Tully Gorge rafting: White-water tours near Mission Beach, QLD

The Tully River near Mission Beach is the best white water rafting river in Queensland, with the section around Tully Gorge being particularly dramatic.

What is Tully Gorge?

Tully Gorge is one of the most spectacular gorges in northern Queensland. It is surrounded by tall, rainforest-shrouded mountains and basalt columns rise up alongside the Tully River.

However, this gorge is more famous for what’s at the bottom rather than the rock walls. Through the Tully Gorge is a series of white water rapids, and these help make the Tully River arguably the best white water rafting river in Australia.

To book a Tully Gorge rafting tour from Cairns, head this way. To book a Tully River sports rafting trip from Mission Beach, click here.

5 great Mission Beach experiences to book in advance

Small group Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with pristine snorkelling on the Outer Reef, barbecue lunch and snorkelling equipment provided.
Hull River National Park eco cruise – spotting wildlife in the mangroves.
Full day sports rafting on the Tully River – tackle the rapids while rafting through the rainforest.
Skydive from 15,000ft – and land on the beach.
Dunk Island day trip – with plenty of time for rainforest hikes.

Where is Tully Gorge?

Tully Gorge is on the Tully River in the Tully Gorge National Park. It is one of the wettest areas in Australia, with the nearest town being Tully on the Bruce Highway.

The rapids, which reach a Grade 4 level, are partly due to the amount of rainfall, but the Kareeya Hydro Power Station upstream plays a major part, too. When water is released by the hydro scheme, there can be a dramatic influx of water along the river, sending white-water bouncing around the smooth granite boulders on the river bed.

Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday

Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.

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Tully Gorge rafting tours

The Tully Gorge rafting tours run by Raging Thunder offer pick-ups in Cairns, and are not for the feint-hearted.

The Tully River hosted the 2019 World Rafting Championships, and the Grade 3 and 4 rapids come thick and fast.

Participants are warned that they must have competent swimming ability, and a good standard of English. Communication is vital while rafting, and the guides need to be confident that instructions can be understood.

At the time of writing, the tours cost $229 from Cairns, $205 from Mission Beach and $195 from the self-drive starting point in Tully. There is also a $30 river levy to pay on top of the tour cost. Bookings should be made online.

For gentler rapids near Cairns, try a Barron Gorge rafting trip (BOOK HERE). And, for drifting along more sedately, try a Mulgrave River tubing tour (BOOK HERE).

Why Mission Beach is the best place to skydive in Australia

Mission Beach is the best place to skydive in Australia because:

You can jump from 15,000ft – which means extra freefall time.
On the way down, you see the rainforest on one side, and the Great Barrier Reef on the other.
The Mission Beach skydive lands on one of the most incredible beaches in the country.

Find out more (and book if you want to)