Ocean Free

Family Owned

Ocean Freedom

CAIRNS PREMIER GREAT BARRIER REEF & ISLAND TOURSOperating Two Exclusive Reef Tours "Ocean Free" & "Ocean Freedom"

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Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef and Island Tours represent “Ocean Freedom” and “Ocean Free”, two highly guest-focussed, small group, eco-accredited snorkel and SCUBA dive reef tours locally owned and passionately operated by Perry Jones and Taryn Agius and their wonderful team. For domestic or international travellers we are only 10 minutes from the Cairns airport! We would sincerely  love the opportunity to give you a great day on the Great Barrier Reef!

Perry has been in the dive industry in Cairns and managing dive operations on 4 vessels since 1988, including Ocean Free since 1992, when he met Taryn. Since 1992 they both worked the boats and purchased Ocean Free (a 16.5m schooner) in 1996. Having many years of experience in the industry, Ocean Free quickly became a well-established and respected company amongst local agents and the marine industry.

They then bought their second vessel Ocean Freedom in 2005 and after a year’s total refurbishment, the luxury 20m cruiser was launched in mid 2006. Ocean Freedom underwent another million-dollar refurbishment in February 2008, changing from the previous jet engines to props, re-spraying, extending the teak snorkel and dive deck by 3m, making it the most spacious snorkel back deck in Cairns. The new look, faster Ocean Freedom receives great reviews in the industry. Ocean Freedom now cruises at 23 knots and arrives at the reef in an hour, giving guests 6 hours on the reef.

With the operation of two vessels it was necessary to re-brand the products to encompass the two vessels under one trading name. This, plus the company’s commitment to running very personalised, low guest number tours with excellent customer service, lead to their new company name Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours.

In 2014 both boats underwent major, million-dollar refurbishments, with new engines, decking, seating, bulkheads and on Ocean Free new mast rigging and sails. In mid 2023 Ocean Free was fitted with a new propeller and Ocean Freedom had another  major refurbishment with 2 new engines, new electrics, new ladder, cushions, and carpet.

Both boats undergo annual cosmetic refits to ensure they look their best at all times.

Today, Perry and Taryn continue to have a great love for the sea and reef and are passionate about ensuring all their guests have an unforgettable reef experience and all round “feel good” day! They look forward to welcoming you aboard one of their Cairns’ Premier Reef & Island Tours and becoming part of the ever-growing “Ocean Free” and  “Ocean Freedom”  Family !

Dear all, we are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to have you visit our beautiful Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region! Once you visit the Great Barrier Reef - it casts a spell on you and the more you visit and learn about this amazing World Heritage Icon the more you want to return....and we also love to have you back! Both Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom follow all legislative and WPH&S requirements for recreational snorkelling and diving, are ATEC accredited for travel safety, and follow all Industry State and Federal requirements of the present time. If you have any queries please let us know on info@oceanfree.com.au or phone +61 7 40521111 – we are here to help! We would sincerely love the opportunity to give you all a great day on the Great Barrier Reef. Much love Taryn, Perry, Jazz and the Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom family.

Why Travel with Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours
Sail Ocean Free Cruise Ocean Freedom

Personalised Tours

We value our guests and are committed to providing very personalised, caring tours on both boats, where you’re a name not a number.

Exclusive Sailing Trip

Ocean Free has an exclusive mooring 1km off Green Island offering international visitors and locals a sail, reef and island experience.

More Reef Time

Ocean Freedom gives guests 6 unrushed hours to explore 2 stunning reef destinations, Upolu Cay Reef and Outer Edge Upolu Reef.

The Best Crew

Crew members are hand-picked to provide unsurpassed service, professionalism, reef knowledge and a high respect for safety.

Fantastic Snorkelling

Step straight off our boats to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, no deep, dark water!  The coral outcrops come up to just 1M under the surface for easy viewing. We provide guided tours, and our crew share their knowledge and passion  for the reef.

