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Things to do in Fitzroy Island Australia

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of natural world’s seven wonders. The world’s largest coral reef has over 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays and 880 islands. Many of the excursions involved day trips to permanently anchored pontoons in the outer reef area. We decided to spend our day instead at reef-fringed Fitzroy Island.

Fitzroy Island Australia

This unspoiled island is on the Inner Barrier of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area’s Central Region. See how our day trip unfolded in this tropical paradise and the things to do in Fitzroy Island.

Our cruise to the island started off at Cairns Reef Terminal. This was where many of the other cruises to the outer islands or pontoons depart. It was a fairly smooth and quick 45-minute ride to Fitzroy Island aboard a catamaran which passed by uninhabited islands.

Fitzroy Island catamaran

The island and its rainforest provided a stunning backdrop and the turquoise waters looked so inviting. Fitzroy Island has a total fo 838 acres (339 hectares).

95% of it is protected and reserved as Fitzroy Island National Park. We loved how unspoiled most of it looked with hardly any structures.

Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island was originally part of the mainland but was separated from it during the end of an Ice Age about 8,000 years ago. It has a rich history with the Aboriginals to the island being used as a Chinese Quarantine Station.

It was also used as a Mission School and a military base during World War II. In addition to the National Park and its beaches, the island is also now home to Fitzroy Island Resort with varying island accommodations that ranged from beach cabins to a three bedroom penthouse.

Fitzroy Island Australia

This was the dock leading to the resort as we stepped off the boat.

Fitzroy Island dock

Many of the people on our cruise seemed to be staying at the resort. We were among the few day trippers during a July Tuesday and loved that it was uncrowded.

The island is lucky enough to have a tropical climate year round with ocean breezes. Temperatures here range from 75 to 88 F (24 to 31 C) during the summer and 66 to 77 F(19 to 25 C ) in winter. It got cloudy at times but we were very comfortable with no humidity.

Fitzroy island with kids

The resort also had a restaurant, a very nice pool, game room, indoor movie theater, mini supermarket and wellness area. There were enough activities to keep everyone occupied. But, it was also wonderful to see that this resort development had minimal impact to its natural surroundings.

Fitzroy Island Resort pool

Welcome Bay, in front of the resort, was appropriately named and lined with small boats and water recreational sports equipment. One of the most popular attraction was the water trampoline. My kids didn’t want to leave this but who can really blame them?

Fitzroy Island water trampoline

The great thing about Fitzroy and its resort is that one can make it action packed or do nothing at all. We decided to do a mix of both.

We booked a package deal that included the catamaran transfer to get here, a Glass Bottom Boat Tour and Snorkeling. Day tour packages can be customized. This map greeted us and gave an idea just how vast the island was.

Fitzroy Island map

Our first activity was the 1.5 hour Glass Bottom Boat tour for viewing the fringe coral reef. There were two tours daily, one at 10AM which included the snorkeling and at 1:30 PM which was the dry boat with only coral viewing.

This was a great way to see the marine life and corals in the area. It’s most likely not as much or as diverse to ones further in the outer reef but was still quite special.

Fitzroy Island glass bottom boat

Despite the limited views through glass paneled viewing areas in the middle of the boat, it still provided a good insight into the reef’s diversity. We have never seen so many varieties of corals before.

The boat stopped and set anchor a few miles off shore. One of my husband’s travel wish list has been to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef. Well, this was as close to it as he was going to get. Unfortunately, we only got about 45 minutes.

Fitzroy Island snorkeling

Even though the weather was fairly comfortable and sunny, the water was freezing even with a wet suit on. Well, it was their winter season after all. Here’s a little clip of our snorkeling.

One of Fitzroy’s most popular beach is Nudey Beach. And it’s really not what its name implies. No, we didn’t see any nude people.

The staff told us this was once popular with nude sunbathers before the island was developed. Fortunately, not anymore and it was more family-friendly.

Fitzroy Island Nudey Beach

It took us about 20 minutes to leisurely walk the 1.8 km trail through a tropical rainforest to reach the beach but was worth every step. The walking trail was dubbed the Secret Garden.

It involved some boardwalks and climbing on boulder steps which the kids enjoyed. We were glad we finally got to do a “bush walk” in Australia.

Fitzroy Island Secret Garden

It was exciting to spot these white sulphur-crested cockatoos on the trees native to Australia and New Guinea. They were such beauties. Can you spot them?

white sulphur-crested cockatoos

As we got near the beach, it was unbelievable just how much broken and dead coral was here. Wear appropriate footwear when walking on these coral strewn shores.

Fitzroy Island Coral Nudey Beach

There weren’t that many people here compared to Welcome Bay so it felt more secluded and a lovely place to actually relax. There were some nice, sandy areas near the water so it’s not completely covered with coral. It was easy to find our own little area to hang out.

Fitzroy Island Nudey Beach

It was too cold to swim or snorkel so my kids were content with playing on the sand and corals.

