Trip Features – a more in-depth look
The Mighty Fitzroy
The Fitzroy River is Australia’s largest river and is known
to very few as one of the world's highest volume rivers when in flood. During
the dry season the Fitzroy slows to a trickle but during the wet the Fitzroy
can be up to 15km wide and has a flow rate of 30,000 cubic meters per second.
This flow is greater than the Niagara Gorge, Zambezi or even the White Nile.
The Fitzroy charges its way through 4 major gorges. The rock found in these
areas is some of the oldest rock material in the world. The remoteness of
the area means that Fitzroy is undammed which is very uncommon for a river
of its size. Unfortunately this will not be the case for long in today’s
world. There are a large number of groups and proposals for dams on the
Fitzroy, the most well known are the Diamond gorge proposals. A dam on the
Fitzroy would be a great loss to one of the last truly wild places on earth.
The team will work hard to document this area so that the world can witness
what a loss a dam would create as well as lobby with relevant environmental
groups to protect the Kimberley.
First Descents and Kayak Exploration
The Kimberley is a harsh environment; the number of wet season expeditions
into the Kimberley Wilderness is very low due to high levels of flooding
and torrential rains. Roads in and out of the Kimberley are closed during
the wet season and for months after making the area inaccessible to bush
walkers and 4 wheel drivers. With the fluctuating water levels the rivers
are dangerous and very few have the skills required to predict and navigate
the high grade of white water. Using a combination of kayaks and rafts
the team will have the perfect vehicles for travel through this beautiful
landscape during such an unforgiving time of year.
What is a first descent? A first descent is when a team attempts
a river that has never been paddled before. In the Kimberley this often
means venturing deep into gorges and river systems that few if any Europeans
have ever seen before.
A new era of exploration
Kayakers all around the world have embarked on road trips in search for
undiscovered big waves. However due to the small size of freestyle/surf
kayaks it has always been impossible to venture into the wilderness for
any longer than 2-3 days. As it stands most white water kayak expeditions,
even those in expedition boats, only last for an average of 3-4 days.
By using a raft along with their kayaks the team will venture on an expedition
bringing a whole new level to the big wave search era. This team is the
first to embark on an expedition of this length and intensity in the search
of new river waves.
A brief history of Big River Waves
Over the last 7 years a race around the world has begun to try to uncover
the rarest of river features, the giant standing wave. These features stand
tall and stationary, hidden only within a few selective rivers throughout
the world that provide the right conditions to form such a creation.
So far the only rivers in the world that hold these hydraulic marvels are
in Quebec Canada, West Virginia USA, Lyon France, Uganda, Zambia, and most
recently waves have been discovered in south central China. What is also
important to remember about these waves is that due to their reliance on
high volumes of water most only appear for a few weeks a year, sometimes
only for days.
For the white water community Australia has always been a barren drought
stricken destination with a few infamous rivers located in Queensland and
Tasmania but with none that boast the same excitement and intensity as the
new standard of big water rivers.
The Kimberley however is a newly discovered exception. The team hopes to
uncover river features that will bring Australia and the Kimberley into
the eye of the White Water community gaining awareness and a new respect
for the many amazing experiences Australia has to offer.
Save the Kimberley
While working along side the Australian Conservation Foundation this team
will trace the river's course recording and documenting the Environment.
Post trip media will be handed onto the ACF and the team will work with
our ACF adviser to find the best possible way to help the cause. A percentage
of each video sale will also be donated to the cause.
The Kimberley holds a large concentration of the famous Gwion Gwion (or
Bradshaw) rock art, with many more examples yet to be discovered. The Gwion
Gwion images are most famously known for their mysteriously tall, slender,
dark figures which often hold more detail than the rock art styles that
appeared many thousands of years later. Said to possibly be as old as 50,000
years, the Gwion Gwion images are so ancient that the paint has all but
been absorbed into the rock, making them impossible to carbon date. Some
say that these images could very well be the oldest examples of rock art
in the world.
The team will work to document as much of this amazing Australian history
as possible in hopes that bringing awareness to it will make people realise
that there is far more at stake then just the beauty of the Kimberley itself.
At one with the land
In an age where materialistic values rule, this team will venture into the
wilderness to reconnect with their roots and live from the land as they
explore its beauty. For 3 to 4 weeks the team will see no signs of human
civilization apart from the rock art left behind thousands of years ago;
no roads, no fences, no planes hovering overhead. They will take a small
supply of staples and rations for emergencies, relying on ingenuity and
survival skills to hunt and gather their food along the way. Fishing will
be the main source of food, however during flood the fish become scarce
and the team will be forced to forage for nuts, wild fruits and other bush
tucker.
Crocodiles
Both Lachie and Anthony are veterans of past Kimberley river expeditions
and know first hand the feeling of being stalked by the Kimberley’s
biggest predator, the Salt Water Crocodile. Helicopter pilots and Fitzroy
Crossing residents have spotted Salties that grow to 22ft in the area, animals
that can live up to 100 years in age. These prehistoric creatures are not
to be underestimated. The previous Kimberley expeditions left equipped with
Croc knives strapped to their kayaks in case of attack.
While every precaution will be taken to avoid these legendary predators
the risks are still very real and come with the territory.
“We knew the knives would really do nothing since the only crocodiles
that would attack were said to be 8ft and above, but it made us feel better
anyways”.
“At 5am in the morning Anthony and I were faced with one choice,
to cliff jump off the falls and swim for 500m through Saltwater crocodile
territory to save our raft, food and communications. I have never felt the
terror that I felt that morning, wondering if I was going to be eaten alive.
This is the nature of the area”
– Lachie Carracher – King Edward Expedition 2009
“We were in the final canyon stages of the Moran and knew we were
most at risk this close to sea level. We were all keeping our eyes wide
open when we heard a large splash hit the water from the bank behind us.
We saw the ripples but none of us saw what hit the water. No one said a
word we all just sprinted blindly into the next rapid and exited as soon
as we could.”
– Anthony Yap – Mitchell and Moran Expedition 2008
OBJECTIVES
- Complete a successful and safe descent of the Fitzroy in peak monsoonal
flows
- Complete the first descents of the Mt Hardmen Creek and Mt Wynne Creek
- Finish the filming of the film “The Kimberley”
- Live in the wilderness following self sustained practices
- Learn and utilise bush tucker
- Photograph and film day-to-day life
- Acquire media for sponsor’s brands and products
- Provide media attention to the plight of the Kimberley
• Calendar
• International and domestic Magazine articles
• Domestic Newspaper articles
• Radio interviews
• Television News spots
