cairns family activities & tours: wonga beach equestrian — ride the beach
“The natural way to journey through two world heritage wonders.”
Situated at pristine Wonga Beach, 25 mins north of Port Douglas and 10 mins south of historical Daintree Village.
Enjoy a relaxing half day horse ride along beautiful Wonga Beach where the rainforest meets the reef and through pristine Daintree Rainforest trails. Where else in the world can you ride through two world heritage wonders? As you journey along Wonga Beach you have the Great Barrier Reef on one side and world heritage Daintree Rainforest on the other... truly spectacular!
Catering for the absolute beginner to the experienced competitive rider, this is truly your ultimate ride. Feel the freedom as you walk, trot or canter your horse along a stretch of deserted beach without a care in the world. You are provided with comprehensive tuition prior to your ride and then matched up with a horse to suit your riding ability.
Come on, you’ve always dreamed about it and now here is your chance to do it! Surprise a loved one or take along the whole family for a day that you will always remember together. An activity for all ages, you can even bring grandma and grandpa.
The Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre is open 7 days and have two Ride the Beach tours per day. There is no experience necessary however bookings are essential.
About Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre and the “Ride the Beach” Tour
Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre's “Ride the Beach” tour is a locally owned and operated, family business. Sara Croaker and Jason Knack are both accomplished riders and very passionate about their horses and the stunning region in which they operate. Sara and Jason have spent most of their life working in the tourism industry and to be able to combine their passion of horses with the opportunity to showcase the beauty of Tropical North Queensland has certainly been a dream come true.
Currently operating a stable of 24 horses, Sara and Jason pride themselves as a ‘boutique’ operators, providing a quality experience with personalised attention and small group numbers.
“We cater for the absolute beginner rider to the most experienced competition rider. It is so rewarding to see even the experienced riders who have had an exhilarating canter along the beach, come back with huge smiles on their faces, saying it is one of the best things they have ever done. On the other end of the scale to see first timers, nervous at first, have a little trot along the beach and then vow to take up riding lessons when they get home... to open up a whole new world to people, is truly rewarding.”
Competitive equestrians themselves, Sara is currently involved with Western Pleasure, Dressage and Hacking while Jason is involved with Cutting and Campdrafting.
Some recent testimonials taken from our visitors’ book include:
- Very relaxed and very enjoyable ride thanks entirely to ‘Gidget’. Great horse and looked after me well. Would recommend it to anyone. Jo, UK
- Beautifully kept horses, a pleasure to ride. Geri, Perth
- Guides are unreal, always felt confident with their guidance. ‘Gambler’ absolutely beautiful. Greatest day I’ve had in years. Lauren, NSW
- Loved the ride! Your horses are beautiful – a credit to you all. We have been on a lot of treks and yours is the best. Thank you so much. Renee & Rob, VIC
- I loved that experience. The horses were great and I’m going to learn horse riding back in Switzerland. Mona, Switzerland
- Fantastic time! King was fabulous, beach unreal and rainforest magical. Veronica, USA
- The horses (Tyson and Jack) and the Guides made this an unforgettable experience. Thank you so much Sofie & Patricia Denmark
- Really good, competent instruction. Love the freedom the experienced riders get. Laura, UK
- Great horses, great setting. ‘Forest’ is an absolute gentleman. Kerry, VIC
Scheduled Horseriding Tours
There are 2 rides daily, a morning ride and an afternoon ride. Actual riding time is approximately 2.5 hours. Schedule is as follows:
Morning Ride:
Pick ups commence in Port Douglas @ 7.50am... if self driving you will need to be at the stables by 8.20am.
Return approximately 11.30am, back to Port Douglas accommodation by 12.15pm
Afternoon Ride:
Pick ups commence in Port Douglas @ 1.45pm... if self driving you will need to be at the stables by 2.20pm.
Return approximately 5.30pm, back to Port Douglas accommodation by 6.15pm.
Scheduled Tour Itinerary
On arrival at Wonga Beach Horse Rides you will be provided with boots, helmets and appropriate clothing (if required) and then you will be allocated a horse to suit your level of riding experience.
You will then participate in tuition using principles based on natural horsemanship; this will take approximately 20 minutes prior to the departure of the ride. The Guides are there to assist you throughout the ride and reinforce the principles you have just learnt.
You will then ride along a scenic grassy headland on the way to beautiful Wonga Beach, this will take approximately 15 minutes. Upon arrival at the beach, the group is broken up into smaller groups according to your riding experience. The experienced riders will go ahead and canter their horses, whilst intermediate and beginner riders will be provided with further tuition to trot their horses along the beach. If you would prefer just to walk and take a leisurely stroll along the beach, that is fine too the day is yours to enjoy!
