Imagine a deserted, tropical island paradise just a short paddle off the coast. Idyllic white sandy beaches, warm waters, great cuisine and good company. Welcome to our 3 day Sea Kayaking expedition. Depending on weather conditions and group dynamics we have two exciting destinations on offer for our 3 day programs; the Family Island Group or the Barnard Island Group. Both island groups are national park islands within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and both are amazing places to explore by kayak.

Situated just off the coast of Mission Beach, the Family Island Group consists of 11 lush tropical islands surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Coral Sea.  The waters abound with marine life and we will watch for turtles and dugongs as we kayak. Fringing reefs around the island beaches offer the opportunity to see an array of colourful tropical fish and corals. The day’s activities consist of approximately 3-4 hours of sea kayaking through the islands, allowing plenty of time to explore the rainforest and check out the coral reefs, or just relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility of such a stunning, natural environment. From mid July until late September we look out for the majestic humpback whales, which visit these waters and we often have the awe inspiring opportunity to kayak with these giants of the sea, an enriching experience that will stay with you for life. 

Lying just further north are the Barnard Islands, similar to the Family Islands.  These islands offer a great paddling option if the conditions are breezy, and are a bird watcher's paradise being a major nesting site for several species of terns and many other sea birds. Our 3 day expeditions are a relaxing and rewarding way to explore and experience a beautiful part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 

After your pick up at 8.00am, from your accommodation, we arrive at the beach to pack our kayaks. Your trip leader will give a safety briefing and paddling instruction. We then set of for our first day on the water, paddling through the beautiful Family Islands, passing tiny Timana Island and paddling the coastline of Bedarra Island to our destination of Wheeler Island. This lush verdant island will be our tropical beach camp for the next two nights. After a yummy fresh lunch, we set up our camp. The rest of the day can be spent exploring the beach and island, snorkelling or just relaxing and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of an uninhabited tropical island. During the evening watch a canopy of stars overhead whilst we tuck into a

scrumptious dinner provided by our friendly guides.

We spend the day exploring the outer islands of this group, after breakfast we paddle along the coast of Coombe Island over the fringing reef to visit the further islands of Hudson, Bowden and Smith. These three, known as the triplets are the southernmost islands of the group giving a spectacular view of the peaks of Hinchinbrook Island. Here, we can snorkel off the beach to view the fringing reef and colourful fish. After a luscious picnic lunch we can spend more time exploring these gem like islands and their stunning granite boulder coastlines before getting back in our kayaks. Back at our beach camp Wheeler Island we can watch the sunset over the mainland whilst sipping a glass of wine and nibbling some

pre-dinner snacks.

 A hearty breakfast is served, and the morning is spent at a leisurely pace. There is time for yet another swim before we begin to pack up camp and load the kayaks for our final day on the islands. Today we head northwards towards picturesque Dunk Island, for a delicious lunch and a snorkel or a bit of beachcombing on the islands less visited beaches, then we paddle to our final destination of Mission Beach.