AWESOME DAY OUT !! - I had to start with that because this was a great day out all by itself, the fact that it was in the Whitsunday's was just an added bonus.
When I first heard the name Ocean Rafting I was a bit unsure - started thinking of a normal river raft bouncing over the big waves but as you can see from the above pic they are real boats. Infact they are bloody amazing boats, they fly, bounce & turn over any waves that get in the way. The day we went out was a bit overcast & there were some good winds but these boats are so safe. On days they many sailing boats cannot go out the Ocean Rafts do. So if your sailing trip in the Whitsunday's gets cancelled because of to much wind give Ocean Rafting a call for a great day out.
We got picked up for the short trip to the kick off point. No rush, sort out the boat you will be on ( mine was Thunderstruck ) Organise a wetsuit for the snorkeling part of the trip & have a coffee. The staff were very helpful - I had never worn a wetsuit before.
A quick chat about the plan for the day - head out at 10am & back around 4pm - & a few safety instructions then we were ready to go. I do not have sea legs & have leaned over the side of a few boats in the past but the staff said people hardly ever get seasick on these trips & its true, I was fine all day.
You don't wear footwear on the boat & during the day we were on & off the boat & walking thru water so the best option is a pair of flip flops.
Karl was driving our boat Thunderstruck & Will was keeping the boat running. They both clearly enjoy their jobs & kept us entertained all day long.
In the pics you will see big yellow jackets that are supplied by Ocean Rafting - they help but no matter where you sit on the boat at some stage you are going to get wet. The wind blowing thru & a bit a of sun will dry you out until the next time you get wet.
The views of all the islands are amazing all day long, many are national parks & several have been renamed by Will. If you go by Daydream island to pick up some extra passengers look out for mermaids.
The boat twists & turns from side to side & bounces over waves with ease, still not sure if Karl was swinging around to avoid the big waves or if he was looking for them like a surfer does.
We stopped in a small cove to go snorkeling & two of the other Ocean Rafting boats were already there. They go to the same spots during the day but via different routes. I am not a great swimmer but we were given a "noodle" to help stay afloat & you can use a life jacket also. Its well worth it to float over the coral near the shore & see different coloured fish of all shapes & sizes.
Next stop after a was Whitsunday Island where we went in close to the beach & used some fold out stairs at the front of the boat to get onto the beach. Will took us on a nature walk while Karl took the boat around to the other side of the island.
The walk up to the lookout was easy going & the view from the lookout is one of a kind. The sand is some of the most pure sand in the world & can only be found on these beaches. When you walk over it the feel is like power, also it reflects most of the sunlight so it never gets really hot. Will had a few stories to tell about the area & pointed our a circling hawk that he planned to feed down on the beach.
Another short bush walk down to the beach & we went looking for soldier crabs - you have to be fast as they dig a hole & vanish.
Will had some chicken to fed the hawk with & went out on the sand to get its attention then threw the bone, the hawk swooped down each time & just scooped it off the sand.
We walked back out to the boats on a small sand bar & headed off down White Haven beach to the spot for lunch.
One of the other boats left first but as we were the bigger faster boat we caught them quickly, then just to show how good Thunderstruck was Karl slowed down, turn thru their wake & passed them again on the other side.
We drifted into a the beach & dropped anchor with a few other tour boats & walked up to the beach. Karl & Will set up a big lunch on the boat of cold cuts, several salads & fresh fruit in a few minutes - no idea where they had it stored during the trip but it was perfect. We headed back on to the beach to eat - watch out for the seagulls, one did a swoop on my plate & got some of my meal.
After lunch there was heaps of time to wander the beach, rocks & shorts bush trails or just sit on the boat & chat.
Then it was time for a wild ride over some crazy waves on the way back to Airlie Beach. On the way in the music was cranked up again & we gave a local ferry & its passengers a great show before doing the on water equal of a donut to arrive back at the wharf.
Absolutely fantastic day out.
