Ocean Rafting achieved national success at the Australian Tourism Awards in Darwin on Friday night, winning the award for Major Tour and Transport Operator.

Owners Peter and Jan Claxton were ecstatic with their success on the evening. “It really is very special to have won at the Australian Tourism Awards on a national level, especially in the “Major” category.  We’ve built two new custom made vessels in the past two years to bring the fleet to six, so it has been a big period of growth operationally. We really want to thank our staff, who do an amazing job day in and day out and have contributed to the overall success and reputation of the business.  We can’t fail to also thank all of our guests, agents and industry partners. We are so incredibly proud of this award as we work so hard to always improve the operation and to invest in the business, and will continue to do so.  It makes it so much easier to market our destination when you have an accolade like that,” said Jan.

Peter and Jan were also quick to point out that they are extremely proud to be based in the Whitsundays. “We operate in the one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Whitsundays, and have the opportunity to showcase one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, on a daily basis,” Jan said.

Jan continued, “We also want to congratulate BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday for taking out silver, as well as Pinnacles Resort and Cruise Whitsundays for representing the region.  To have four Whitsunday operators there on a national level is a huge achievement.”

Peter and Jan have owned Ocean Rafting since 2001 and have since built the fleet up to six vessels, as well as establishing a sister operation in Cape Tribulation, Ocean Safari.  Each vessel takes a maximum of 25 to 32 passengers, with small groups allowing guests to experience tropical paradise away from the crowds.

Ocean Rafting operates two exciting day tour options to some of the Whitsunday’s most desirable destinations. The Northern Exposure and Southern Lights tours are both fully guided and include an exhilarating ride to Whitehaven Beach, pristine snorkelling reefs and guided Whitsunday Island National Parks walks.  Ocean Rafting is the only tour to have direct access to the stunning and iconic Hill Inlet beach and special snorkel sites at Hook Island and Border Island ensure a memorable underwater experience.

Ocean Rafting won gold at the Queensland Tourism Awards in Brisbane on Friday night, winning the award for Major Tour and Transport Operator.  The win follows recent success at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards, where Ocean Rafting won gold in the same category.

Owners Peter and Jan Claxton, who attended the awards ceremony, spoke proudly of their win. “We are just so happy to win this award as it reflects such a huge achievement.  We have grown so much that we now have to enter the “Major” category.  With two brand new custom built boats joining the fleet in the last 18 months, it has been a big period of growth operationally. It is extremely rewarding and the industry is so positive in general, so there are many more exciting times ahead,” said Jan.

“The Whitsundays just did so well overall at the Queensland Tourism Awards and we are extremely proud to be a part of such a strong Whitsunday contingent, with the region taking home four Gold, four Silver and three Bronze awards in total. We pass on our congratulations to all the other winners and must make a special mention to our amazing staff, who are the heart and soul of our business. We also extend a huge thank you to all of our guests, agents and industry partners,” said Jan.

As passionate ambassadors for the Whitsunday region Jan went on to say, “We will continue to work hard in promoting and protecting this wonderful region and in developing our operations to offer the most memorable experience for our guests.”

Peter and Jan also own sister company Ocean Safari, based in Cape Tribulation, which came home with a bronze award in The Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism category. “It was a very special experience to come home with two awards at Queensland level,” said Jan.

Ocean Rafting will now automatically be entered in the Australian Tourism Awards due to be held in Darwin in February.

Peter and Jan Claxon have owned Ocean Rafting since 2001, operating a fleet of six vessels and two exciting day tour options to some of the Whitsunday’s most desirable destinations, including Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet.

Ocean Rafting enjoyed success on Saturday night at the glam beach-themed Whitsunday Tourism Awards held at Cape Gloucester Resort. Ocean Rafting scored two gongs, taking home the gold award for the highly respected Major Tour and Transport Operator category, as well as silver in the Adventure Tourism category.

Ocean Rafting owner Jan Claxton, was ecstatic to receive both awards which was proudly shared with staff on the night.

“We have seen such significant growth over the past few years, so not only entering the Major Tour and Transport category in the Whitsunday Tourism Awards feels like a huge achievement for us, but to also win gold just makes it even more special. We are extremely proud to be recognised with these two awards and dedicate these wins to our wonderful staff who are the heart and soul of our operation. Of course we would like to thank everyone who supports us, including local agents, industry partners and our guests and also extend a big congratulations to all the other winners on the night,” said Jan.

It has been a big year for Ocean Rafting with their newest vessel, RipTide, coming on line last month, only eighteen months after their other most recently built vessel, Joyride.  Both vessels were custom built to suit the fleet’s operation, bringing the total number of vessels to six.

“With a fleet of six vessels we can carry over 170 guests each day on an exhilarating adventure to Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and our special snorkelling sites, however as each boat takes only 25 to 32 guests each, we still offer personalised service and the pleasure of a small group.  We also have special permits which allow us to visit Hill Inlet beach itself, which certainly adds to the uniqueness of our tours,” said Jan.

“We are overwhelmed at how fast we are growing, but it has taken a lot of hard work from our team to make it happen and we will continue to develop our businesses both here and up north in Tropical North Queensland,” said Jan.

Ocean Rafting has previously been awarded on a state and national level and is once again an entrant in two categories at the upcoming Queensland Tourism Awards.

Ocean Rafting operates two exciting day tour options to some of the Whitsunday’s most desirable destinations. The Northern Exposure and Southern Lights tours are both fully guided and include an exhilarating ride to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, pristine snorkelling reefs and guided Whitsunday Island National Parks walks.  Ocean Rafting departs from Abell Point Marina daily.