Ocean Rafting Tours
Quick Information For This Tour
Product – Ocean Rafting Tours Of The Whitsunday Islands
Price – From $191
Tours – Ocean rafting have 2 different tours, “Northern Exposure” and “SouthernLights” (see below for the details)
Price Includes – snorkel equipment
Extras – Lunch is not included in the ticket price. If you want lunch, you can order it through the booking form for $20, paid directly to the boat company.
Location – Coral Sea Marina, Airlie Beach QLD 4802
Type Of Boat – Fast Power Boat
Tip for this tour
Their exclusive access to the stunning and iconic Hill Inlet beach (inside the inlet) sets these Ocean Rafting Tours apart. This is the only company with a permit to access this location.
Are you ready for an unforgettable adventure in the Whitsunday Islands? Look no further than Ocean Rafting’s Whitehaven Beach tours, where you’ll embark on a thrilling journey filled with pristine reef snorkelling and a guided walk to the breathtaking Hill Inlet Lookout.
Ocean Rafting offers two Whitehaven Beach tours: the Northern Exposure and the Southern Lights. The Northern Exposure tour provides extra snorkelling time, while the Southern Lights tour offers more beach time. The choice is yours, and both promise unforgettable moments.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience the ride of your life with Ocean Rafting. Their fleet of eight vessels, designed initially as rescue crafts, are equipped with 700hp engines, ensuring a thrilling and safe journey. Small group sizes mean you can savour the tropical paradise away from the crowds.
Tour Offered By Ocean Rafting
Northern Exposure (most popular)
Check-in at 8am for 8:45am departure.
Returns 3:30pm
This tour visits –
- Hill Inlet Lookout (with special access to the beach)
- Whitehaven Beach
- Two snorkel locations
Southern Lights
Check-in at 9am for 10am departure.
Returns at 4:30pm
This tour visits
- Hill Inlet Lookout (with special access to the beach)
- South Whitehaven Beach
- South Whitehaven Lookout
- One snorkel location
Whats Included In The Ticket Price?
- Visit to Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and guided National Park walks
- Inner fringing coral reef snorkelling Reef and island naturalist talks by our Master Reef Guides,Eco Host and Marine Biologist
- Courtesy bus transfers
- Snorkel Eqipment (Mask and Snorkel)
Whats NOT Included In The Ticket Price?
- Tropical lunch (AUD$20) payable direct. Please add in booking notes if you would like to add.
- Hire sunsuits/wetsuits – $8pp to hire on check in (Students with ID, Senior & Children FREE)
- Assorted Alcoholic and NON Alcoholic Drinks and snacks (available to purchase – Cash or Credit Card)
- Prescription Mask hire Available – $15 pp on check in
- A QLD public holiday surcharge of $20 per adult, $10 per child and $50 per family (2ad,2ch)
Are These Tours Suitable For You?
Ocean Rafting boats are suitable for most ages from 6 months upwards (weather permitting). If the winds and swell are forecast high for the day you travel with young children, don’t hesitate to contact the company directly at (07) 4946 6848.
Tours are unsuitable for guests with pre-existing back, neck or hip injuries or who are heavily pregnant (weather dependent).
Tour Departure Point Map
Tour Video
Refund Policy
Ocean Rafting Tours Cancellation Policy allows cancellations up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Refunds require a 24-hours or more notice from the scheduled meeting time of your booked tour.
Changes to dates or refunds within 24 hours can’t be accepted.
Bad weather leads to rescheduling or a refund.
Terms and Conditions Of Travel
Ocean Rafting may use photographs of our clients in promotional material, including but not limited to social media, however if you do not consent please advise Ocean Rafting.
Liability: Clients should note that adventure travel involves risk. Whilst we make every effort to safeguard our clients, we cannot be held responsible for personal injury or loss due to the actions of the clients which are beyond our control. Tours are not suitable for guests with pre-existing back, neck or hip injuries or who are pregnant (weather dependant) or heavily pregnant. Minimum age 6 months. A signed release will be required from all participants on departure. We recommend you take out travel insurance.
