Daniel Wickham has launched Meander Wilderness Experiences. 

“It’s introducing river sledding into Tasmania. It’s done in New Zealand and Victoria and other parts of the world, but not commercially in Tasmania,” he said. 

The three-hour tour spends about two hours on the water and leaves from Meander Town Hall.

Mr Wickham has a history in business, spending 15 years in food vans and working in bakeries. 

“I’ve spent the last seven years in Meander and had a fair bit of thought about what would be commercially viable,” he said. 

“We camp on the banks of the Meander River every summer and I take my kids for a float down to the shop and thought it might work.” 

His camping spot is near a working dairy farm, so he had to find another access point. 

“I found a place further up and met some pretty amazing people in the outdoor recreation business and they came down and said ‘I think you’ve got something here’, Mr Wickham said.

“So I investigated it further and thought I’d have a crack. I firstly went down [the river] in February and now the business is up and going.” 

A taster day was held about a month ago, and more than 20 people took part. 

“They had a wonderful time,” he said. “It was a slightly lower water level than what we would normally run, so I’m really positive.”

About eight guides have been employed. 

“Some of these guides have been all over the world, and they didn’t know if I had a viable product at the start of the day, but we had a beer at the pub at the end of the day and they said they were amazed at the vibe on the river and how much people were enjoying being in that space,” Mr Wickham said.  

The tours will run twice daily on Saturdays, and tours on other days can be made to suit. Guests must be aged above 13. 

Tickets cost $120 per adult and $90 for children. 

For more information, visit meanderwildernessexperiences.com.