Ocean Rafting

Owned since 2001 by Peter and Jan Claxton, who moved from Cape Town after running a seaplane company, this Whitsundays operator runs guided trips aboard a fleet of purpose-built semi-rigid inflatable boats first launched in 1997. The Northern Exposure and Southern Lights tours land at Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, with guided walks and reef snorkelling, departing from Airlie Beach, Daydream Island and Hamilton Island. Trips run weather permitting from Coral Sea Marina North and the business sits in Ecotourism Australia's Hall of Fame for two decades of continuous certification.