Thomson River Environmental Release Kayaking

EDIT 19/4/22:

I'm in isolation until Thursday, so I can't attend the meeting. The start date for the release also got pushed forward a week, and so the river level peaked over the weekend just gone at 0.6m on the gauge. Not sure whether it will hold that level until this coming weekend even with all the rainfall at the moment. The trip could still go ahead as an overnighter and stopping halfway through. If it drops too much, it would definitely not be suitable for rafts, as there are long flatwater sections and lots of exposed rocks that would stop the raft.

End edit.

Hey folks! The Thomson River is getting an environmental release from April 15-30, with flows peaking around the weekend of the 22nd.

I'm keen to run a fast and light kayak trip from Brunton's Bridge to Cowwarr Weir. It's about 25km of paddling on mostly grade II rapids, two stunning gorges, with a few grade IIIs thrown in to keep things interesting. See the river map here.

With the right crew it could be done as a long day trip if everyone drives up the night before and gets the car shuttle done. Overnight gear will need to be taken as a precaution, but most of the river should be "read & run" without needing to scout from the bank every time.

To paddle this section, you should be comfortable paddling whitewater for more than a couple of hours with overnight food and sleeping kit in drybags in your stern, and be capable of self rescue in the case of a capsize. 

Expected costs for the trip are gear hire of $30 with a $50 deposit, plus fuel costs (TBD).

Attendance at the meeting on the Tuesday before is mandatory.