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“THE ORIGINAL AND MOST AWARDED TOUR IN THE WHITSUNDAYS”
Multi award winning Ocean Rafting visits the “Wild Side” of the Whitsunday Islands, the uninhabited islands with beautiful natural scenery brimming with marine, bird and animal life. The Ocean Rafting Northern Exposure day tour offers three days in one, including an exhilarating ride to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, two pristine snorkelling reef sites and guided Whitsunday Island National Park walks. The Northern Exposure tour offers the ultimate access to the stunning and iconic Hill Inlet beach and special snorkel sites at Hook Island and Border Island ensure a memorable underwater experience. The main difference between Ocean Rafting’s two tours is that the Northern Exposure offers more snorkelling time and the Southern Lights has more beach time.
The semi rigid inflatable vessels are super fast allowing guests to experience a fun ride, adventure and education amongst the natural beauty of the Whitsundays. 32 passengers at most allows for personal snorkelling lessons and the pleasure of a small group. A tropical style lunch is served at the beach with plenty of time to swim in the turquoise ocean or just relax on the silica white sand.
Ocean Rafting has been operating since 1997 and is proud to have special permits allowing its vessels to visit protected areas in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Skipper and Eco Host will ensure guests have a fun filled adventure and personalised service with snorkel lessons and a guided National Park walk in the Whitsunday Islands. Tours depart from Coral Sea Marina, Northern Village and courtesy coach pickups are included.
The Ocean Rafting Northern Exposure includes a tropical-style lunch and a sunsuit/wetsuit.
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We were on the boat _Free Bird_, led by Captain Ben and Mr. Corben. From the moment we were picked up, Corben was friendly and super helpful. When we met Ben, he was charismatic and insightful, sharing great tips for making the most of our day.
Both of them went beyond just guiding the trip. They took time to speak with everyone on board individually, asking where we were from and getting to know us. The vibe on the boat was 10/10, and we wrapped up the day with onboard karaoke as we sailed back to Airlie from Whitehaven.
My friends and I can’t imagine choosing another company for this tour. If you book with Ocean Rafting, request Corben and Ben - they’re awesome!
Crew - Jonty & Josh were professional and fun.
We went the Northern end of Whitehaven Beach and is highly recommended.
The boat was great and the best snorkelling I’ve ever done. We also saw so many colourful fish, a turtle and a shark
The sun came out nicely for us when at the lookout, the scenery was beautiful. Lunch on the beach was nice (except for the pesky seagulls).
Ayla’s skippering of the boat (Black Betty) through the swell was awesome. Felt safe and enjoyed the riding the waves.
Recommend bringing a spray/wind jacket, especially for the trip back to the marina.
Thanks for a great day.
We got an advice to take one of their tours and we were so happy we did! We came as part of our honeymoon and we had the best time with Conor and Josh! We met more instructors along the way and each and every one of them were delightful! The were full of great energy and smiles and made sure we have the best time every step of the way! They made us feel safe, they know the area perfectly and how to manage a group, you can just tell they love and enjoy what they do and it made the adventure a hole lot better to see them have fun as well. We would definitely book with them again!
It was our first time snorkeling and Tori helped us so much, even though the current was strong, she came down and swim and kinda rescue close to pull us back towards the boats. Highly recommend this tour. The boat was quick and it was fun!
Staff were so friendly and accommodating.
Our 4 year old and 8 month old were welcomed on board.
Our 4 year old snorkelled with us and loved it.
Food and drinks were provided.
The area is absolutely stunning and the walk to hill inlet is beautiful then we ended the day with time on white haven beach.
Our tour guides, Ben and Corbin, were fantastic — welcoming, friendly, and highly professional. Their communication was clear throughout the entire day, so we were never unsure about what was happening or what to expect next. They were both enthusiastic and interactive, which really added to the overall atmosphere and the music playlist was great too!
The booking process was seamless, even though we booked last minute. We really appreciated the accommodation pick-up and drop-off service, which made the day completely stress-free. Check-in was quick and easy on arrival to the wharf.
The boat transfer was fast and efficient while still being comfortable. We were lucky with the weather, with only a few small showers on the way out. We did get wet on the boat but that was part of the experience.
Snorkels and fins were provided onboard, along with drinking water refills, light lunch and toilet facilities, which was very convenient.
Overall, it was a fantastic day, and we would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area.
Josh brought some serious skill piloting the boat and made the journey so fun, also playing the best playlist of all time to suit the mood so perfectly.
Jess was such a vibe and her friendly positive energy was super infectious making sure everyone was in good spirits at all times and was flying around the ship making sure everything was going smoothly and offering fruit near the end of the trip, such a lovely soul.
Nick was such a gent , very chatty , he was also locked in when it came to docking the ship and felt like we were in very capable hands, super friendly and down to earth guy.
Couldn’t recommend this experience enough these guys know how it’s done! Thank you again
We’ve travelled around a bit & this was by far the best experience. My kids thought the jet boat was a highlight!
Easy from start to finish, lunch was good and had some snacks too. Walk in the island was fab and Abi was so informative! They both helped us all find the best spots to snorkel and provided all the gear, even noodles if you wanted which was fab!
Best day in a long time- saw and swam with sea turtles and so many of other fish. Saw lots of dolphins had a great time jumping off the boat. I’d love to do it again if I’m ever back 🤙
Would highly recommend and yes it’s child friendly too ☺️ what an amazing day out!
The walk up to the lookout was so so, but everything after that was great. The ride, the vibe the people, the snorkeling. Fantastic.
Lunch was basic, but the onboard bar was affordable for a excursion.