Fitness and Health: Although good health and a positive attitude are essential, you do not need any prior experience to partake in an Ocean Rafting adventure.
Cancellations/Refund Policy: Your booking includes a 5% non-refundable booking fee for all cancellations. Cancellations after 7pm the night before departure no refund. Please Note: On occasion, in the interest of guest safety, we may have to cancel tours due to unfavourable weather conditions. In this unlikely event, you will be offered travel on another suitable day or issued a refund, minus 5% booking fee of your fare price.
Ocean Rafting Reviews On Google
Leonie Sanderson
10:49 07 Apr 24
Our second time on Ocean Rafting and wow, they don't disappoint. Daisy and Kurt, our hosts, delivered a fun-filled but safe day of rafting, walking and snorkeling. It doesn't get any better than this in the Whitsundays.
SIAS Stealth
08:13 07 Apr 24
Had an awesome 👌 day out. Worth every penny, 07/04/2024. Went out today and Captain Kate and first mate Heath were bloody brilliant. We was a group of 10, firstly went out on our walk, then the snorkeling followed by the beach. Made our day and especially Logan's. He hasn't stopped talking about it. Definitely coming back for more adventures.
james cole
08:00 07 Apr 24
Fantastic day that I’ll never forget, high speed ocean rafting through the tropical islands and stunning coral reef snorkelling, absolutely beautiful, out skipper Kurt and the amazing first mate Daisy made the whole day such fun…..banging play list too guys!!!! 👌🏽
Sasha Ruane
23:02 06 Apr 24
I was on Whipeout with Dave, Eve and Tom doing the Fly and Raft Northern Exposure package and I had an absolutley amazing day. It was very well planned with the perfect amount of time in each location. The snorkelling was absolutely amazing, and the flight was so surreal. Shame about the weather but nevertheless the team were so positive and upbeat really adding to how great the day was. Would 100% recommend.
Sinead
05:00 05 Apr 24
We had a great time on the Northern Exposure tour. Thank you to our guides Benny and Oak who were great fun and made sure we had a great day of snorkelling and exploring the beaches. The lunch was delicious too. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Lulu L
16:09 14 Mar 24
Me and my friend joined Ocean Rafting (Southern Light tour) and another provider to visit the Whitsunday Island (the Whitehaven Beach is stunning, it's worth going twice!) The ride is more bumpy with Ocean Rafting but it was soooo much more fun. Kevin and Max were friendly and helpful, giving us all sorts of geographical and marine information along the way. I also really liked Kevin's music selection 🙂 We had an awesome experience, highly recommended to anyone visiting Airlie Beach.
Helen Stafford
09:24 14 Mar 24
What an adventure! We had the best day on our Ocean Rafting Tour and were super impressed from start to finish. The crew were so knowledgable and gave us great information about the history and the geology of the Whitsunday Islands. We went to an amazing snorkelling spot on Hazelwood Island which was abundant with coral and marine life. Hill Inlet lookout is spectacular! And the thrill rides at the start and end of the tour out the front of Coral Sea Marina put the biggest smile on my face. Thanks Ocean Rafting Team for the best day out ever!
Verena Noll
07:00 14 Mar 24
I don't actually give a 1-star rating, but the price-performance ratio here is absolutely not right! The flight was scheduled to take 60-70 minutes and we ended up being in the air for 45 minutes.They also advertise 2 beaches plus a snorkeling spot (even 2 depending on the tour), since the weather was apparently bad (it was fantastically beautiful, just a little windy), the snorkeling didn't take place (understandably), we just stayed for 2 hours instead on Whitehaven Beach (really nice) BUT where is the 2nd beach? The tour was also supposed to start at 10am and return around 5pm, instead we didn't leave until around 10.30am and were back before 4pm.I asked the office how that could be, in such cases you would have to refund money or go to a second beach, but here the airline is blamed and the second beach is the one where you were let out at the lookout …Okay, but I could have taken the ferry that goes to Whitehaven every day and would have only paid a fifth of the price of the tour.Don't fall for the advertising that they're the only provider that takes you to a "more private section of the beach" and they're the only tour that can go to both sides of the Lookout.The section of the beach has 1000 tourists and all the other providers are also at the Lookout.The only star goes to the really great raft crew, they did a great job!
