Coral Sea Kayaking
Coral Sea Kayaking
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About
We offer expedition sea kayak trips to the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Far North Queensland and to the Louisiades Archipelago in Papua New Guinea. Our flagship expedition is our 6-day Hinchinbrook Island paddle, one of the worlds great sea kayak journeys. Our 12 Day Paddle to Panasia expedition in the Louisiade Archipelago is a trip of a lifetime and well worth the effort. We also offer sea kayak hire out of Mission Beach, Queensland.
Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
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5.0
109 reviews
Excellent
106
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
jeffcan1
Canberra, Australia45 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Wow What a trip.
We have just completed the 7 day hinchinbrook expedition with Coral Sea Kayaking and it was incredible.
Well organised with good gear and excellent food. Our guides Michelle and Brownie were just brilliant. They were lovely people, experienced in guiding and knew the flora and fauna of the area very well.
We were lucky to have perfect weather and had a brilliant 7 days. The paddling was not too much and every night we stayed on a beautiful sand beach that were all very different. We saw a stack of sea turtles, fish, dolphins, dugongs and other marine and bird life.
To top it all off the food was absolutely brilliant.
I would highly highly recommend this trip and we are looking at other expedition paddles with Coral sea kayaking in the future.
We have just completed the 7 day hinchinbrook expedition with Coral Sea Kayaking and it was incredible.
Well organised with good gear and excellent food. Our guides Michelle and Brownie were just brilliant. They were lovely people, experienced in guiding and knew the flora and fauna of the area very well.
We were lucky to have perfect weather and had a brilliant 7 days. The paddling was not too much and every night we stayed on a beautiful sand beach that were all very different. We saw a stack of sea turtles, fish, dolphins, dugongs and other marine and bird life.
To top it all off the food was absolutely brilliant.
I would highly highly recommend this trip and we are looking at other expedition paddles with Coral sea kayaking in the future.
Written 14 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vacation24449691906
7 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
This kayaking trip with guides James and Michele was truly exceptional and exceeded all my expectations. My husband and I took our 3 children aged 16, 20 and 22 and we all survived and thrived. You need to be able to be a team player and do your share of the work but you are rewarded by delicious food, stunning scenery, interesting conversation, new friends and in the end the sense of achievement is enormous. The ONLY negative was the midgee/
Mozzie bites which my family experienced. I was a bit more vigilant with the repellant and escaped them. I agree with all the positive comments of other reviewers.
Mozzie bites which my family experienced. I was a bit more vigilant with the repellant and escaped them. I agree with all the positive comments of other reviewers.
Written 12 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jon M
2 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
I was impressed by the ability of our guides James and Michelle to take a group of people, most who had never met and with variable paddling experience, and create a week of open water paddling with the right mix of adventure and fun. We mostly paddled in the mornings and went swimming or sat on one beach or another in the afternoon. There was a nice bush walk up to and swim at Zoe Falls. Hinchinbrook is an amazing place and that helps.
There is some work involved. Tent and sleeping mat are provided but you have to set it up and pack it yourself. You have to unpack and pack kayaks and work as a team to carry them up the beach at the end of the paddling day and launch them each morning. Food however is all prepared by the guides, and the food is impressive.
Highly recommended.
There is some work involved. Tent and sleeping mat are provided but you have to set it up and pack it yourself. You have to unpack and pack kayaks and work as a team to carry them up the beach at the end of the paddling day and launch them each morning. Food however is all prepared by the guides, and the food is impressive.
Highly recommended.
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ShireAlan
Sydney, Australia174 contributions
Jun. 2023
This was great trip seeing a beautiful part of Australia. There was just the right amount of Paddling to enjoy the scenery and to feel satisfied at the end of the day. The guides James and Michelle were both excellent in the way they looked after the whole group and made sure everyone was in a comfortable zone. Not only were they great guides they were amazing chefs preparing wholesome tasty meals. If you have any desire for one of the world's best adventure holidays book this trip.
Written 28 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VornC
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia9 contributions
Jun. 2023
Had an awesome week paddling 100+km along Hinchinbrook Island with Coral Sea Kayaking. Beautiful scenery, great people, great weather and great food. James and Michelle were excellent guides - organised, sociable, knowledgeable and had us constantly amazed at the delicious meals they created each day on a couple of camp stoves. Highly recommended.
Written 21 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John S
5 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Friends
This was a fantastic experience. The adventure of open water kayaking combined with the rewards of visiting beautiful islands and spectacular locations. After a solid paddle during the day, we were rewarded with a variety of amazing dinners (and desserts).
James and Michelle really went out of their way to ensure we were well fed and well looked after.
I’d love to do it again 👍
James and Michelle really went out of their way to ensure we were well fed and well looked after.
