60-MINUTE SCENIC FLIGHT

Your 60-minute Scenic Flight

Feel the rush as you soar high above postcard-perfect vistas of The Whitsundays on Ocean Rafting’s spectacular 60-minute scenic flight.

Expanding on its award-winning collection of epic marine adventures, these unforgettable scenic flights offer guests the unique opportunity to view the spectacular Whitsunday Islands and World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef from new heights.

Embrace the exhilarating feeling of flight as you soar above the spectacular Whitsundays, enjoying unsurpassed views of the largest living structure on earth, and one of the seven natural wonders of the world. 

As you soar through cloudless skies reflecting the blue of the ocean beneath, you’ll wing your way over the Whitsunday’s most celebrated natural treasures, including the white silica sands of world-famous Whitehaven Beach, the spectacular swirling sand patterns of Hill Inlet, and the unmistakable outline of the naturally shaped Heart Reef.

With six daily departures from Whitsunday Airport, just 8 minutes from Airlie Beach, this flight offers an unforgettable hour of memory-making magic. Settle into a guaranteed window seat for a bird’s eye view and prepare to be astounded by the spectacular beauty and feeling of freedom that awaits. The pilot’s informative commentary will keep you in the picture, weaving an insightful narrative to accompany the outstanding scenery below. 

For the ultimate adventure through land, sea and sky, why not consider combing your scenic flight with one of Ocean Rafting’s award-winning marine experiences? The Northern Exposure and Southern Lights Fly Raft packages seamlessly combine your scenic flight with an Ocean Rafting tour to Whitehaven Beach for a bucket-list worthy adventure of a lifetime. Further details to follow.

Now sit down, strap in, and prepare to take off on a heavenly flight over paradise. 

Prepare for Take-Off

As you board the courtesy bus or make your own way to the Whitsunday Airport, you’re sure to feel your heartrate elevate as your sense of excitement begins to build. Just a short drive from the tropical holiday haven of Airlie Beach, your modern aircraft awaits, perched on the tarmac in readiness to take flight. 

The Whitsunday Airport is a comfortable base from which to launch into your adventure, offering a range of facilities to ensure your comfort, including an air-conditioned airport lounge, café, bathroom amenities, free wifi, refillable water station, charging ports, secure lockers and free parking to enjoy before or after your flight. Whitsunday Airport’s Hangar Cafe & Bar offers ‘airside access’ dining, where you can indulge in delicious food, unreal coffee or a cold beverage from the relaxed bar. You can even pre-order your breakfast to enjoy on your return.

You and a small group of other lucky passengers will then board your flight, settle into your comfortable guaranteed window seat designed to deliver the ultimate views, then undergo a safety briefing before your experienced and enthusiastic pilot expertly guides the aircraft skywards. 

As the mainland community of Airlie Beach fades into the distance below, your pilot will share informative and insightful commentary, fascinating facts, local knowledge and meaningful insights into the spectacular scenery filling the frame of your window. 

Winging Over The Whitsundays

The lush, palm-fringed coastline gives way to a glorious ocean seascape painted in breathtaking shades of turquoise and blue. Some of the 74 coral-clad islands of the Whitsunday archipelago soon come into view, scattered across the shimmering canvas of the Coral Sea.  The white outlines of yachts dance across the water’s glistening surface, as boaties delight in this sheltered marine mecca. 

Your flight path may vary according to weather conditions, however, you would typically head east, soon crossing the northern tip of Long Island. This tranquil tropical paradise is a long and slender stretch of land, home to resorts and designated National Park, fringed with secluded bays and colourful coral reefs. 

You’ll then soar over the northern edge of Hamilton Island. This idyllic island began attracting serious attention from tourists in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and in 2003, was purchased by renowned Australian winemaker, Bob Oatley. Since then, it has continued to evolve as a favoured holiday hotspot, aided by the development of its own airport, extensive accommodation offerings, and its preserved natural beauty. 

You’ll then loop north past the exquisite coastline of world-famous Whitehaven Beach on the eastern edge of Whitsunday Island. This breathtaking beach is renowned for its pure white silica sands and clear warm waters, often voted as one of the most pristine and beautiful beaches in the world. Its powdery soft sands are 98 per cent silica, also containing traces of gold. A limestone shelf runs from Whitehaven Beach out into the sea, and the surrounding waters change rapidly in hue from the magnificent light turquoise of the shallows to the majestic deeper tones just offshore. 