Stephanie Lessard
21:24 10 Mar 24
Amazing experience !! The team is fun and I had a great day ☺️ highly recommend them
Rhiannon Pugh
04:45 09 Mar 24
Genuinely the best part of our trip! The team made the experience incredible. Would recommend it to anyone☺️
Hiusin Ying (Clovia)
03:05 24 Feb 24
Thanks Jesse for his incredible services. My sister and I were having so much fun. His humour makes everything wonderful. Thanks for taking care of me and helping me during the snorkelling section, such a good 🧜♂️ 😂😂. Taylor is a good boat driver too thanks for driving us and make sure we are safe all the time!! Thank you!
Angela Jones
03:55 22 Feb 24
We did the full day Southern tour. White Haven Beach and all the GBR is stunning. But the tour operators are just gouging for cash. It's $230pp with lunch included. Lunch was literally a small box of lettuce, a bread roll and slices of deli meat. Really poor quality. No complimentary drinks, even non- alcoholic. They record every drink you have and make you pay. Save your money and just do the half day. Also the hype of the tour guides is a bit over the top and wears thin after a while.
Jessica Rayner
02:39 22 Feb 24
We brought our parents to Whitsundays and used Ocean Rafting for the Scenic Flight & Northern Exposure Tour. Booking was super easy!The day itself was amazing! From start to finish Hayley made everyone comfortable and super involved. She was super fun and also very caring for those that were scared of the water.Scotty was also great and made the ride itself super fun but felt incredibly safe all the way through!Thanks for an amazing day guys showing our family the best of the Whitsundays!
Maddison Dollar
01:24 22 Feb 24
My partner and l did the Northern Exposure tour with Skipper Kevin and Hayley and had the best time. Lookout was beautiful, had lunch on Champagne Bay before snorkelling 2 beautiful spots with so many different varieties of fish and coral. Kevin and Hayley were so friendly and informative and made the boat ride around so exhilarating. Would 100% recommend.
Shirin Zanjani
05:28 21 Feb 24
Omg you must do this tour! JJ & Kesh are best they took so many cool photos showed us where the turtles are and guided as throughout the day. Highly recommend
Alana Gibb
01:32 21 Feb 24
I did the tour on 20/02/22 with skipper Scotty and Hailey on wipeout! My friend and I both think it was our favourite day since we’ve been travelling the east coast. SO MUCH FUN. Our tour guides had the best energy! upbeat, fun, nice but also I always felt safe with them (even with some crazy boat rides). I remember hearing that Hailey was new to the company but you would never know it. She was fantastic. Can’t recommend this tour enough. Snorkeling was some of the best I’ve ever done, better then even in far North Queensland.
Gareth Clanchy
09:41 01 Feb 24
We booked the ocean rafting package through P&O. Taylor was amazing today! Very informative and fun. Jesse on the other hand wasn’t very professional at all. There was little incidents that occurred throughout the day but overall needs better communication skills.
Michael Bulovic
01:13 01 Feb 24
Whitehaven beach experience with the absolutely AMAZING RIPTIDE crew with Merran & Bernie.......... I can recommend HIGHLY the ladies who ensured we had a great, informative, fun filled and magical day!Can't recommend enough!Merran and Bernie thank you for sharing your knowledge and hospitality..... Your passion for the region contagious...
Jess James
23:02 31 Jan 24
Highly recommend!We had Scotty as our Skipper and Eve as our deckhand. Both of them made our day one to remember.Eve is very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the islands and the indigenous people who called them home, the ecosystems and wildlife, and some fun facts about the resorts and mansions around Airlie Beach and Hayman Island.Scott was a pro zooming the raft across the ocean, surfing the waves of the sister boat, and so much more. He will have you holding onto your seat!The only downside (which has nothing to do with Ocean Rafting itself), is if you are on a cruise ship and book through them, the tour time has been shortened by a couple of hours, but this still gives you plenty of time to snorkel the beautiful reef.See you again in June! 😁
Gaby Urbina
12:27 31 Jan 24
Unreal experience !!! Northern Exposure tour was amazing !!! Shout out to Max and Kesh for making our tour unforgettable!!!