I’d love to do it again 👍
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T G
Sydney, Australia11 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Friends
Our guided kayaking adventure around Hinchinbrook Island and through the Family Islands was a fantastic experience. I was impressed with the professionalism and approachability of our guides James and Michelle. They worked continuously to ensure that our experience was trouble free and enjoyable. We camped on fantastic tropical beaches, swam and had really amazing food in great company. A marvellous way to explore this beautiful part of the world.
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roland V
Caringbah, Australia19 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Friends
What a wonderful experience ! Paddling around somewhat isolated islands in Far North Qld in an escape from a Sydney Winter is an excursion I highly recommend. Bring with you kayaking ability , a sense of adventure and a team attitude . Our guides James and Michelle provided the rest. This is a hands on tour . The more you contribute the more you appreciate it .
Camping on isolated beaches with magic tropical views . Enjoying abundant , healthy , flavoursome meals and interesting group banter. For me it is an enjoyable , physical tour encompassing my favourite pass times of Paddling , meeting people and beaches.
A big thank you to our guides . Very knowledgeable, very experienced in adventure and life and very nice humans !
An adventure which I will look back on with a broad smile on my face and a sense of achievement.
Camping on isolated beaches with magic tropical views . Enjoying abundant , healthy , flavoursome meals and interesting group banter. For me it is an enjoyable , physical tour encompassing my favourite pass times of Paddling , meeting people and beaches.
A big thank you to our guides . Very knowledgeable, very experienced in adventure and life and very nice humans !
An adventure which I will look back on with a broad smile on my face and a sense of achievement.
Written 18 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountainGirl
2 contributions
Oct. 2022
Yes, the food and scenery are wonderful as others have noted. But our head guide Paul specialized in taking all the fun out of the trip. He came off as egotistical, militaristic and devoid of empathy. Also note that because of crocs, there's only one stop where swimming is allowed.
Written 18 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi MountainGirl
Really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the Hinchinbrook trip. This is an uncommon occurrence and most of our customers finish the trip happy and stoked with the experience (as outlined in many of the other reviews on trip advisor)
Firstly thank you for for your feedback. We appreciate all feedback regardless of whether it is negative or positive, as we use all these comments to help refine and improve our trips for our future customers.
We pride ourselves on delivering great kayaking trips and having the best kayak guides out there on the water. I am sorry Paul came across as egotistical, militaristic and devoid of empathy. What I will say about being an expedition guide is that it can sometimes be a very hard job in a challenging environment with challenging people and thus a challenging team dynamic. Your Hinchinbrook trip in particular proved to be a 'very challenging' trip for both the kayak guides due to an unfavourable team dynamic. If our kayaking groups do not work well as a team and if participants do not help to make the trip a success then it can fail. These are active holidays where being helpful and being a good team member are essential. For this style of expedition; the more you put in, the more you get out. The guides do not demand much help but do require assistance lifting kayaks and setting up and packing down camp.
Unfortunately this was not the case with your group and the guides reported that many group members were not helpful, were negative and ultimately physically incapable for this style of expedition. When we have team members like this it puts undue pressure on the kayak guides who then have to work very hard to deliver a good trip and to keep the expedition on track and safe. This is certainly not an excuse for being rude but it does sometimes demand that the kayak guides communicate in a succinct and blunt way, which in turn can be mistaken as 'egotistical' and 'militaristic'. Ultimately our kayak guides have the best intentions for the group at heart and despite the curve balls thrown at them by 'challenging' customers they continue to work tirelessly to deliver a great trip.
With regard to your comments about swimming and Crocs, this I am sorry to say is an incorrect statement and there are many places to swim along the way and we do not kayak in high risk croc habitat.
Anyway thanks for your comments Karen. We wish you all the best and happy travels :)
Written 15 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michelle D
Sydney, Australia14 contributions
Oct. 2022 • Couples
Awesome trip led by Paul and Blake. Couldn’t have had a better time - the trip was exactly as advertised and exceeded our high expectations. Paul’s cooking was amazing, Blake’s dad jokes spectacular, and both of them made us feel safe in all weather and conditions.
We did average days of about 18kms and had a rest day to swim, rest and read on Wheeler Island while Paul took a few of the group for an optional paddle.
Sleeping each night to the sound of waves breaking only a few metres from where we slept was amazing, while the kayaking stretched us (just enough) and was incredibly fun.
We had a great group of people with us, which made it even better.
We did average days of about 18kms and had a rest day to swim, rest and read on Wheeler Island while Paul took a few of the group for an optional paddle.
Sleeping each night to the sound of waves breaking only a few metres from where we slept was amazing, while the kayaking stretched us (just enough) and was incredibly fun.
We had a great group of people with us, which made it even better.
Written 9 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