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Scuba Diving

We have the highest ratio of dive instructors to divers (2:1) for our Non-Certified (intro) diving and small group Certified diving with complimentary guide to ensure you see the best parts of the reef. We take your safety very seriously.

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Environment

Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours are proud to announce that both their personal Great Barrier Reef Tours have been  Advanced Eco Certified tours for over 10 years, earning the Ecotourism  title of Green Travel Leader

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Value for Money

Ocean Free and Ocean Freedom are both priced the same and offer great value for money, with lots of inclusions including all snorkel equipment and tuition, snorkel tours, food served throughout the day  and plenty of time at your reef destinations.

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Testimonials

Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef & Island Tours
Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef & Island Tours
4.9
Based on 1379 reviews
See all reviewsWrite a review
Ocean Free Reef TourWe enjoyed a day-long trip to the inner reef near Green Island aboard the “Ocean Free” motor-sailer with Matt, Ryan, and Marie. The boat was comfortable, the food was excellent, and the crew was delightful. There were 2 opportunities to snorkel with a well-informed guide above part of the inner reef, and we had some free time to explore the national park on Green Island. There was lots to see under the water, including giant clams, parrot fish, a moray eel, and a sleek black-tipped reef shark, which to our relief proved to be quite timid. Two thumbs up for this outing!
Carol H.
Carol H.
1771837072
We had an absolutely amazing experience with Ocean Freedom! My wife and I were so impressed with everything, the crew, the food, the boat, and even the weather was perfect. Everything was truly 10 out of 10.The team was professional, friendly, and made the whole day unforgettable. You can really tell they care about delivering a top-quality experience.Thank you to the whole crew for such a wonderful day. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for an incredible adventure!
Leo C.
Leo C.
1771805286
Great snorkeling tour. Was an overcast day but it didn't slow anything down. Had a glass bottom tour first off and that was a great suggestion on their part. Wonderful talk about the reef, it's inhabitants and protection of the area. Then we did a guided snorkel followed by a snorkel in a marked area. The lunch was fantastic and the snacks plentiful.... you need it with the swimming! Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable - was a great fun and relaxing day!
Kelly K.
Kelly K.
1771431388
Super Ausflug, tolle Organisation. Ein unvergesslicher Tag am Great Barrier Reef!! Danke an die Crew, für den tollen Tag!
A.D.A
A.D.A
1771401977
Captain Mike and crew were fantastic and made the day fun. Easy ride to the reef and great info provided about the reef on the glass bottom boat tour. Enjoyed the snorkeling and felt very safe based on the instructions provided. Fresh food and drink really hit the spot at lunch and the snack on the way back was perfect! Definitely recommend this experience!!
Don T.
Don T.
1771395312
We had the cruise today and enjoyed it very much. The snorkeling was fantastic the weather was more than fair, and above all the team of Matt, Marie & Paul were fantastic, focused, attentive to every request, generous and helpful when needed, the hospitality and the food were great.Thank you guys for a fantastic experience !!
Moshe S.
Moshe S.
1771144919
What a mind blowing experience curated by an amazing, brilliant, wonderful crew who made us feel truly valued, safe and looked after. How do we go about properly thanking such a cool team ie where do you hang out on a Thursday night in Cairns!?!?
Ed & Sophie T.
Ed & Sophie T.
1770812560
What a fantastic experience on the Ocean Free. The crew Matt, Shea and Storm couldn’t have done more for us. They were knowledgeable, kind, friendly and genuinely seemed to love what they do. Matt skippered the boat combining sail and motor for a unique reef experience. Shea guided me through my first ever Scuba dive and wow, it was amazing. She led me to giant clams, a turtle, heaps of amazing reef and fish and even a reef shark! I am really not confident in deep water but she made it so safe and calming for me. Unfortunately, my husband developed an eardrum issue whilst in the water and the crew were so kind and helpful to him. Thank you so much Ocean Free x
Eileen B.
Eileen B.
1770411717