Arti Manoharan
03:31 31 Jan 24
An amazing tour with Ocean Rafting to the Whitehaven Beach and the Whitsundays. Big shoutout to the crew Scotty, Max and Cristina who were all so interactive, cracking jokes throughout the day and keeping the whole group entertained. They were all very knowledgable on the history of the area and Australia in general. Unfortunately we were unlucky with cloudy weather on the beach but that did not stop the crew keeping our spirits up. An incredible experience and one of our highlights of our trip!
Marco
11:17 12 Jan 24
We recently experienced an unforgettable boat cruise with Ocean Rafting guided by an exceptional tour guides James and Jessie. The picturesque journey to whitehaven was elevated by their insightful commentary, creating a perfect blend of relaxation education mixed with a sense of adventure. Jessie's passion for the local history and not to mention his sense of humor enhanced the overall enjoyment, making it a must-try experience for anyone seeking a delightful and informative aquaticadventure.
Emily Stecca
22:25 11 Jan 24
We had the absolute pleasure of going on Wipeout with Scotty and Eve! It was by far the best water experience we’ve had. They shared so much knowledge on each stop on our adventure and also delivered top notch comedy! 10/10 recommend. We will be doing this when we return to QLD again! Thank you for the best time!
Rebecca Stewart
12:24 11 Jan 24
This whole day was one of the best on my trip! Bonnie our pilot for the flight was absolutely fantastic and had so much information and facts to tell us - the views are outstanding.Next was the boat tour and this was amazing. Rory and benny were great and the journey around was so fun - slight pre warning if the wind picks up the side seats aren’t quite for the faint hearted ! We stopped off at Whitehaven and had lunch on the beach before heading to 2 separate snorkeling sights so it was a full day!I’ve already recommended to family and friends and I wouldn’t hesitate in booking again.
meghan daley
11:23 11 Jan 24
An absolute must! We had the best day exploring the Islands and untouched beaches. Out tour hosts Max and Scott were fun and entertaining- we are truly grateful for such an amazing experience 🫶
Zane Raymond
06:33 11 Jan 24
Went out today with eve and Scotty on wipeout !!! Absolutely awesome had lots of fun! Food was also great !! Thanks a lot will definitely be back !!! Send ittttt
Cassandra Chiesa
02:30 11 Jan 24
Brilliant day in the Whitsundays aboard Ocean Rafting. Fast and fun boat with tunes aplenty, Hiking up to the lookout over Whitehaven Beach was magic. Then lunch with plenty of time for relaxing at Whitehaven Beach. The afternoon we snorkelled in a great spot with lots of fish and reef to see. Max was a fabulous deck hand - the kids adored him. Scotty was an awesome skipper who continuously checked in on everyone to make sure we were all comfortable with the boat manoeuvres. This is our third trip on Ocean Rafting and it certainly won’t be our last. It is definitely our families highlight of trips to Airlie Beach.
Kim McArthur
00:31 11 Jan 24
Don't hesitate just do it!!! One of the best experiences we have done world-wide. Perfect family activity our kids are 8 and 9 and it was just awesome - the boat rides were so fun, the beach swims stunning and safe, the snorkelling incredible - saw so many fish and marine life and coral 🪸 but most of all - from the second we made the booking EVERY staff member of this company was so excited to be there, so welcoming, so upbeat and fun and engaging. From the booking agents to the counter staff to the pick up bus driver but most of all Max our deckie and Scotty our skipper. Scotty was relaxed and funny but Max deserves special mention - he was just awesome. So fun and funny with the kids - in all ways just someone you'd want to be around - he was brilliant!! The best personality! Thank you so so so much for giving this job everything you've got because it completely made our day amazing and we are so grateful! Thank you for the best part of our 3 week trip!!
orla power
12:16 10 Jan 24
Unbelievable experience! 10/10 all around, especially the crew members Oak and Emily who made the day extra fun and shared their knowledge and love of the stunning Whitsundays!