Can't recommend it more.
Oh and do the northern trip!
Everything was very accommodating, even for me (as I’m not the strongest swimmer), with lots of lifejackets, floats, and equipment to make sure everyone is comfortable in the water.
I in particular loved the bush walk through Whitsunday Island, and taking photos atop the lookout. Sitting on Whitehaven Beach while enjoying lunch was also wonderful, not to mention the beautiful reef when we got in the water for some snorkelling!
We also had a great time on the boat however it was a bit bumpy due to the weather although our driver made us feel safe on Thrilla!
Snorkelling was great and we felt really safe and we saw so many fish!
This trip is an absolute must do whilst in Airlie Beach!
The onboard safety officer Jess was just as much fun and great fun to be around.
Both ladies were superb at what they do and kept us all feeling perfectly safe despite the choppy conditions.
The whole team were superb and made the day seamless and so enjoyable, from the moment we were picked up and all through the booking in process. We really couldn’t have asked for more.
The experience itself was nothing short of spectacular, the scenery was absolutely mind blowingly beautiful and is easily the most stunning I’ve ever seen.
For anyone thinking about doing this experience, just do it as it’s truly incredible and something you’ll remember forever.
We also did as part of the same package the 60 minute scenic flight which was also a once in a lifetime experience .. I’ll do a separate review for this.
Abby and Scott were incredible, very knowledgeable, capable as well as a lot of fun - both interacted so well with everyone from the group. Thank you both for making our reef trip truly memorable.
The scenic flight was just breathtaking. We all had window seats and felt safe, the pilot and copilot made sure we all got to see the most important things (heart shaped island and whiteheaven).
The boat was great too, Dan was our skipper and the trip went smoothly. Great vibes, music on the boat, felt safe and had fun!
On the boat Josh and (sorry I’m sure I’ll misspell it :( ) Cordin were extremely professional, helpful and always ready to answer all our questions!
The snorkeling was fun and the corals insane.
We then went to Hill Inlet lookout which is just incredible.
The crew was very patient with all of us, guided us and proposed to take pictures for us. Just the nicest!!
The lunch was nice and my request for Celiac gluten free was perfectly met. Felt good after!
10/10, definitely recommend!
Also thank you Masha too (sorry if I misspelled it!) She drove us back to our hostel and had the best vibes, super kind and professional.
Thank you once again!!
Thanks to Ben and Finn for our fun Boat tour and shout out to Jacob our pilot who made the flight smooth and capture some amazing views of the Great Barrier Reef!
The ride itself was thrilling—fast, exciting, and so much fun—while still feeling completely safe. We visited stunning snorkelling spots with crystal-clear water and vibrant marine life, and the guides made sure everyone felt comfortable and supported, regardless of experience level.
The highlight was exploring the breathtaking beaches and viewpoints. The crew shared fascinating local stories, pointed out wildlife, and helped capture great photos along the way. Every moment was perfectly planned, yet still felt relaxed and enjoyable.
Overall, this tour exceeded all expectations. If you’re visiting the Whitsundays, the Northern Exposure Tour with Ocean Rafting is an absolute must-do. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could! 🌊🐠✨
After this, there is a walk to three viewing towers which gives an unbelievable view of the island and Whitehaven Sands, which you eventually come to when you walk down the other side. The beach is amazing and when walking through the shallow water to get to the boat, you see stingrays close up. After lunch and a couple of hours on the beach, there is a fast pace home, with Rich doing some excellent moves in the boat.
I highly recommend this trip, however make sure you get on Thunderstruck with Rich and Tamika as they made it such an enjoyable experience.
Thank you to Rich and Vanessa for your professionalism, friendliness and for making our day out on the islands and day to remember!!
The boat ride was an incredibly enjoyable experience. We loved every minute of it. Josh and Lucky are great guys who made the journey unforgettable for us!!!!
BIG THANK YOU TO OUR PILOT AND SKIPPERS! 😊
The only thing which we didn’t like was that Whitehaven beach and the lookout have been very busy when we came there. But this is not the company fault - it is popular spot.
We then ventured on the ocean rafts with crew members, Ben and Tamika. These guys were amazing throughout the day. Both were very helpful with any questions, they were patient and strived to bring the energy and create a good vibe for everyone onboard.
The balance of snorkelling/beach time I found to be great as we were able to have lunch on the beach and really take it all in.
Highly recommend!
The snorkeling was seriously stunning and my daughter’s squeals of pure joy was something you wish you could bottle forever.
The water was clear, the coral was beautiful, the turtle sightings & array of fish were just so magical to swim in. The weather conditions were on point and we were very thankful that we had that too.
This wasn’t just a day trip this was a core memory created for our family that we will look back on as nothing short of magic.
The crew had such a big impact on that, to the point that they’re now seriously considering a career here lol!
Thank you so much to you all for such a brilliant day, we are so incredibly appreciative. We can’t wait to come back and do it again one day.
Take care, Liz, Chris, Bailey & Maddie xxxx
Ben & Harry made sure we had an unforgettable day, choosing sites where we viewed a plethora of sea life including turtles and massive clams as well as a massive array of fish. The corals were far more colourful than we’d imagined too!
Safety was always at the forefront and instructions were very clear and explicit. The food supplied was just right for us, both in terms of quality and quantity.
We shall remember the day & look forward to doing more snorkelling in the future. Thankyou Ben & Harry!









































