You then regroup at the northern end of the beach where you will stop and have a drink and for those who have their cameras, this is the time for some real photo opportunities. This is a very scenic spot as you overlook Snapper Island and you can see the mouth of the Daintree River in the distance.
You then make your way back along the beach to the entrance of the World Heritage rainforest trail. You will enjoy the coolness and peacefulness of this pristine rainforest as your horse makes it way along the narrow path and through some of the world’s oldest rainforest. In the ‘wet’ season there are seasonal creeks to cross, which make for some added adventure!
Wildlife on the tour
For the keen wildlife spotter, you may be lucky enough to spot some of the following wildlife on your ride:
- Shovel Nose Rays (swimming in the shallows offshore)
- Jumping Cod (Wonga Beach is famous for these fish)
- Dolphins
- Scrub Fowl (see their amazing nests as you journey through the rainforest)
- Scrub Pythons (rare to see and definitely not harmful)
- Goanna
- Ulysses Butterfly (bright blue) or the Cairns Birdwing Butterfly
- Kookaburra
- and Kingfishers to name a few...
Exclusive Horse Riding Tour
If you would prefer not to join a scheduled horse riding tour, why not spoil yourselves and enjoy a private ride. They require a minimum of 2 passengers for the private ride and you will be allocated with your own guide.
There are two options; a 2 hour ride which follows the same route as the scheduled rides (Beach and Rainforest) or you can opt for just a 1 hour ride which just does the beach component.
Timings are flexible with the private rides, so please email us for further information.
FAQ
Transfers
Port Douglas and Daintree transfers are included in the cost. If you are coming from Cairns or the Northern Beaches, we suggest you hire a car from The Tour Specialists and make a day of it! For example you could do a ride in the morning, then in the afternoon venture up to Daintree or Cape Tribulation and explore this beautiful part of the world. If you are not keen on driving, The Tour Specialists can arrange transfers from Cairns for you for an additional cost.
Group Size
Maximum group size is 14. There is a ratio of one guide to 5 passengers. Once on the beach, the group is broken up into smaller groups according to levels of riding experience. This is to ensure that experienced riders are not inhibited by beginner riders and that beginner riders receive further tuition and guidance to make their experience as much fun and enjoyable as possible.
Minimum Age
Minimum age is 7 years old, unless the child has had considerable riding experience.
Weight Restrictions
Maximum weight is 105kg/230pounds
What To Wear
Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre supply riding boots and helmets. Please ensure you wear jeans or long pants, bring along a pair of socks and wear a t-shirt or polo shirt (no singlets or tank tops). They also do have quite a few pairs of jeans available if you have not bought jeans or long pants with you on your vacation.
Cancellation Policy
As they cater for limited numbers and are fully booked on a regular basis, they do adhere to a tight cancellation policy. If you cancel within 24 hours, a full cancellation penalty is charged. In the case of inclement weather, you may reschedule. For all other cancellations a 25% cancellation fee applies.
Camera
You may bring along your own small camera which they carry in your saddle bags. The guides are more than happy to take your photo whilst on the beach.
Drinks
There is a free supply of water bottles on the ride and an assortment of soft drinks on your return.
The Horses
The guides are very proud of their horses! Their temperament, willingness and responsiveness is not that of your ‘typical’ trail ride horse.
They have a mixture of Quarter Horses and Australian Stock Horses. The majority of the horses have come off Cattle Stations or have been used in a variety of disciplines such as Pony Club, Dressage, Cutting and Endurance riding.
Location
Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre is situated:
- 1 ¼ hours north of Cairns
- 25 minutes north of Port Douglas
- 10 minutes south of Daintree Village
Driving Directions from Port Douglas
Return to the Captain Cook Highway and turn right and head in a northerly direction. You will drive through the little township of Mossman, keep going until you come to Wonga Beach. You will see a Caltex Service Station on your right hand side. Keep going along the highway for another kilometre and you will see Wonga Beach Equestrian Centre on your right hand side. They have a large blue sign which says “Ride the Beach”. They are located right next door to the Wonga–belle Nursery and Orchid Gardens.
“Ride the Beach” is located on the main highway, so you do not need to turn off anywhere!
The Tour Specialists Consultants Tip:
“Ride the Beach” is recognised as one of the most professionally run horse riding places for tourists in Tropical North Queensland. The tuition is great and the horses are all of a high standard and very well educated. Definitely not your typical follow the tail trail horses. They regularly have guests coming back from their rides and asking if they can buy their horses they loved them that much.
I have been with my young family several times and we just love it! You can even canter your horse in the surf, and the views are to die for. The horses, Sara and Jason, the Beach and Rainforest experience in this pristine part of the world is just priceless.
One of the last places in this country you can experience such a unique journey.