Chantelle Loeser
09:29 24 Dec 23
Awesome day out, highly recommend. Oak and Bernie were amazing and made it an experience to remember
Ashlee Drew
10:26 23 Dec 23
A great tour to see the Whitsundays in a day! Heath and Bernie on the thunderstruck were awesome - full of energy and really made the day what it was! Plenty of beach time and 2 great snorkels where we saw lots of animals like turtles and nemos!The only the downside was the the photos taken of you on the day by the guide cost money to purchase - which was not made clear until we finished the tour! A bit annoying as I didn’t use my camera as much because I thought the photos were taken care of!
Owen Martin
11:19 22 Dec 23
Experienced the Northern Exposure on the Joyrider boat today! Both Tay the skipper and Eve the deck hand made it an incredible experience.. particularly for the kids.. thanks guys
Divya Bhatt
01:15 22 Dec 23
Awesome experience, better than expected. Highly recommend during your stay in whitsundays.They planned the tour so well, very entertaining and staff were very friendly. They took good care us.
M W
07:10 21 Dec 23
We booked several tours through OceanRafting (sightseeing flight, snorkeling and turtle tour). I have never seen a company on vacation that has so much fun with the activities themselves. The whole team is very friendly and helpful. The team's good mood infects the whole group and makes the activities even more fun 👍. The tours are always well organized and every single one is looked after. You can buy drinks and food for fair money on larger tours. All in all, probably one of the best tourism companies in the world, at least for me 👌.
Will Brett
05:22 04 Dec 23
Callum and Bernie were the best!!! would definitely recommend and will be revisiting!
José Stöckli
09:17 02 Dec 23
The Southern Lights Tour was fantastic special thanks to Jesse and Oak for the great tour it was really funny with these guys.When you are in Airlie Beach Iwould highly recommend this tour.
James Sanders
23:27 01 Dec 23
Had a great husband and wife team looking after us yesterday. Dave and Richie were great hosts and we had a blast! Please make sure they get a free beer for being so amazing.
Shannon keane
08:38 28 Nov 23
Celly and Kurt were hilarious hosts, I would say they're in the wrong profession and should be comedians, but I won't say that as their knowledge and enthusiasm for the reef was unreal! Great craic all day, don't go on this tour if you're boring
Danika Munro
13:57 14 Nov 23
We had the best time with Celeste and Kate out on the zodiac! We saw so many incredible types of fish and such vibrant corals too. This was the perfect way to spend a day at Airlie Beach!
Francisca Troncoso
10:32 14 Nov 23
The tour was amazing 🤩!The crew was awesome. Kurt was a really good and fun skipper and Bernie made our day fantastic, my family they don't speak in English so Bernie translate everything for them.I really recommend this company if you want to have an amazing day in Whitehaven.
Damien Chrzanowski
09:06 14 Nov 23
An amazing day out! Can definitely recommend the team from Ocean Rafting making it an enjoyable, fun and safe day out on the water
Andre Cruz
08:56 14 Nov 23
what an incredible day we had. We started the the day in plane trip flying over the Great Barrier Reef and later the boat trip to White Haven Beach and snorkeling in the corals. the team was always excited and concerned about everyone. I highly recommend
Patrycja Witek
07:47 14 Nov 23
We had a great day aboard Joyride yesterday! From the minute we boarded the boat, the experience was first class. A walk to the lookouts provided great views, time on the beach allowed us to relax and eat a delicious lunch prepared by the crew, which took into account various dietary restrictions, and finally snorkeling in two great locations! Bernie and Callum made it an unforgettable day, imparting loads of knowledge and interesting facts and providing the ride of our lives!
