Tweed River and Rainforest lunch Cruise
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tweed Heads, Australia
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Cruise along the Tweed River to the rainforest on this half-day scenic boat trip with morning tea and lunch. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins as you start your trip upriver, passing by islands and sandbanks. Continue your journey through the Northern Rivers region up to Stotts Island Nature Reserve and enjoy incredible views of birds of prey and pelicans, along with an informative and entertaining commentary from your captain.
- Enjoy the views from the open-air viewing platform on top of the boat
- See birds of prey and pelicans gather on the riverbanks at feeding time
- Watch the world go by on the riverbanks over morning tea and a local lunch
- Learn about Indigenous history and the river’s wetlands and wildlife
Sample Menu
Main
Tweed River grazing board
Tweed trawler prawns local smoked chicken craft breads with deli meats and cheese, green salad, homemade quiches, fresh seasonal fruits.
Starter
Morning Tea
Fresh plunger Coffee and local teas home baked cake
What's Included
- feeding the birds of prey
- Captains 5 star commentary on the Tweed River Region
- Coffee and/or TeaPlunger coffee , local teas and cakes
- Tour escort/host
- Lunch. Your Tweed River Grazing board includes fresh Tweed trawler prawns, local smoked chicken, craft breads with deli meats, green salad, homemade quiches, fresh seasonal fruits and cheese.
- Alcoholic BeveragesFully licenced bar on board
- amazing views and photo opportunity of the beautiful natural landscape of the Tweed River and Valley
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Drinks (available to purchase)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2 River Terrace, Tweed Heads NSW 2485, Australia
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.10:30 am
Itinerary
1
2 River Terrace
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required.
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years.
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet minimum requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- A small amount of walking is involved.
- Boarding - please arrive 20 minutes prior to departure for pre- boarding
- TIME - AEST for all our cruise departures. (QLD time)
- Cruises still operate when it's raining, as long as weather & river conditions are safe
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 45 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Suellen_M
What a fabulous trip . From start to finish we were treated so well by Captain Eric and Will . The humour and knowledge was engaging. Now for Lunch, the grazing board and prawns were absolutely delicious.
The Crew were professional, hospitable and so friendly - nothing was too much for them.
We would highly recommend.
Reviews
4.8
based on 217 reviews
Julie_L, Mar 2026
Very relaxing
Informative,
quiet get-away
delicious, great food
Welcomed with a happy and friendly crew,
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your kind words!
We are so pleased you found the cruise relaxing and informative, and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, delicious food and friendly crew.
We hope to welcome you back on board again soon!!
Suellen_M, Mar 2026
What a fabulous trip . From start to finish we were treated so well by Captain Eric and Will . The humour and knowledge was engaging. Now for Lunch, the grazing board and prawns were absolutely delicious.
The Crew were professional, hospitable and so friendly - nothing was too much for them.
We would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks so much for your kind words, it really means a lot!
We’re so glad you had a fabulous trip and that Eric and Will made it fun and engaging for you. I’ll pass this on to them. They’ll love it.
Great to hear you enjoyed the grazing board and prawns too, always a highlight.
Really appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back on board again soon!!
Cameron_S, Mar 2026
I would recommend this lunchtime cruise. The skipper Eric provided a great commentary and his crew being Wil and Crystal were really helpful. Lunch included a selection of local food, and of course, some prawns. There is a bar on board wherein you can purchase drinks. The only hiccup was a belt which broke on the engine which resulted in the boat being anchored for a short time whist the skipper attended to the repairs. However, the skipper was a "jack of all trades" and attended to the repairs with no fuss and the patrons all clapped when we were back under way. I would also like to point out the booking experience was easy and SMS communications were excellent, but, there was some confusion around whether the departure time was Qld or NSW time. Overall, I would recommend this tour, allow around three hours.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks so much for your review, we really appreciate it!
Great to hear you enjoyed the cruise and that Eric, Will and Crystal looked after you so well. I’ll pass your kind words on to the crew. And yes, the prawns are always a winner.
Thanks as well for your patience with the engine hiccup. Not ideal, but Eric is pretty handy and we’re glad it was sorted quickly.
We also appreciate you mentioning the QLD/NSW time confusion, that’s something we’ll make clearer.
Hope to see you on board again soon!!
Kisha_D, Sep 2025
Even tho it rain was just a chilled atmosphere. Loved the lunch platter and staff was great. Not over crowded, just cruising along the river 😎
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hi Kisha, thank you for your kind words. Happy to read that you enjoyed the atmosphere, food and our crew. I see that you gave a 4-star review. Would you mind letting us know how this experience could have received 5 stars? 4 stars affect our overall rating. As we strive to provide the best service possible for our guests, we'd appreciate feedback on how to provide a 5 star experience. Thank you!
