📍Tully River Rafting: An Honest Review Of Australia’s No#1 Rafting River With Cairns Adventure Group 2026.

Bus Transport from Cairns City.
Pickup, Drive & Lunch Stop in Tully & Return.

• Pickup time: 10:30 am
• Duration: 12 hours.
  • To Tully, it is normally a 90-minute drive, including a quick roadside toilet break pit stop. However, due to roadworks, they gave a two-hour leeway.
  • We had a 50-minute stop for lunch* in town before another 40-minute drive to the Tully River rafting dry season start location.
  • *Lunch is not included.
• Cairns Adventure Group bus.
  • Seat belt, curtains, and air-conditioning.

Pros.

• Pickup was right on time.
• The bus is beautifully decorated and easily identifiable, so you won’t accidentally go on the wrong one! 😐
• The seating is very comfortable, and the air-conditioning is at the perfect temperature.
• After everyone was picked up and it seemed full, I loved that I still didn’t have to share a row.
• The bus ride was smooth, with safe driving and no sudden braking or anything crazy/unsafe.
• I liked that I could place my phone, GoPro & water bottle (temporarily) on the wide, flat window ledge.
• The head guide gave clear and easy instructions throughout the trip. He also kept them fairly brief and sparse, allowing us to enjoy the bus ride.
• It was a very scenic journey thanks to the spectacular mountains lining both sides of the road. Mt Walsh, Mt Bartle Frere, and the rest of the Great Dividing Range — the right side is definitely the more scenic. The left side that I was on is also lovely; however, the coastal mountains aren’t as tall and dramatic. On the way up to the river after Tully, both sides are picturesque.

• I found 50 minutes to be plenty of time to get lunch, eat it, take photos with the Big Golden Gumboots (near where the bus was parked), and climb to the top for a nice little view of the township.
• Both at the toilet pit stop and Tully Rest Area, the bus was parked in the shade.
• I loved that the drive back to Cairns also wasn’t cold, even though we were still damp from rafting.
• The drive back was smooth sailing, with not much stopping at the roadworks.
• The head guide said we could get back to Cairns earlier if no one needed the toilet at the pit stop, but he also mentioned he would ask us individually — and did so when we got closer — if we were awake and needed to go, which was very considerate.
• I was the second last to be dropped off (it was reverse order of pickup), and all three guides and the two remaining passengers sang me “Happy Birthday” as I was getting off. It was such a sweet gesture to cap off my day with them! That and the “See you tomorrow,” from Jesse for my Barron River rafting tour the next day, was a great way to cap off the adventure.

Cons.

• There were only about three public toilets at the rest area, so if you’re busting! LOL.
• When I finished having lunch and got back to the bus about 10 minutes before departure, it was too hot to sit inside, even though it was in the shade.
• We got back about 9:45 pm, if I remember correctly (my phone with my notes went kaput), which was a bit later than planned. This isn’t a personal con of mine, so I didn’t mind. I got a whole day’s worth of my money! However, some people might be like, freaking great! Now I’ve missed my flight back to Ireland!
• I didn’t see Jesse the next day. Boo! LOL!

Getting Ready for Rafting.

We got safety instructions on the bus from the head guide. A couple of the guides hopped on the bus along the way.

They give you a life jacket, helmet, shoes (extra cost), and a paddle. In the cooler months, you can also hire thermal tops and pants.

The rafting guide who took me down the river was Jesse, so I’ll distinguish between him and the head guide by using his name.

Facilities:

• The starting point had the only toilets and change rooms, which the head guide let us know about on the bus.
• The change room is an open area attached to the toilet block with one long bench inside.
• During October to December, it is march fly season, so Cairns Adventure Group recommends a strong insect repellent.

Pros.

• I really appreciated how patient and kind the head guide and Jesse were about me taking a bit longer.
• Jesse is engaging, chatty, bubbly and friendly. The conversation about Aussies who can’t identify Aussie accents was the funniest thing.
• He was very sweet about getting me a strap for my glasses and helping me put on the life jacket and my GoPro chest strap. Also announced me as the “special guest” of the day because it was my birthday, and other things like that.
• I was very glad the walk from the bus and gear to the raft at the riverbank was very short!
• Thrilled to say that in mid-November, the march flies were non-existent (because when I went camping and walking in the national park a month later, they were insufferable).
• The toilets were clean.

Cons.