At the northern end of Whitehaven Beach, you’ll travel over Hill Inlet. Here the changing tides create an incredible moving mosaic of stunning white sands and turquoise waters.

Picture-Perfect Heart Reef

According to the usual flight plan, you’ll then wing east across the World Heritage-listed outer Great Barrier Reef. Your window seat affords unparallelled aerial views of some of the world’s largest collection of coral reefs. Soaring over these spectacular natural wonders is an awe-inspiring experience that’s sure to create cherished lifelong memories. 

Your guided scenic flight across this central section of the Great Barrier Reef also features one of Australia’s most iconic vistas – Heart Reef. Located on Hardy Reef, this stunning coral composition has naturally formed into the shape of a heart and has become an internationally recognised icon of the Whitsundays and Australia, gracing the glossy faces of countless postcards and travel brochures. You’ll relish the opportunity to capture your own unique aerial perspective of this famous view as you soar through the skies overhead. First ‘discovered’ by an Air Whitsundays pilot in 1975, this romance-inducing reef has become the site of many proposals and declarations of love over the ensuing years. 

After this epic flight highlight, it’s time to swing west and begin the return flight back to the mainland. Along the way, you’ll likely pass between Hayman Island (to your right) and Hook Island (to your left). Hayman Island boasts breathtaking natural beauty, serene sensory experiences, and is home to the luxurious InterContinental Hayman Island Resort. Hook Island is the second largest island in the Whitsunday group and is loved for its ideal sailing and bays with sensational snorkel and dive sites.

Once back at the airport, be sure to capture some happy snaps alongside your aircraft before the heavenly scent of freshly brewed coffee entices you inside, where you can enjoy a delicious bite to eat or a beverage at the Hangar Café & Bar.

Upgrade To A Fly Raft Experience

For the absolute ultimate experience above, on and below the water, why not upgrade to Ocean Rafting’s popular Fly Raft experience. 

Following the stunning scenic flight, those continuing on the Fly Raft can collect their breakfast and coffee if they’ve chosen to pre-order, before being transferred to the marina on a comfortable Ocean Rafting courtesy coach for the next chapter in this epic Whitsunday adventure of a lifetime. At the time of booking this ultimate experience, you’ll be given two Fly Raft package options to choose from, including either the Northern Exposure Tour for keen snorkelling and plenty of action-packed exploration in nature, or the slightly cruisier Southern Lights Tour, packed with plenty of beachside bliss. Find out more about options by listening to the detailed audio guides for each experience found on Ocean Rafting’s website at oceanrafting.com.au or at vacayit.com/ocean-rafting. 

This awesome package includes your 60-minute scenic flight, a full day Ocean Rafting on your choice of either the Northern Exposure or Southern Lights tour, a tropical style lunch on Whitehaven Beach, use of snorkelling equipment, wetsuits and/or sunsuits, courtesy bus transfers and informative commentary throughout. The Northern Fly Raft option departs at 7:00am and returns at 3:30pm, while the Southern Lights Fly Raft option takes off at 8:30am and cruises back in at 4:30pm.  If you prefer, when booking, you are more than welcome to split the package over two days if better suited to your needs or your itinerary.

Accessibility

Whitsunday Airport and the Hangar Café & Bar are located at 12 Air Whitsunday Road, Flametree, just eight minutes’ drive from the main street of Airlie Beach. Parking is available at the terminal, including one designated accessible parking space. Ocean Rafting also offers courtesy bus transfers from most Airlie Beach accommodation.

Bathroom facilities, including one accessible toilet, are available within the terminal complex. 

If you plan to travel with a registered assistance animal, please contact Ocean Rafting’s supportive team by phoning (07) 4946 6848 or emailing tours@oceanrafting.com.au.

Please note that the aircraft can only be accessed via stairs, which may prove challenging for wheelchair users and guests with limited mobility, depending on individual circumstances. The team will always strive to accommodate where practical and possible, within the constraints of existing infrastructure.  Depending on your level of mobility, if you’re able to get to the aircraft with the aid of your chair or scooter and are happy for our staff to assist you into the aircraft, we would usually reserve the back seat for guests with limited mobility as it offers easier access in and out of the aircraft. Your wheelchair, scooter or mobility aid will be waiting for you when you disembark. Please contact Ocean Rafting’s supportive team to discuss your unique access requirements.

Due to flight weight restrictions, a maximum passenger weight per seat of 125 kilograms applies for this experience. You will be required to provide your weight in kilograms at the time of booking to ensure compliance with aviation safety regulations.