Overall amazing experience with fantastic guides, but I wish I had brought a Go Pro. I’ll try to provide as much detail below as Trip Advisor/Viator are very sparse on details.
We started late morning around 10:25 with hotel pick up with a tour bus. Our bus was late by around 20 minutes due to picking up other passengers. Drove around Cairns picking up other tour members until we hit the road toward Tully, around a 2-2.5 hour drive (not including a toilet break and a lunch break where we all dashed off the bus to grab food at IGA or subway). Tom, our main guide, spent the drive efficiently giving a QR code for safety waiver, double checking everyone had filled out the waiver, taking dinner orders, and collecting payment (credit card ok) for levy fee ($30 Aus per person) and for hiring shoes ($5 per pair if needed). Drove another half an hour, during which Tom very helpfully went over safety while rafting, how to put equipment on, what to do if/when you fall out of the raft, etc. Made a stop at the world’s most disappointing public restrooms (4 stalls: one had no door, one was locked for no reason, one had a giant Huntsman spider right over the urinal) — do better Australia’s National Park service! Then we drove up to meet the rafting guides and get outfitted.
The tour company provides: helmet, long sleeve thermal if you didn’t wear a rash guard over your swim suit and it’s a cold, rainy day like ours was, life vest, croc-like water shoes ($5 for rental), paddles, and of course a raft. All valuables/electronics/dry clothes and towels were left safely under the bus, locked away during the tour.
Our guide, Reiya, was hilarious and easy-going. I’m pretty sure we were a frustrating group (over half of our pre-assigned group were non-native English speakers), and none of us had done white water rafting before. But he was very gracious teaching us and had a good knack for building team morale. He also helped us expertly navigate down the rapids, and we didn’t lose anyone overboard, which we were previously assured was an inevitability. Actually, while everyone did get a good soaking, I don’t think anyone from our entire tour group ended up in the water, which from what I understand, was a miraculous deviation from the norm.
My biggest regret is that I didn’t purchase a Go Pro prior to coming. The Tully River was not only a wild ride but also stunning in its verdant beauty. Waterfalls, misty rain falling, low clouds of fog settling over mountaintops, and tall, dense rainforest trees — I wish I’d had the chance to capture it all on camera. However, I am very glad that I didn’t bring my phone even in a dry bag because I would have definitely lost it in one of the rapids — or, it would have distracted me when our guide needed us to paddle or assume certain positions in the raft for our safety.
Things to bring: sunscreen, swim suit, credit card, towel, change of clothes, something to do for 5-6 hours on the bus, water bottle/snacks for bus ride, go pro with helmet or chest mount (you CANNOT use a handheld go pro and paddle for your life at the same time; some of the helmets have Go Pro mounts). I recommend wearing a long sleeve rash guard on top. Protects from sun, abrasions from scraping against the ropes on the raft when getting tussled around on the rapids, and keeps you warm because you WILL get soaked. Water shoes with neoprene socks would probably be the best shoe option, but the hired rubber croc-like water shoes were not terrible and were reasonably priced. Just be aware they cannot guarantee they have a size that will fit everyone.
Things that are mandatory: you CANNOT be pregnant. The waiver asks like 3 times to confirm you aren’t pregnant. Also, you MUST have a passable understanding of the English language to be able to comprehend safety instructions and your rafting guide’s instructions once in the water. Our driver has stories of trying to communicate with a deaf couple from Japan who only spoke Japanese sign language… Not a good fit for this trip for everyone’s safety.
The tour ended after a 10km raft run down grade 4 rapids, lasted around 1.5 hours, but felt much shorter. I’m slightly above average fitness level and though I was a little sore from paddling, I could’ve gone another hour or so. We changed into dry clothes in an outdoor communal changing area (basically 4 concrete walls with a tin roof overhead, at least separated men/women), and drove back out of the park to eat dinner/grab a beer at a local pub and buy photos ($60 Aus for all the 60-80 photos of your raft group). Took the bus 2 hours home with another toilet break at the 2nd most unimpressive roadside toilets, and then hotel drop off. Arrived back at the hotel around 9:30pm.
Amazing tour led by fantastic guides and definitely one of the highlights of our Australia vacation! Big shout out to Tom (we laughed at your jokes, i swear… just deep on the inside), Reiya (for being an amazingly patient guide and for keeping us all safe), and Andy (our stellar driver/photographer).
This activity isn’t bookable for now.!
Cairns And The Tropical North
Pickup offered
Mobile Ticket
Offered in: English
Important Information