Yvonne_S, Jun 2025
The trip was really lovely, the food was delicious. Our guides were informative and we enjoyed watching the variety of bird life. I would recommend taking this trip.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
HI Yvonne, thankyou for the wonderful review! So glad you enjoyed the bird life and our guides.
Frances_H, May 2025
The River and Rainforest cruise was everything as advertised, the delicious lunch with fresh local produce. Feeding the birds of prey was another highlight. Highly recommended, well worth doing. The staff are friendly, efficient and expert at what they do.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks very much for your kind words :) we're happy to read that you feel the experience is aligned with our listing.
It's always exciting when the birds of prey make an appearance! Thanks again for joining, it was a pleasure to have you on board
Kelly_L, Mar 2025
Very relaxing. Even on a wet day. Comentary was great and informative. Food was so yummy and plenty of variety. Would highly recommend
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hi Kelly, thank you for your wonderful review.
We are happy to read that you had a relaxing day out, even though it was raining. As we operate in a sub-tropical climate, rain is part of our life on the Tweed River, and it's one of the reasons why all the vegetation is so green. Cruising on a rainy day is a different experience, but we also feel that it's still beautiful :).
Great that you enjoyed the locally sourced lunch. A pleasure to have you on board
Betty_P, Mar 2025
A great experience very informative. Enjoyed it enormously. Lunch was very enjoyable. Staff were extremely pleasant. Will recommend this trip to my friends.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review, Betty! We're so happy you enjoyed the local lunch, and we truly appreciate your support of local businesses!
Christine_C, Jan 2025
Scenic, relaxing and good commentary. It was well organised, the food was good catering as we're vegetarians. All round a good choice for a local outing.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your review, happy to read that you had a relaxing cruise and enjoyed the vegetarian meals! Please feel free to let us know how we could have made your cruise into a 5-star experience.
Lesley_D, Jan 2025
Lovely river cruise and amazing lunch, staff are great, and very informative. Throughly recommend this trip
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed the river cruise, lunch, and our team's hospitality. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon!
Julie_H, Dec 2024
We took our grandchildren out for the day and they loved it. I booked the cruise to hear about the history and nature of the Tweed. Apart from some very rude elderly people on the boat, it was amazing. The staff were so lovely and friendly and helpful. The pilot was also very knowledgeable and helpful.
The feeding of the birds was intriguing to the kids as well as trying to find a dolphin.
Thanks for a memorable experience.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad to hear that your grandchildren had a fantastic time and that you enjoyed learning about the history and nature of the Tweed. We appreciate your kind words about our friendly staff and knowledgeable pilot. It's great to know the bird feeding and dolphin spotting were highlights for the kids! We're sorry to hear about the experience with other passengers, but we’re grateful that it didn’t overshadow your memorable day. We hope to welcome you and your family again soon!
Tony_B, Dec 2024
Great experience and very good food .The wildlife was extremely interesting and the captain and his support were friendly and very knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for the great feedback! We're so glad you enjoyed the food and found the wildlife fascinating. Our team will be thrilled to hear you appreciated their friendliness and knowledge. We’d love to have you back on board again soon!
Michael_B, Sep 2024
Great experience, being on the river with great weather, in-depth commentary from Capt Stuart about the history of the region. Crew equally as fabulous, friendly and helpful. Food excellent, from morning tea to lunch.
Olga_I, Sep 2024
Beautiful boat the Exlporer, excellent knowledgeable commentary from captain, and truly delicious lunch. Sharing our table with other couples provided us with getting to experience friendly conversations, although from different parts of Australia and beyond.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Wonderful to hear that you enjoyed your day cruising with us, and got to connect with other guests on board. That always makes the experience extra memorable :)
selena_b, Aug 2024
The commentary, the staff and an amazing lunch. Lunch fresh, delicious and sorced locally. It rained
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your great feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the commentary, the staff, and the amazing lunch. It’s fantastic that the food was fresh, delicious, and sourced locally.
We appreciate your understanding of the rain and are glad it didn’t dampen your experience. We hope to welcome you back for another cruise soon!
Susan_F, Aug 2024
Although very wet and grey, we had a lovely trip. Very attentive staff and delicious food.
The highlight was feeding the amazing birds from the back of the boat. Although pouring, it was a wonderful experience. A lovely 3 hour tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip despite the wet and grey weather. It’s fantastic to know that our attentive staff and delicious food made your experience special.
Feeding the birds from the back of the boat sounds like a highlight, and we’re delighted that you had a wonderful time on the 3-hour tour.
We look forward to welcoming you back for another great experience!
