Ocean Rafting Secure Back-To-Back Gold Wins

The team at Ocean Rafting brought home two gold accolades at the Queensland Tourism Awards on Friday night, further cementing their incredible achievements.

Winning two gold awards in the categories of Adventure Tourism and Major Tour and Transport Operators, Ocean Rafting Owners Peter and Jan Claxton attended the ceremony to represent their team and the three generations of family working in the business.

“It certainly was a night for the Whitsundays to celebrate, with so many of our region’s tourism operators being acknowledged for offering some of Queensland’s best tourism experiences.

“As a destination, we should be very proud of the unforgettable experiences on offer which were recognised and celebrated on the night,” Jan said.

“Personally, we are so very proud of these awards, our product, and our incredible team. Being family owned and operated, we all work very closely, and our staff are so passionate and invested in offering the experience of a lifetime.

“Everyone comes together to make the magic happen, from the moment they are picked up, out on the Whitsunday waters and up in the sky flying over the reef and islands, through to when they are dropped off at the end of the day.”

“After 26 years of operations, we have created experiences which showcase the best of the Whitsundays and we continue to grow and streamline each year, with more exciting developments planned for 2024,” Jan said.

Ocean Rafting’s wins follow recent success at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards, where they won the same categories, in addition to the consumer-voted People’s Choice Experiences Award. They will now join other Whitsunday operators and head to Darwin in March to represent Queensland at the Australian Tourism Awards.

This past year, Peter and Jan circled back to Peter’s aviation roots, adding a second plane to their fleet of vessels and planes, as well as a new travel shop and extensive work in the environmental sector.

Ocean Rafting is the only company in the Whitsundays with four Master Reef Guides, who are recognised as the world’s leading reef guides, interpreters and story tellers, in addition to a team made up of Marine Biologists and Eye On the Reef trained Eco Hosts.

They are also a coveted Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame member, for being continuously Advanced Ecotourism Australia Certified for 20 years or longer, a Green Travel Leader and Climate Action Business.

Recognised as Best of Queensland Experience and a Quality Tourism Accredited Business under the national quality tourism framework, Ocean Rafting is also the recipient of a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for being in top 10% of attractions worldwide every year since 2012 and a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award winner in the Top 1% of Tourism Businesses around the world and Top 10 Experiences in Australia.

Offering two exciting day tour adventures, the Northern Exposure and Southern Lights, Ocean Rafting takes guests on an exhilarating ride to Whitehaven Beach, the ultimate access to Hill Inlet and special snorkelling sites, as well as the Fly and Raft package, 60-minute scenic flights, a range of adventure packages, charter options and the Reef Seeker environmental educational program.

The fleet of eight semi-rigid inflatable vessels allow guests to experience Ocean Rafting’s signature adrenalin-fuelled ride amongst the beauty of the Whitsundays, while a maximum of 32 passengers allows for a personalised experience in the pleasure of a small group.

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James Unsworth, Environmental Manager/Master Reef Guide, Tiffany Brett, Sales & Marketing Manager, owners Jan and Peter Claxton, and Sales Captain, Nathan Fleming. Photo supplied.

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