Highly recommend choosing Ocean Free for your Great Barrier Reef tour. The guides and team were helpful, kind (to us and each other!), thoughtfully inclusive (aka safe & fun, regardless of comfort in the water!).I'm not a very confident swimmer & am afraid of being in open ocean/water - they were reassuring & also set us up with water guides towing a bouy for me & my mom to swim so we could enjoy the snorkeling while also feeling safe within our comfort zones. Many others dove solo/in pairs within the designated area and had a fabulous time as well. The food and refreshments were also wonderful throughout.Highly recommend choosing this team for your trip!
Nikki R.
Nikki R.
1770140647
We went out on the Ocean Freedom today and it was an absolutely amazing experience. From start to finish everything was enjoyable, beautiful, and extremely well run. The crew was professional, friendly, and made the entire day feel relaxed and seamless.The scenery was stunning and the food truly exceeded expectations. It was some of the best food I have ever had on an excursion like this, which really stood out.You can tell the team genuinely cares about delivering a world class experience. I would highly recommend Ocean Freedom to anyone visiting Cairns and wanting an unforgettable Great Barrier Reef experience.
Gabriel C.
Gabriel C.
1770099480
Phenomenal service and spectacular way to get out to the reef for a day trip. We were looking for a way to see the barrier trip in a more intimate way with a smaller crowd and a fun crew. Oceans free delivered! Great food fun crew and same like minded folks choose this tour. 10/10 would recommend these guys.The dive site it self was a bit more limited but still wonderful. Got to see a mako shark, a sea turtle, and giant clams.
Christie C.
Christie C.
1769805440
We had an amazing day at the Great Barrier Reef and can’t recommend this company enough. The crew are wonderful and truly make your day special. From check-in to the end of the trip, you feel genuinely welcomed and well looked after.We did the full-day tour to Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay, with plenty of snorkelling time. The instructors were very patient and professional, which made it perfect for families and anyone who isn’t very confident in the water. There are multiple instructors in the water with life rings, and they really take the time to support everyone.We enjoyed a glass-bottom boat tour before snorkelling, and during the snorkelling tours we saw green turtles, starfish, sea cucumbers, lots of fish, and beautiful coral. The crew are extremely knowledgeable and shared fascinating information about the reef and marine life throughout the day. Our skipper, Ben, is a marine biologist, which added even more to the experience.Special thanks to Maree, Tory, Tee, Anna (and the rest of the crew, I wish I remembered all the names. And sorry if I misspelled any names) for being so friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable throughout the day.Lunch was generous and delicious, with chicken, smoked salmon, prawns, pasta salad, potato salad, and more, followed by a third snorkelling stop after lunch. There were also plenty of snacks on the way back, including fruit, cheese and crackers, and cakes, so you definitely won’t go hungry.In between the tour times there is opportunity to snorkel on our own. And there was fish feeding by a crew member where we got to see more fish from the boat.We travelled with our 11-year-old daughter, and the crew took excellent care of us, making the day relaxed and enjoyable as a family. If you want an outstanding, well-organised, and family-friendly Great Barrier Reef experience, Ocean Freedom is the tour to book.We will definitely be back for another tour. I wish I brought an underwater camera. And we will be doing the scuba dives next time.A huge thank you to the Ocean Freedom crew. Keep up the fantastic work!
Tharaka De S.
Tharaka De S.
1769242699
The staff are very friendly 😊 the dive was beautiful as well
Olive M.
Olive M.
1769234638
We went on the Ocean Free Tour today. It was absolutely fantastic! Like really worth the money, from start to finish every part was really well thought through and quality. We had the option to snorkel or dive, we had a fabulous lunch provided with snacks throughout the day like cheese and biscuits/cake/ fresh fruit platters. The team were SO accommodating and extremely knowledgable. We would highly recommend Ocean Free in Cairns. We were all super impressed
Lydia B.
Lydia B.
1769156392
Excellent arrangement and very memorable experience with Anna, Blare and Luke. Great work everyone and thank you for making this a life time snorkeling experience.Overall arrangement, seating, food options (plenty of food options), beverages, drinks etc was simply great. Snorkeling, Green Island experience supported by stories was a good combination from Ocean Free team.Highly recommended for everyone.