RobynP_S, May 2024
The Crew were wonderful. The trip up the river was amazing. We had beautiful weather. The morning tea and lunch were excellent. We had chosen the prawn platter. The size of the prawns was awesome. there were 3 of us, and we had a great day. Crew were very informative of the area.
lesley_p, May 2024
Very friendly staff and the food was awesome all fresh. Interesting talk about the cruise, Would recommend it . Our other friends came to 2 more couples they enjoyed it too.
PETER_B, Apr 2024
Great cruise and lovely lunch. Bit disappointing we did not make it to the rain forest as the weather did not permit. But overall enjoyed.
Tracey_P, Mar 2024
This cruise was very relaxing and the staff on board were very friendly. We were boarded promptly and left on time.
Astrid_M, Mar 2024
Relaxing ,beautiful trip on the Tweed. Delicious prawn tasting platter, included divine smoked chicken breast, savoury meats & relish.Great staff & commentary.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for your review. The food is amazing, we have lots of producers in our region that provide us with lovely food for our lunch grazing platters. The smoked chicken and relish are a crew favorite. We look forward to seeing you again.
Janice_S, Feb 2024
Just a lovely reglazing tour up the Tweed River. The food was lovely, commentary with the history and points of interest and also the bird feeding was all above expectations. Just a lovely day out.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
We are so happy we exceeded your expectations. We have a lovely river, so we aim with food and crew just to be as lovely as the river!
Leanne_W, Dec 2023
The uncaring bar staff. Looked and behaved like they didn't want to be there. Weren't helpful nor seemed tp care at all for a diabetic who needed something to eat while waiting 2 hours for lunch. No nibbles to go with the abundance of alcohol available. Couldn't hear Captain as brat children and their inconsiderate parents were non stop talking.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hello Leanne thanks for taking the time to let us know your thoughts. Its disappointing to read your review, obviously you had expectations that we did not meet. Just to clarify a few points:
December is usually School Holidays, and we do get families on board enjoying their time with their children. Children do get excited about being on boat and seeing the bird life, and having a day with family. My suggestion with the children upsetting your day maybe book outside of school holiday times, when you next book an experience.
When booking with us we have long list of dietary requirements you can tick, and we also have comments section so you can let us know about your dietary requests. I suggest next time you make a note in that section so the business is aware of your special needs.
Our staff are amazing, and treat everyone respectfully. The staff gave you extra food when you requested, and made sure they served your lunch before anyone else on the day to cater for your special needs.
As for the bar, it is full of alcohol and your can purchase drinks from it and all staff are trained in Responsible Service of Alcohol. We don't have to provide nibbles for we provide morning tea and lunch that are serve in timely manner.
Hope you find a venue more suited to your needs in the future.
Georgette_T, Dec 2023
The peace and serenity of the cruise. Excellent lunch and great information about the places we were meandering through.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your lovely review, its a lovely scenic river the Tweed, and you describe it how we see it relaxing and peaceful :)
Robert_K, Dec 2023
Good food. Friendly service. Relaxing journey with lots to see. The only negative was a group of mates who talked during the commentary and made it difficult to hear.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your review, we do find the cruise very relaxing, even our crew do! We do get some excited people on at times that want to compete with our commentary, just approach our captain our crew and they can have a quiet word to them...about the volume.
Julianne_K, Dec 2023
Staff were helpful and very friendly. Commentary was excellent. Morning tea and lunch was fabulous! Good coffee too!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
We do have lovely crew and amazing river to talk about. So good you enjoyed all our local food and coffee! thanks again, hopefully we will see you on sunset cruise.
Chris_C, Oct 2023
Great day, spent cruising, informative commentary, great lunch, magic day.
Interstate family loved the cruise
Rudolf_W, Jun 2023
Tour guide and skipper were great.
The Bird feeding and comments were really good as well.
Lunch was well presented and very tasty.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thankyou for the wonderful review! We are glad to hear to that loved our crew. We pride ourselves on our locally sourced lunch, and we are glad you enjoyed it as well!
Lorenda_N, May 2023
It was a lovely, relaxing boat cruise with a very good and educational commentary.
Thoroughly enjoyed our time on the boat, and the food was delicious.
Many thanks for a fun time!
Response from Host, May 2023
Hi Lorenda, thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're happy that you enjoyed your cruise and the food on board :) hope to see you again one day!
Kevin_H, Apr 2023
What a great day out and the morning tea and lunch were lovely. Everyone had a fantastic day so thanks to all the staff you made is such a great outing.
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thank you so much for your review Kevin! Our staff work hard so they truly appreciate hearing commendations like yours. Thank you again for choosing to cruise with us, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts here. We look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon!
From $81.03
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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