Canoe Tas Inc
North Esk
St. Patricks River
Nunamara to White Hills
| Distance: 13 km + 12 km on the North Esk River. |
| Average Grade: 14m/km on St. Patricks + 12 m/km on North Esk. |
| Peak Grade: 20m/km around the High Spur (Grid ref. Eg 265 117). |
| Difficulty: Grade 3-4. |
| Paddling Time: 4-5 hours. |
| Entry Point: At the Tasman Highway Bridge at Nunamara (Grid ref. EQ 250 178). There is a short access rd to the river on the north western side of the bridge. |
| Exit Point: White Hills. There is a short road down to the North Esk from the Blessington Road (Grid ref. [South Esk] 213 053). |
| Water Level: 1.1m is ideal. There is a guage at the wier shortly after the start which is available online at the BOM site (Nunamara, St Patricks river). It’s worth checking the North Esk also has water in it, otherwise the last half of the trip can be low. |
| Tasmap: 1:100 000, St. Patricks & South Esk. |
| Shuttle: 22km |
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General Description: The river begins with a few simple grade 2 rapids building up to hard grade 3, easy 4. There is a weir shortly after the start, which has been run on the right. At low levels it can be rocky and a little tight in sections . At about the half way mark the St Pat’s joins the North Esk, coming in just below Big Bend. From here to White Hills it is still mostly grade 3 with a few easy 4’s. This is an enjoyable strectch of river and a good alternative to the ever popular North Esk trip.
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St Patricks River. |
