Tully River Full Day White Water Rafting

Customer Reviews of Tully Rafting with Raging Thunder

Fantastic - Fatjon from San Francisco, USA
" Had a great time rafting with this company on the Tully. The guides are laid back and hilarious but still professional and safe. The water can get a bit rough so definitely be prepared for that. The crowd is also a bit on the young side where I'd guess the average age or participants was in the 20s. Would highly recommend this trip and specifically this operator. "

Guides were very helpful and fun ! - Callum from Melbourne, Australia
" Really enjoyed the experience , very well operated and the guides where very helpful not to mention lots of fun"

Awesome day! - Monkeytrave11er from London, England
" Just got back from an excellent day white water rafting with Raging Thunder. The set up is very good, we were collected from our hotel, from there we went on the 1 3/4 hr bus ride to the cafe where we were kited out with shoes so you don't soak your own followed by a quick brew and then back on the bus for the short journey to the top of the river through huge banana plantations and rainforest.

There we met the rest of our crew (6-7 people) and our guide and were given helmets and life jackets. After a safety briefing it was off down the river, the sights are fantastic and the rapids, well; rapid! Before lunch we covered about 4km and some grade 4 rapids. Lunch was in the forest and was BBQ, which was plentiful and tasty. You could also see and feed snapper turtles and fish at the waters edge (the turtles will have your fingers if you're not careful!). After lunch it was back in the boats and about another 8km of rapids, though with longer calmer bits in between, which meant we could jump out and swim in the clear and pretty warm water which was great.

All in all a top day out and I would highly recommend it. The staff were all friendly, funny and extremely knowledgeable about rafting, the river and rainforest. "

Highly recommended day out!!! - Chris Myers from Swansea, Wales
" Great time had all day, good lunch and I can't fault the guides. Our guide Matt was awesome, he even threw in a wildlife lesson for free"

Great first time rafting experience - Adrian from Malta, Norway
"Thanks so much to my guide Sam ... can I do this as a day job?"

Had an absolutely fabulous day - Nicole from Sask, Canada
"Sonny and the other guides were great, very funny and personable. Plus its a beautiful river and surroundings too"

It was great, I'll never forget today - Claire & Hong from Korea
"When i woke up in the morning i was feeling very nervous about going rafting. But thanks to Sam our guide, and our crew we had a great day, and it was very funny also. Thank you very much."

Common Questions

What should I wear rafting?
Wear the same clothes you would wear to the beach as you will definitely get wet, board shorts are recommended for both guys and girls. Make sure you bring a towel and a set of dry clothes to change into after your rafting adventure.

It is recommended you apply sunscreen before you go rafting, but don't apply this to the back of your legs (as rubber and sunscreen make for a slippery combination) or above your eyes.

You will need to wear secure footwear which will not come off your foot while rafting such as running shoes or sandals with an ankle strap. If you don't have suitable footwear (or don't want yours to get wet) we have sandals for hire at the Tully Cafe which we stop at before we go rafting.

Will it be cold?
Cairns is located in the tropics with average day time temperatures ranging from 25°C (77°F) in winter to 33°C (95°F) degrees in summer. This allows us to raft all year round, even when its raining. For those who feel the cold we have free spray jackets and hire wetsuit tops from our cafe which we stop at in the morning before we go rafting.

What can I bring aboard the raft?
Just yourself, all of your bags, towels and clothing will be locked aboard the bus which will meet you at the bottom of the river. If you need to take medication during the day, give this to your guide who will arrange for it to be carried on the trip. If you wear prescription glasses these should have a strap on them, but normal sunglasses are not necessary or recommended.

Cameras are not recommended as there is a high chance of you loosing them if you fall out of the raft, and you should leave any jewelry or watches in the safe of your hotel room (as the river has already claimed several wedding rings).

How safe is White Water Rafting?
Like any adventure activity, rafting carries with it inherent risks and you will be required to sign an indemnity form to this effect on the day.

On each trip our River Medics examine the health questionnaires completed by our rafters, and are able to address concerns in relation to rafting such as medication, diabetes, and prior injuries. These select senior guides are also trained as Emergency Medical Technicians, with on-river oxygen and defibrillator kits to complement our comprehensive first aid and trauma kits. This enables us to keep rafting as safe as possible for people from all nationalities and walks of life, while still allowing everyone to experience the thrill of rafting.

What safety gear will I wear?
All of our rafters are fitted with life jackets and helmets as a safety precaution at the top of the river, you will need to wear these while in the raft.

What medical conditions will prevent me from rafting?
Pregnancy and rafting do not mix, and you must have minimal swimming abilities. Our river medics will discuss with you any other medical conditions you may have, and how best to manage these during your adventure.

Where is the Tully River?
The Tully River is located 2.5 hours south east of Cairns and 1 hour west of Mission Beach, you can see the Tully River here on Google Maps.

Can I drive my car to the Tully River?
You won't be able to drive to the top of the river yourself on the day of your rafting trip, as we don't return to the top of the river after the trip. You can however choose to meet us at the Raging Thunder Tully Cafe no later than 8am in the morning, and we will then transfer you to the top of the river aboard our coach.

Where can i go for more information?
If you have any further information you can chat to our staff for free by clicking on the Live Help button at the bottom of this page, which is accessible from 5am - 9pm, send us and email or give us a call directly.

We also recommend visiting the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – Official Tourism Website where you will find information about our fantastic region, and a wide range of other exciting adventures.