Cairns Travel Forum

Hi,
I have done full day Tully River rafting many years back and enjoyed it very much. I am going back to Cairns again this December. Prices have gone up quite a bit for rafting since the last time I was there, and I am looking at 1/2 day Barron River this time to save a bit of money and also to try a different river. The website states that Barron is a grade 3 while Tully is a grade 4.

Any comments on Barron and how is it compared to Tully? Any body tried both rivers before? I read a web review of complains about how dry the Barron is and to go to Tully instead which got me worried.

Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.

Hi there,
I haven't done the rafting, that is one thing I that is not on my list of things to do here. But I have seen the Barron River area where the rafting is done. I saw the rafters carrying their rafts as there wasn't enough water to go through. This was in the dry season and I found out that it all depends on the water that they let out of the Hydro area, as what the rafting is like there. I actually thought it was a rip off. Pay good money and carry a raft, bugger that!!!
We are having rain now, not a lot, but by December there should be more,and they may let out more water at this time of year, so the Barron area could be good.
I would check how much water there is when you arrive here.

I had booked to raft the North Johnstone River a couple of years back but unfortunately Cyclone Larry wiped it out. Haven't had time to get back to it. The advantage there is that water is released for rafting, part of the cost is a fee for that. I haven't done the other rivers but have heard that North Johnstone River is better.

Thanks Anne12.

It'll be terrible if we ever need to carry the raft in a river :(

Thank 1+1,

I don't think they offer 1/2 day North Johnstone rafting.