• The shoes provided are Crocs, which are the worst shoes ever! Lucky I brought my own — you wouldn’t catch me dead wearing those. Bahahahahaha.
• There are not many toilets because it is a national park, so you might have to wait for a few people to go before you, which is rough if you really need to go!
• As the change rooms are open-top, if it’s a rainy day, you may want to already be wearing your rafting clothes, or change into them at Tully (there are toilets right where they stop, or at the far side of the IGA shopping centre near Subway).
• No individual change rooms.

Tully River White Water Rafting Experience.

Now for the main event. I found myself in quite the unusual situation because I was grouped with a Chinese family of 5. I was told about. this and asked if that was okay with this by the head guide while walking back to the bus at Tully. On the spot, I didn’t think anything of it or what it entailed. Even when he asked me if I knew any words, I said only a couple (I don’t know why I didn’t specify that it was Vietnamese words I knew!), to which he replied, “Not fluently,” and I said, “No, absolutely not. 😅”.

Essentially, what this meant for me was that the main and most important instructions were in Chinese./ Mandarin. (More below.)

It was also not the run-of-the-mill tour, because… 😁🙃.

So while I always try to blend in and be a stock standard tourist to give you the most realistic expectations, there are just some things on this tour that take the course off kilter, but as always, I can only give my honest perspective on these.

• People Per Raft: 6
• Time On Water: 2 Hours.
• Fitness Level Required: Medium
• Intensity: Medium-High.
• It’s not just sitting in one place and gently paddling down the stream; we had to learn several different techniques and positions, and move around the raft constantly navigating the rapids. You have to pick them up quickly and really be on your toes.
• There were also several flat areas where we could relax for a bit before getting back into the action-packed stuff. We also got to enjoy two swims in the longer stretches, which was a great load off the intensity and one of the highlights.
• Season: End of the dry season. (Mid-November.)
  • Because it was the end of the dry season, they were trying to time our arrival at the river for 3:00 pm with the dam releases. I was very surprised to hear about this. We started at about 3:15–3:30pm.
  • Keep in mind, they raft from a different place along the river when it’s the wet season.

Pros.

• Jesse was bubbly and upbeat. Those kind personalities with that fun and light-hearted nature elevate the experience.
• It was super surprising and impressive that he knew Mandarin. I even gave him a dumbfounded “huh?” look. LOL. I told you I didn’t know what to expect. 😅
• There were times when he was giving the main instructions in both languages, which was very helpful.
• He was very attentive with safety, making sure everyone was doing the right thing. For example, he kept telling the lady in front of me to dig feet deeper into the crevice between the seat and the side. And very considerate of the older lady at the back.
• Going down the rapids was so much fun. The big ones were the best, and I got absolutely soaked. The smaller ones were also great. The perfect antidote to the humid, Tropical North Queensland weather.

• When we got stuck, his strength and knowledge of the river and the raft were great at getting us unstuck. They weren’t great for not getting us stuck in the first place! LOL. Just kidding — the river was low.
• The swimming was definitely one of my favourite parts because it was so relaxing and took the edge off the intensity.
• It was nice to have a break on the flat areas, and especially when Jesse pulled us to the side of the river, then disappeared for a while. From here, we got to relax and watch the other rafts come down.
• We sometimes had to bounce to unstick it, which would make me laugh hysterically.
• The celebratory clashing together of the paddles after we went down a set of rapids was a great group moment. I was a solo traveller with a family of five, so this was a nice way to feel like a unit.
• The “Hey’s”, “Yo’s”, and “Team” also gave that buddy camaraderie.
• The scenery is beautiful. The water, the boulders, the rainforest and zero signs of human civilisation were spectacular.
• The best part was towards the end, where a waterfall was plunging off the cliff face. It was fun going right under it. Then, when I looked back at it, the sun was just piercing through the trees above it, and it was just so cinematic! I live for those moments.
• I was concerned the water would be cold, but it was absolutely beautiful (even the head guide said today’s water temperature was lovely, as it’s normally cooler).
• The whole experience was fun, immersive and intense.

Cons.

