Bushwalk Australia

A question for those who have been down the Franklin....

This feature is listed by the Nomenclature board as "Class = Waterfall". Is it a waterfall or a set of rapids?

It's a rapid with one single drop. It's not very high, but has a lot of water flowing over it, with a nasty stopper at the bottom. I would not call it a waterfall.

It's notoriously dangerous, having killed several people (at least one of who's body was never recovered).

A lot of rafters say that even though it looks perfectly raftable nobody should attempt to raft it, except at high water levels (when it's not very noticeable, apparently). It didn't look at all raftable to me! We all portaged (walked/carried) around it. It's the last real rapid on the Franklin.

I don't have any photos of it, unfortunately - my camera batteries were flat by then, and my mate didn't send me a copy of the one he took.

PS. It is similar in drop height and water volume to the Pig Trough rapid, of which I have two photos on this blog page. Big fall is more uniform with less rocks visible amongst the rapid, and probably a slightly higher drop and slightly narrower width of river.

Two more questions similar to the above if I may about the Franklin;

Double Falls I believe is also a rapid and not a fall, is that correct?
And what can you tell me about Gracile Falls (-42.35059, 145.786007)?

Double Fall (no "s", I think?) is a rapid. I rafted it as a relative novice and there's no way I'd raft an actual waterfall.

I can't comment on Gracile Falls except to say that it doesn't appear in any of the notes I used, and there was no waterfalls on the Franklin River itslelf, only on creeks flowing into the river.

You are absolutely correct, no 's'. Thanks for that. I know it might not look any different, but I did a big update on the List of Waterfalls (check the history page). I have been talking to the nomenclature board. I long ago gave up on Gracile Falls because I couldn't find a single modern reference, but there it was, officially recognised by the nomenclature board as being in the brown ditch. ...well, very close by anyways!

While you were romping around on the banks trying to avoid having to paddle, you didn't happen to jog up to those other two falls by any chance....

Nope, certainly not! That would be a fairly mammoth effort in that territory.

Looks like they class the Pig Trough as a waterfall too, and you can see what they look like in the photos I linked to earlier. So I'm guessing that Gracile 'Falls' is probably part of one of the rapids that we portaged (or possibly rafted).

Son of a Beach wrote:Looks like they class the Pig Trough as a waterfall too,

Don't do that, you know I'm easily confused.... Pig Trough is that beautiful fall you added to the "Some waterfalls"..... isn't it? Not pig trough the rapid by that name?

ah, yes, sorry, you're right there. There's pig trough creek with the falls on it. I'm sure that's the one they meant. doh! Sorry.

And in reply to the original post, here is a photo of Big Fall...

That's a higher water level than when we went through (and a much bigger boat)... I reckon you guys (or whoever that was) are still pretty brave though.

Thanks for that. Definitely doesn't look like a waterfall. Do you also have a photo of Double Fall?

sowestas wrote:And in reply to the original post, here is a photo of Big Fall...

Great pic!