Lauren
06:19 25 Oct 23
We had an amazing time on Thrilla with Cal and Sel for the northern trip. They were so accommodating and brought so much laughter and fun to the day. The hike to the lookout was only about an hour in total with a beautiful views over Whitehaven. The snorkelling was divided over two spots and could cater to a range of ages. Could not rate high enough. We would definitely bring family and friends back for another day trip. Thanks guys!
Jeff Kambuts
06:04 23 Oct 23
Went on tour Sunday with Dan the man and Oak the vanilla milk man. Absolute legends. Good laughs and vibes all day. The manoeuvres in the boat and donuts where awesome! I have a severe nut allergy and I was catered for and checked on constantly! The guys were nice and I will definitely come back with friends/family and recommend this operation and these two blokes. 💯
Stef Bubb
04:14 23 Oct 23
We did the Southern Lights trip during school holidays September '23, with Daisy and Skipper Scotty, on the Wipeout. Such a great day! It was more like a day out with friends who are knowledgable locals than a tourist trip. My teenage kids voted this the best day of the holiday.
Lucia Ng
13:52 21 Oct 23
My family and I had the best experience! Snorkelling was absolutely fantastic, the inlet tour was breathtaking. The staff was very professional yet so fun to be around with. I cannot recommend this company enough. Will remember this day for a lifetime!
Daniel Stephenson
21:44 27 Sep 23
Highly recommended. The timing of the activities was well paced, locations for snorkeling were beautiful and a very organized operation. Plenty of time to enjoy the beach stop and lunch. The tour guides Callum and Emily were amazing - we were travelling with two kids under ten and our hosts were very attentive and made sure the kids were comfortable and having a good time. Lunch was fab - and they had a tasty gluten free option for my son. Really great value for money experience - we would do this tour again in future. Thanks Callum and Emily!
Bee Ledingham
07:01 23 Sep 23
My husband and our two teenage boys were out with Kurt and Richard on board Thriller today! Weather was the greatest with 35 knots hitting us, however boys guys made sure we were safe and most importantly had fun! A bit of a change of plans in the itinerary, but nonetheless we had a ball! Lunch provided was great also! Thank you so much for such a great day. We will definitely be back again!!
Jacinta Hawkins
10:12 05 Sep 23
My family spent the day with Taylor and Tommy on Joyride at Ocean Rafting. Snorkelling, Bush-walks and an exciting boat ride were just a few of the enjoyable experiences you get with choosing Ocean Rafting!Taylor was amazing, one of the best tour guides/skipper and part time comedian we have all ever had the pleasure to meet.Tommy was kind, alert, informative and made sure everyone was safe and having fun through the whole experience!Thank you to the boys at Ocean Rafting for making our Whitsundays experience all the more enjoyable. Myself and my family will be recommending Ocean Rafting to everyone and anyone visiting the Whitsundays!
Laura K. Allen
08:51 05 Sep 23
My husband and I had a great time on our trip today! We had a beautiful boat ride and saw some whales in the distance. Our first stop was hill inlet/ white haven beach (so beautiful) and then snorkeled at two different locations. We saw a turtle, lots of vibrant coral, and loads of beautiful fish. Kate and Benny were excellent guides— some give these two a raise… Or at least a beer. Thanks for the great experience!
yidian Zhu
20:53 27 Aug 23
Absolutely 5 star experience!! My parents and I had an amazing day and we all loved it!! Driver Tom was friendly, high energy, and gave clear instructions. We went rafting with Heath and Jesse (hope I spell their names correctly and sorry I forgot the captain’s name). The whole crew was nice, friendly and thoughtful. Really appreciate Heath assisted my mum and I snorkelling, both of us can’t swim but we were still able to enjoy snorkelling and the amazing view underwater with Heath’s help!! And both of my parents can’t speak or understand English that much but they still feel how friendly and enthusiastic Jesse and Heath is:> Also the captain gave my parents instructions that was written in Chinese so they can read and follow. Again, we really loved today’s trip!!! The view was breathtaking and worth to take everything to protect it. Thank you for all the staff from Ocean Rafting!!! Will definitely visit again ₊⁺♡₊⁺
DAY TOURS
OVERNIGHT TOURS
ACTIVITIES
Accommodation
