Hiring a self-drive boat is a popular pastime with locals and visitors to Cairns. Enjoy fishing, sightseeing and even crocodile spotting along stunning Trinity Inlet. Relax on an half or full day adventure exploring the entire area around Admiralty Island or head out for a few hours to fish with some expert tips available on great areas for a catch from our crew.
Fuel is included and bait, BBQs and rods can be hired on the day.
The Trinity Inlet is a beautiful estuary situated in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The city center is on the western bank where the inlet meets the sea. Hire one of our boats to enjoy a tranquil cruise of fish on the inlet with its backdrop of green hills and mangrove forests fringing the water's edge. This amazing waterway is where lots of locals like to spend time; it’s close to the city and filled with an abundance of wildlife such as pelicans, egrets and eagles feasting on a variety of fish.
No boat license is required to drive the pontoons, however the driver does need to be over 18 years.
See Availability.
Cairns Marlin Marina, 1 Spence St, Cairns City QLD 4870, Australia
8 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
As this is self-drive, boat driver must be over 18 and hold a current road drivers license
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Phil_W
Fishing was great and the family had so much fun.
Unfortunately what we booked and paid for wasn’t what we got. We booked an 8hr pontoon bbq boat and arrived to find we were booked on a 4hr 4man tinny when we had 5 people. The tour operator was awesome and was able to supply a pontoon boat but we were only able to have it for 4 hours which wasn’t enough time. They also have us 2 fishing rods and the bbq as they were supposed to be included but weren't. I even emailed Viator to find out what was on the bbq boat and got a reply which was accurate but just not what was booked when we arrived. So a bit disappointing but still a wonderful experience.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : grinderboxhooker
We opted for the 2 hr hire, an 8 person pontoon. Easy to drive. Two hrs will get you up the inlet and back. The guys are really friendly and helpful. Great way to see Cairns , relaxing and fun
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Posted On : 2021-08-22
Posted By : BrowningAroundOz
This was a great way to spend some time without spending a fortune. We had some fun along the way- but don't forget the mozzie spray!! Fantastic staff- very friendly and helpful.
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Posted On : 2021-01-13
Posted By : Go253731
The team had every thing ready to go , with clear and simple operating instructions offered. Our party of Six took the 8 Person Pontoon out , despite us being a bunch of large lads there was ample room to fish . We are planning to rebook in the near future . It was a very cost effective, fun, day on the water .
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Posted On : 2021-01-03
Posted By : A B
3 words....Awesome Awesome Awesome....Mark and the guys were GREAT!!!. No fuss and nonsense. It was my son's first time in a tiny and he loved it! Thank you guys, we'll definitely be back!!!
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Posted On : 2020-09-25
Posted By : Peter B
I spent 2.5 hours out on Trinity Inlet which was enough time to do lap of Admiralty Island. We had a little boat not a pontoon which was great. Pat gave great service sent us out on our way.
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Posted On : 2020-01-07
Posted By : RMJI
Self driving a pontoon around Trinity Inlet during the peak of summer is actually a lot cooler than it sounds - fresh breezes from the water, heaps of places to stop and drop anchor. The boat hire staff are really friendly and walk you through all the safety information. They provide a great array of items for hire if you don't have your own equipment. We opted for a BBQ which came in handy for lunch, seeing as we caught a decent sized sooty grunter. Do be prepared with sunscreen.
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Posted On : 2018-03-16
Posted By : Jef C
Went out in October 2017 with friends and their family from overseas for a full day 8-person pontoon hire.
Vessel: Plenty of room on the boat to accommodate 5 of us with two 40L eskies and
fishing gear and drinks. would be great if there is a little table on the boat or maybe some drink holders as well !
Operation: Basic explanation with the operation of the vessel and where to go and where not to. Very easy to maneuver with a 9.9HP Yamaha at the back. No license required but some basic knowledge on boating traffic regulations and tides would help a lot. Usually the other boaties will give these pontoon boats extra room but can easily imagine people got stuck on mud flat / crashing into other boats / smashing propellers on mangroves... There is also a map on the inlet on the boat so you will know where you are heading to.
Fishing: Failed to catch any live bait as dont really want to risk my cast net in the mangroves so used prawns/mullets/pilchards as bait and did alright. There are a few wrecks in the inlet to fish with, we have changed around 5 different spots throughout the day and each spots yields a few good grunters and trevallies. Largest catch was a 3Xcm GT and lost a few bigger ones. Sorry no pic was taken.
Scenic: Great for those who dont really fish, so the mums just sit around and enjoy the breeze, didnt see any crocs because of the tide but still great to see a different part of Cairns.
All in all money very well spent for a full day activity that suits every one in the family ( comparing to a fishing charter or a scenic cruise ) Do bring some insect repellent as sand flies / mozzies would be very annoying in certain time of the year and lots of sunscreen as well ! and there is not toilet on the boat and would take quite a while to head back to the pier for the loo so just keep that in mind. Also do limit your alcohol consumption if you are the one driving, just as driving cars. A very great trip and staff are friendly and explained everything in details. Highly recommended !
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Posted On : 2017-10-16
Posted By : Samanthapar
My husband & I and 2 children hired a pontoon for a full day. We brought our own fishing gear but hired an extra rod, extra esky, & BBQ . Pontoon was easy drive, we have some experience with boats, for a real greenhorn I think getting in& out of the marina would be quiet daunting as large tourist island boats are in and out.
We travelling many of the inlets and had some monster bites, caught some nice fish. All in all a very relaxing enjoyable day away from the rat race. The couple renting pontoons were very friendly and helpful. It really was a great day & money well spent. Fishing from 8:30am til 4:30pm. Bliss!! Ppl complaining the pontoons are slow DAH, get a boating licence if u want to hire faster. Pontoons are slow and safe.
Our pontoon was spotless, I would recommend full tarp cover as it's hot. We were well equipped, easy follow map. It's not a pleasure cruiser they are mainly used for fishing or croc viewing so expect the smell of bait!!!!! We will be back.
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Posted On : 2014-01-03
Posted By : Alan4870
Rented a pontoon with six others (small catamaran with shade roof capable of 10 people) to explore Trinity Inlet. Boat was poorly maintained and unclean. On-board toilet ($100 p/d extra for pontoon with this facility) was filthy, handbasin did not function due tap removed. Steering was heavy and haphazard due to lack of maintenance/lubrication of steering control cables, and engine regularly lost all power necessitating turning completely off and starting again. This occured several times before it permanently stopped due running out of fuel. Phoned operator and waited an hour for him to arrive with fuel. With engine still malfunctioning, we cut short our day and returned boat. Operator had the gall to still expect full payment which we refused, finally discounting by $95 (paying $400). Never again.
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Posted On : 2013-11-18
