My co-paddler John provides amusement when he emerges from the riverside change room with his wetsuit on backwards. Red-faced, he disappears to make things right and tries to put his leg in an armhole before finally working it out. We cap off our fetching attire with helmets.

We pile on to a minibus towing a flotilla of inflatable rafts for a short drive upriver to the starting point in the Picton. Tom runs us through to the do’s and don’ts, including what to do if you happen to part company with your raft. Yikes.

I hop into the front of the two-person raft, leaving wetsuit-virgin John to steer at the rear. First up is a small rapid with a few large rocks that are apparently best to avoid.

“Just follow me,” says Tom, as he makes it look easy. It’s quite an adrenalin rush when we conquer the first hurdle unscathed.

MAKE A NOTE RAFTING: Tahune Airwalk is about 90km south of Hobart, with the route well signposted along sealed roads. The Twin Rivers Adventure is $99 for adults, $86 concession, $79 child, and $299 for a family of four. Pack bathers, thermals, woollen socks, reef sandals with an ankle strap, and a towel. Details: tahuneadventures.com.au STAYING: The Tahune Lodge, at Arve Rd Geeveston, is $190 per night for a cabin for two people Sunday-Thursday and $200 on Friday and Saturday nights. Bunks at the lodge are from $64 adults for four-share rooms. Phone [phone] IN THE AREA: Tahune also boasts a few short walks, including the 20-minute Huon Pine Walk and the 3km Swinging Bridges Walk. If you are in Geeveston for lunchtime, great Japanese fare is available at Matsaaki’s Sushi (only open Friday to Sunday, booking advisable) or the Old Bank cafe.

As we float downstream, gaining confidence while traversing the occasional rapid, Chris and Tom chat about the history of the area and point out towering man ferns, Huon pine, leatherwood, myrtle trees, and even a native pepperberry. We pull into a rock ledge by the shore to check out some fossils and enjoy a hot chocolate. There’s also an opportunity to run through the “dishwasher” – a tumultuous section running over the ledge. It’s an opportunity to get seriously wet.

A man who clearly loves his job, Chris tells me the river has many moods with today’s journey more of an amble. The 2½-hour trips, designed to be “small, intimate and inclusive”, began in February and will continue throughout the year. The youngest participant thus far has been a six-year-old girl.

“As the river level comes up, we are hoping to be able to extend the journey,” Chris says.

Dishwashing done, we set off on the final leg of our picturesque paddle back to the visitor centre.

We pause to look back at the twin rivers as we hit the mighty Huon. From the water or on high, it’s a magnificent sight.

The writer was a guest of Tahune Adventures

The beautiful Huon River from above.