• After the look of surprise at his bilingual-speaking capabilities, he said, “You’ll get it.” Uhhh… okay, I guess so. And that was the precedent.
• I wasn’t expecting to learn rafting basics and another language simultaneously. He spoke mostly English, but the main directions for backwards and forwards were in Mandarin. Sometimes he would do both. Other instructions like left, right, get down, etc. were in English, which made it easier for me. Not sure how the others felt about it.
• Having to follow instructions in another language in my own country was strange. This is how I’d expect to feel overseas, not here. I tried not to let it get to me because I do feel like he was trying, and I imagine it was awkward for him too — especially since this is an activity where you really need to be on your toes and react in split seconds.
• One time, when he was speaking the main instructions in only Mandarin, and I messed up, he said, “If you don’t know what to do, look at the others.” I was already trying to do that, but that bothered me, because “Dude, I’m supposed to be taking directions from you. I shouldn’t be taking cues from others.”
• It made me feel like a left-out afterthought, like I’d been thrown into a flash mob where everyone already knew the choreography and I was expected to keep up — but of course, I didn’t know it, so I was always a step behind trying to follow them. He then said, “Just try your best,” and I was like, “I am.” He did go back to doing both languages after, but all this did negatively affect my experience.
• He would sometimes call me out for doing things I was already doing. He wasn’t rude about it, but it was still frustrating. There were a couple of times where I stuffed up, and he said something, which was fair enough. But when I was already doing it, it’s like — I don’t know how much more I can do it. LOL.
• We would only do like 2 paddles, then stop so often. LOL. what?
• Sometimes there was so much direction that you couldn’t enjoy the scenery. And you had to put your head down going through the rapids, so you couldn’t even see it, unless you were at the front.
• We got stuck so much, especially in the first half!
• He didn’t laugh at my “my birthday’s not in February” joke! PMSL. Minus one star! 😅😛

After Rafting.

At the bottom, the buses were there, but there were no change rooms like at the top (which the head guide told us earlier).

They parked them at an angle and made the area between the buses and the forest the women’s changing area.

Pros.

• The walk from the riverbank to the raft trailer and the bus at the end of the tour was short.
• The makeshift women’s changing area, and the drawing of the buses’ curtains so people sitting inside couldn’t see, was very courteous.
• I was ecstatic to see Carl, the cassowary, there! The head guide had mentioned him earlier in the day and was leading him off. When I was on the bus a short time later, I saw him again at the side of the bus. Then, as the car with the raft trailer drove off, Carl hilariously chased after it! I’m so sad I couldn’t get a video of that.

Cons.

• I didn’t know we had to carry the raft back. It was only a short distance, but it was heavy and awkward, as the path was just a regular, uneven dirt walking track. We were also down a person, as Jesse kindly let the older lady take the paddles, but it did make it harder.
• I didn’t appreciate that he swore when I fell over, causing the raft to drop (it was pushing my helmet down over my eyes, so I couldn’t see). It wasn’t directed at me, just frustration. He did try to encourage me by saying, “Don’t give up on me now,” and later, “You’re an athlete.”
• If it’s raining, there’s no coverage when you’re changing. You could potentially change on the bus or wait until the pub for dinner.
• I prefer privacy when changing. I was very glad to have brought a long, thin jacket to use as my own private change room.

Dinner. (Included.)

• Feluga Hotel. (Advertised.)
• El Arish Tavern. – The place we went to.

We were running pretty late by the time we got to dinner, so we were given about half an hour to eat. Drinks are pay-for. We didn’t go to the original place that they advertised on the Cairns Adventure website. They also had a different menu (we were asked what we wanted after boarding the bus).

Pros.

• The decor was rustic and quirky. Very classic Australian.
• All the rafters had the outdoor patio area. It was a lovely spot, the temperature was ideal, and there was no issue with insects.
• Even though we only had half an hour to eat, it still didn’t feel rushed because the food was already ready as soon as we got there.
• I got a vegetarian curry that they kindly adapted to be vegan. It was really good, and even though it had a chilli garnish (I asked the guides earlier if it was spicy), it was thankfully mild, so I was able to enjoy it (glaring at you, Green Island’s Emerald Restaurant). My favourite part was the crispy wonton-style chips.
• Earlier, the head guide told us that the dinner portions weren’t substantial. However, I thought the portions were a generous size — pub meals usually are.
• The guides were very thoughtful. The head guide came over to talk to me, had a chat, then got me a takeaway container when I said I’d need one, because I couldn’t finish it. Jesse and another guide also came up and briefly talked to me on the way out of the pub, so they really go out of their way to make you feel part of the team, which I appreciated as a solo traveller.

Cons.

• We didn’t go to the same place that was advertised on the Cairns Adventure Group website, and so the menu was different. I was a little disappointed as I wanted the vegan schnitzel.