North West Bay River

DPIPWE Water Portal has an automated gauge at the Margate Water Supply Weir, 2km up from the Margate Bridge exit. DPIPWE Water Portal   Site 5201-1 gives ML/Day and Cumec readings updated every 2 hours roughly, but it occasionally is off line so double check the reading time and date.

• 15 Cumecs is scratchy in parts but a good intro height as it is easy Grd 3
• 20 Cumecs is a nice intro level, Grd 3 like all the best bits of the Mersey below Rowallan joined up for 9kms with harder bits interspersed very regularly. Not fun to swim though.
• 25 Cumecs is bouncy Grd 3+, fun but continuous and harder, swims would be bad due to the lack of pools and frequent wood/trees, good roll skills required.
• 30-40 Cumecs is continuous Grd 3-4, some quite chunky holes and requires good read and run skills and a bomb-proof roll as it doesn’t stop and barely slows down.
• With more water it just keeps getting bigger, more confused, more serious stoppers and holes, bigger consequences and boulders may be rolling down the river under you.

Most popular – Huon Hwy to Margate:  This section of the North West Bay River at moderate levels it is a good Grade 3 trip, a nice step up from rivers like the Picton and Mersey below Rowallan. At low levels it can be quite scratchy to start but enjoyable. At high levels it becomes a Grade 4+ river with continuous rapids, few eddies and some big holes. It flows infrequently (generally after a good, wet easterly weather system).

From the Huon Highway it starts with a weir which can be run on the left safely at most heights. It is continuous, fast but easy Grade 3 increasing to 3+ at 20 Cumecs  and 3-4 above 30 Cumecs and 4+ above 40 Cumecs. At all levels is has long confused wave trains increasing in size/complexity with more water, interspersed with frequent stoppers/holes which also increase in size and consequence with increased water. Trees in the river (and occasionally fences) are always a possibility so keep an eye out.  The water volume will increase significantly through the trip due to many substantial side creeks/rivulets. Don’t drink the water anywhere on the trip due to significant pollution from agricultural run-off.

About 5 km after the Huon Highway is a weir. Caution must be taken paddling this due to the weir stopper. The rapid immediately after the weir consists of two offset and surprisingly large stoppers and a large rooster tail, hence its name, “Chicken Man Falls”. Another 2 km downstream is an old broken weir on the right side of the river on a 90 degree left hand bend.  This can be skirted around on the left hard against the tea tree through a gap which may get smaller as the trees grow.

And just above the Margate Bridge there is often one last good surf wave to finish – at 35 Cumecs this is a premium series of 4 surfable waves and a good eddy. If your skills aren’t up to paddling the trip, shuttle bunny for others and walk up from the get-out and have a surf.

Exit on the left below the Bridge.

Updated:  23 June 2020