Packrafting in Western Australia

The south-west of Western Australia holds the touring river of record for the state. The Blackwood rises in wheatbelt country and runs to the sea at Hardy Inlet near Augusta, passing through jarrah forest and farm valleys on the way. Most of its length is gentle moving water rather than rapids, which makes it a river for days, not hours: unhurried paddling, forest sounds, simple camps. Winter and spring bring the flows. By late summer many reaches run thin, so the season decides the trip. Access points are spread along the valley, which suits a packraft you can carry, launch anywhere, and roll up at a road bridge when the day is done. Check flows before you commit and expect fences and fallen timber near farmland. A Seeka Tourer suits the Blackwood pattern well, and the Solo keeps the walk-in options open.