Tully River Full-Day White Water Rafting

Want to go white water rafting on your vacation to Tropical North Queensland? Go rafting on the the Tully River on this action packed full-day white water rafting adventure! The Tully River rafting adventure, one of Australia's most popular rafting excursions, winds through World Heritage Rainforest and offers rapids up to grade 4.

The Tully River is Australia's best and most famous one-day white water rafting experience. It's North Queensland's ultimate white water, white knuckle adventure, with up to 5 hours of rafting over more than 45 rapids through World Heritage Rainforest.

The drive to Tully, 87 miles (140 kilometers) south of Cairns, is a scenic journey through cloud-covered coastal mountains, clear rivers and streams, fields of sugar cane and exotic fruits. Rafting in North Queensland has the advantage of departures all year round, tropical water temperatures and ease of access to compliment breath-taking scenery and rapids.

Rapids include the unforgettable "Alarm Clock", "Wet and Moisty", "Stair Case" and the dramatic "Theatre" - all before a riverside BBQ lunch opposite "Ponytail Falls" where time is made to replenish your batteries before the afternoon's remaining rapids.

All you need to bring is lace-up shoes (that WILL get wet), swimming costume & towel (you will need to have your swimming costume already on when you are picked up), a spare change of clothes and don't forget the 15+ sunscreen. You will be provided with safety equipment, including life jacket, helmet and spray jacket, a riverside BBQ lunch with tropical fruits, salads, tea, coffee and cool drinks (vegetarians catered for if advised) as well as light refreshments after the trip while viewing the day's video and photos at Rafters Cafe.

Click the 'view map' button to view a complete hotel pickup list.

Schedule Details Departs: Daily Departure Point:

• Tour departs from your Cairns, Northern Beaches or Mission Beach accommodation

Northern Beaches includes: Palm Cove, Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach. It does not include Port Douglas

Departure Time:

• 7:00am from Cairns and Northern Beaches
• 8:00am from Mission Beach
• 8:15am from Tully (self-drive option)

Return details: Tour concludes at original point of departure Hotel Pickup:

• If you do not advise your hotel details at time of booking, you are required to call the tour operator at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to arrange your pickup
• To check if a hotel pickup is available from your hotel a complete hotel list can be viewed by clicking the 'View Map' button.

Itinerary: Australian Whitewater Rafting Grading System. (1995)

The river grading system used for grading the degree of difficulty for river travel in Australia is as listed hereunder. Rapids are divided into six broad categories; from grade (1) which is flat, or still water to a grade (6) which is difficult enough to tax the most experienced crew of rafters to the limit. The ability of a paddler, thrown from his raft, to swim through a rapid in safety is also a consideration when rapid grades are fixed.

The grade of difficulty of any given section of whitewater will depend upon the degree of skill required to negotiate it, or indirectly, upon the nature of the obstruction that the raft crew needs to overcome.

Grades do vary when water levels vary. As a generalization grades tend to go higher as water levels increases because of the steep nature of river gradients in this country. These grades are referred to as the NORMAL grade. Below are the general characteristics of the six grades of whitewater.

RAPID GRADE (1)
Rapids are small regular waves. The passage is clear an easy to recognize and negotiate. Care may be needed with obstacles like fallen trees and bridge piers.

RAPID GRADE (2)
Rapids with regular medium sized waves (less than 1 m); low ledges or drops; easy eddies and gradual bends. The passage is easy to recognize and is generally unobstructed although there may be rocks in the main current, overhanging branches or log jams.

RAPID GRADE (3)
Rapids with fairly high waves (1-2 m); broken water, stoppers and strong eddies; exposed rocks; small falls. The passage may be difficult to recognize from on the river and inspection from the bank may be required. Maneuvering to negotiate the rapids is required.

RAPID GRADE (4)
Difficult rapids with high, powerful, irregular waves; broken and confused water; often boiling eddies; strong stoppers; ledges; drops and dangerous exposed rocks. The passage is often difficult to recognize and inspection from the bank is preferable. Precise and sequential maneuvering is required.

RAPID GRADE (5)
Very difficult rapids with confused and broken water; large drops; violent and fast currents; abrupt turns; difficult powerful stoppers and fast boiling eddies; numerous obstacles in the main current. Detailed inspection from the bank is normally required and is strongly recommended for rapids not recently transited at the prevailing water level. Complex, precise and powerful sequential maneuvering is required. A buoyancy vest equipped swimmer risks injury and this is the extreme for commercial operations.

RAPID GRADE (6)
All previous difficulties increased to the limit of practicability. Nearly impossible, very dangerous and cannot be attempted without a definite risk of life

Additional Information