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The cruises on this page are half or full day cruises. For long-distance ocean or river cruises, generally involving at least one night's accommodation on board a vessel and travelling substantial distances from one location to another, see Coastal and Waterway Cruising

Gordon River, Tas
No visit to the west coast of Tasmania is complete without a cruise on Macquarie Harbour and the ancient, mirror like water of the Gordon River. This magnificent waterway was the subject of international attention in the early 1980s when conservationists stopped the building of a dam across the river. The waters of this river meander down from the Central Highlands, through breathtaking a World Heritage-listed temperate rainforests to the mouth of Macquarie Harbour. A huge natural protected body of water, Macquarie Harbour surrounds the ruins of Tasmania's most infamous convict stations in the south and gives way to the wild ocean through the narrow and turbulent Hell's Gates.
Island of the Dead, Port Arthur, Tas
Next time you visit the ruins of the Port Arthur Penal Settlement on Tasmania Peninsula in Southern Tasmania, be sure to include a boat trip out to the Island of the Dead if you haven't already been there. The cruise to this small island includes a guided tour, which presents Port Arthur's history from a totally different point of view to that which is normally told. The tour highlights the human side of the Port Arthur story by offering an insight into the lives of the people who lived and died there.
Whitsunday Islands, Qld
The Whitsunday Islands on Queensland's tropical coast are the epitome of the perfect tropical island holiday destination and are synonymous with the image of paradise. Centrally located on the Queensland Coast, the Whitsundays are right in the heart of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. The main islands lie directly between the Queensland Coast and The Great Barrier Reef to the east. They are the most well known and well visited island group in Australia, and as one of the country's major tourist attractions and holiday destinations, they are without question a very special part of Australia. There are a mind boggling array of cruise options when it comes to the Whitsundays - including diving, yachting or plain old sightseeing.
Katherine Gorge, NT
A cruise through the spectacular Katherine Gorge is one of the many unforgettable experiences of a journey to the Top End of the Northern Territory. The gorge is described as 13 gorges but it is in fact one big, deep, fractured gorge with walls more than 70m high, carved by the Katherine River that winds 12 km through ancient sandstone. In the wet season, the river rages like a torrent through the gorge. In the dry season it becomes a series of pools, albeit river-sized ones, that are separated by rocky bars, each of the 13 sections being created by the drop in the water level, thus becoming 13 separate gorges.
Tasman Peninsula, Tas
Sealife Experience Tours operate a two hour boat trip from Pirates Bay down the coast of the Peninsula and back. Specially built craft take you in close to the base of towering dolerite cliffs to see Tasman's Arch from the ocean side, seal colonies, dolphins, a waterfall pouring down the cliff face and straight into the ocean, sea caves and lots so much more. April & May are the best months as the sea is calmest then. This is one of the best value coastal cruises available in Australia today, made all the better for showing off one of the most scenic stretches of our coastline.
Bruny Island, Tas
A little further south-west along the Tasmanian coast from Tasman Peninsula is Bruny Island, where another excellent eco cruise operates. Bruny Island Cruises runs a three hour cruise along the island's oceanside coastline which takes passenger close to sea and coastal wildlife (coastal wildlife such as seals, dolphins, whales, albatross and other seabirds), cliff faces, sea-caves, as well as scooting through the narrow gap between the coast and The Monument, which is a tall and slender sea stack.
Eurimbula National Park, Qld
The Town of 1770 /  Agnes Water, a little known gem of a destination on the central Queensland coast, is home to a fleet of amphibious vehicles used to take visitors on full day part-land, part-sea coastal adventures. The bright pink ex-army Larc vehicles travel along the coastline of Eurimbula National Park, crossing four tidal creeks, before four wheel driving up the steep climb to the historic Bustard Head Lightstation. Well versed guides provide an informative commentary on the area's abundant wildlife and the history of Bustard Bay.
Riverboat Postman, NSW
There was a time when postmen delivered mail to out of the way riverside towns across Australia by boat. This time honoured tradition is still maintained in one place - on the Hawkesbury River, which forms the boundary between the city of Sydney and the NSW Central Coast. Every day guests can travel with the postman and visit the small isolated river communities along the magnificent Hawkesbury River as their mail is delivered. Along the way they are entertained by a commentary of the river and its history.
Swan Valley Wineries, Perth, WA
The fertile middle Swan valley near Perth is where Houghtons, one of the most respected Western Australian wine makers and Australia's third oldest winery, was established in 1836. Over the years, Houghtons evolved to be one of WA's most prominent wine producers and the most awarded, and pioneered the development of the Swan Valley wine region. A wine cruise up the sleepy middle reaches of the Swan River is the most popular way for visitors to Perth experience both the wines of WA's oldest wine region and the serenity of the river around which it was established.
Yellow Water Wetlands, Kakadu NP, NT
Kakadu and Litchfield National parks are names synonymous with this amazing part of the Northern Territory, where stunning scenery, abundant wildlife and diverse landscapes are inextricably connected with deeply significant Aboriginal cultural history which has been passed down for generations. Thus, our adventure into this beautiful area becomes far more than a wilderness expedition, but also a spiritual journey. No visit to Kakadu would be complete without a sunrise cruise on the Yellow Water Wetlands, ideal for viewing the abundant bird life whilst spotting enormous estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles.
The Paddlesteamers of Echuca, Vic
The Victorian town of Echuca, a former paddlesteamer port on the Murray River, has re-invented itself as one of the most interesting inland tourist towns in Australia, its main attractions being the shops, hotels, stores and wharf that once served the river trade, and a fleet of six Paddlesteamers. The famous vessels, some of the last remaining examples of their type is the world, are used for cruises up and down the Murray, from one hour trips to a number of days.
The Coorong and Younghusband Peninsula, SA
The wetland complex within Coorong National Park is a very special place around the the lower Murray River. The Spirit of Coorong offers 4 1/2 or 6 hour cruises into the area, stopping at Godfrey's Landing for a guided board walk across Younghusband Peninsula to view the Southern Ocean. The next stop is at Cattle Point for a guided walk into a significant Aboriginal site followed by a visit to the Murray Mouth.
St Helena Island, Moreton Bay, Qld
In many ways, Queensland's most historic island is Australia's version of Alcatraz. For more than 60 years St Helena Island was home to hundreds of society's outcasts, for here stood colonial Queensland's foremost maximum security prison for men. This beautiful National Park, located four kilometres from the mouth of the Brisbane River, is rich in history and has a fascinating and colourful past. AB Sea Cruises operates educational and historical tours to St Helena Island. Their 17 metre catamaran, Cat-O'-Nine-Tails, takes 30 minutes to reach the island from Brisbane's bayside suburb of Manly. Day tours operate all year long; Night Ghost tours are conducted by members of the St Helena Theatre Troupe.
Lady Musgrave Island, Qld
Lady Musgrave Island and Lagoon is a true coral cay situated only 32 nautical miles from the Town of 1770. Lady Musgrave National Park is a tropical paradise abundant in pisonia forests and bird life. The island is set on 3000 acres of living reef with a deepwater coral lagoon which is unique to the entire Great Barrier Reef Region. Day cruises to the island from 1770 include access to the island's only pontoon; a trip in the semi-submersible viewing the coral reef of the lagoon; fish feeding; guided walks; morning and afternoon tea and a tropical luncheon.

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