A J
A J
1769079357
Fantastic experience overall! Quality family-feel experience. They limit their passengers to 65 or 75 people so they can get to some green reefs that vessels with large amounts passengers cannot go to. It was a very personal experience and all of the staff were very friendly.We did 2 scuba dives and the divemaster was well organized and professional. The experience was well worth the money for getting 2 dives at the Great Barrier Reef! I can't say much about the snorkeling, but the folks that snorkeled seemed to enjoy it well.
Kyle G.
Kyle G.
1768995373
This was an amazing tour to the Great Barrier Reef! The Skipper was so great at his job and very protective of his guests making sure we were safe! The staff was amazing and right there with us in the water! The food was perfect and the extra plates of fruit & desserts that were passed during the day was such an extra treat. We would 100% recommend using this company!!!
Dovie B.
Dovie B.
1768867045
We went on the Ocean Freedom cruise to Upolu Cay Reef and Outer Edge Upolu reef. It was an amazing day of snorkelling and scuba (opt-in). The staff provided incredible service the whole time with a vast range of food and snacks including some breakfast as the tour started at 8. The reefs were gorgeous and the staff on the guided snorkels were very knowledgable on the marine life. In particular Marie and Alma went above and beyond in providing an excellent reef and boating experience. They have sea sickness pills (non drowsy) available for purchase which was very useful. If you want to opt in to scuba on the day of as well that is possible and I would definitely recommend. The staff were also meticulous with safety and making sure everybody no matter swim or physical ability was able to see the reef. It is a physical day and can be very tiring but the guides take life rings out on the guided snorkels that can help those in need or if you just need a rest. The only negative was that the boat was not as nice as the one pictured and despite still being a good boat for this tour it was not “luxury” as stated in our booking. We only had 32 people on board but the full capacity is 75 so it may feel more crowded in peak season. Everything else was amazing and I would definitely recommend booking with ocean freedom. They also had a bar where you could purchase drinks throughout the day.
Natalia R.
Natalia R.
1768728738
Super Tag, vielen Dank an die herausragende Crew!
Max M.
Max M.
1768474568
10/10 staff. Even in the less than ideal weather conditions they did an excellent job taking care of us.The boat was great too. Well kept and offers a nice mix of fully enclosed spaces, covered and fully exposed.My biggest recommendation (not specific to this boat or operator): Take a seasickness pill. Even if you think you’ll be fine… Take it.
MegaMatthew1001
MegaMatthew1001
1767855815
Such a wonderful experience. The crew are highly skilled and passionate. They were also very empathetic to the needs of different passengers. It is a must do experience with this company.
Levinia M.
Levinia M.
1767776627
Great experience the condition weren’t that great but that didn’t stop up. They made you feel safe and looked after a very well oiled operating, professional crew and skipper can’t speak highly enough for there knowledge of the ocean and onboard vessel experience. Will do again.
Orion K.
Orion K.
1767755924
The crew were amazing and very accommodating. We had a very windy day on the ocean but the crew handled everything extremely well, I was very impressed!
Carolyn W.
Carolyn W.
1767696538
We did the Ocean Free Sail to Green Island & the Great Barrier Reef and booked two introductory dives and two certified dives. It was a great day, and the staff were very attentive to everyone on board. The number of people is quite limited because it’s a sailboat, which is really nice. There is a shaded area on the boat where you can relax. Lunch was good. The vibe was great, and the dives were very enjoyable as well, it felt much more intimate than on bigger boats.A big thank you to our divemaster Anna, who found my partner’s dive watch in the ocean and sent it back to us by post (to France). That was incredibly kind, thank you so much.You can book this company and this trip without hesitation. Thank you again!
Solène
Solène
1767627691
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Google Rating
4.9
Based on 1379 reviews
Facebook Rating
5.0
Based on 438 reviews
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Google Rating
4.9
Based on 1379 reviews
Facebook Rating
5.0
Based on 438 reviews
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