Fitzroy island with kids nudey beach

The right side area of the beach also had these rocks which my kids enjoyed climbing on.

Nudey Beach rocks Fitzroy Island

I have caught my husband sleeping in some weird places all over the world. I even wrote a post dedicated to him about it awhile back. Here’s an addition of him sleeping against a rock.

It looked uncomfortable but he really was knocked out for awhile. The ocean breeze and sound of the waves must have helped a lot.

Fitzroy Island sleeping

One of the attractions we looked forward to doing was visiting the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre’s Fitzroy Island campus. Tickets can’t be reserved online but must be purchased and scheduled when on the island.

There are limited spaces. They are available at the mini market and resort reception desk.

Our guide took us on a short walk to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. We entered a small area and there was a large, above the ground pool with a few tortoises swimming around. We all gathered around it to learn more about them and get a closer look.

Fitzroy Island Turtles

These tortoises were rescued off the shores here and will eventually be released back to the ocean. It was heartbreaking to learn the conditions of some of the turtles that came here whether they were trapped in a fishing net or hurt from a boat’s motor.

It’s a wonderful program that has many stories of success. The program is also completely run by volunteers.

Fitzroy Island turtles

It was pretty entertaining to watch our guide feed them broccoli. I doubt my kids even heard what was being said because they were so fascinated watching the turtles’ every move.

We loved that the turtles got really close to us during many occasions but weren’t allowed to touch them. They were very playful and loved all the attention.

Fitzroy Island Turtle Rehab

Visitors can also explore many of the walking trails like a steep trail to a lighthouse and the Summit Walk that lead to high vantage points and lookouts. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to venture here.

Fitzroy Island was one of the highlights of our trip to Australia. Even though most of it was a designated National Park, there were enough attractions and activities here to satisfy everyone’s varying interests.

The island was accessible, fun, beautiful and offered a range of activity options. It’s an ideal trip for families or for romantic getaways whether for the day or on an extended stay. Don’t miss this island when visiting Cairns or the Great Barrier Reef.

Australia Fitzroy Island

Visiting Fitzroy Island Basics and Tips

  • Getting to Fitzroy island: Three of the companies that provide transfers and day trips to the island. Raging Thunder, Fitzroy Island’s Fast Cat and Sunlover Reef Cruises.
  • Prices vary depending on the company and Day Tour Packages. Check current prices at the Fitzroy Island site which we used.
  • Book ahead. We booked our tour online with Fast Cat in advance before we got there to ensure we could go on a particular day and time. We took the 8 AM cruise and left the island at 5 PM. We were sent email instructions on where to go to board the catamaran.
  • Head straight to the dive shop at the resort after getting off the boat to book your coral viewing and snorkeling tour especially if there are a lot of people here for the day. Tours depart everyday at 10:00AM (includes snorkeling) and at 1:30pm (dry boat).
  • There is also a diving school (beginner to certified) and a booth to rent stand-up paddle boards (SUP) and kayaks.
  • Lockers are available at the resort for $7AUS for a couple of hours.
  • Foxy’s bar, the mini-market and the resort’s restaurants were the only ones selling food. Pack water, sunscreen, snacks, sandwiches or your own picnic basket . The mini-supermarket has limited inventory and as expected, available merchandise is expensive.
  • Bring water shoes for everyone since you will be walking on coral beaches. Your feet will thank you.

Have you visited the Great Barrier Reef or any of its islands?

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42 thoughts on “Things to do in Fitzroy Island Australia”

  1. Wow, that is truly paradise! Sounds like a perfect time to go, at least for me. I’m not a huge fan of swimming in the ocean so I wouldn’t be disappointed about the cold water, haha. That picture of your husband is hilarious. Great post, Mary!

    Happy travels :)

  2. Your photos of Nudey beach and the dead coral up close on the beach are just so beautiful….makes me want to go to Tropical North Queensland again so much…the last time was almost exactly 10 years ago…Feb 2005!

  3. I leave for Australia in a few weeks! You are getting me very excited about my trip- no Fitzroy Island this time but it looks like a lot of fun. I would not have gotten off the trampoline either :)

  4. Wow, that looks beautiful and I love your shot of the coral beach. It’s been many many years since I visited Australia but I was lucky enough to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef and it was fantastic! #wkendtravelinspiration

  5. Fitzroy Island looks wonderful. I think I like it better than Green Island where we went when we were in Cairns. The coral is so beautiful, and it looks just as I imagine the Great Barrier Reef to be. Green Island mostly had huge swaths of seagrass and not much coral. I like your photo of the beach where the camera is down near the coral. It’s so pretty, but I bet it definitely would hurt to walk on barefoot. Your family looks so relaxed that I’m not surprised your husband fell asleep.

  6. Very beautiful Island, Mary. I haven’t seen it but instead we visited some of the islands of New Caledonia, a little further away from Australia, but still on the Great Barrier Reef. Fitzroy Island seems very similar to them: the same white sand, pristine beaches and rich vegetation.

  7. What a fantastic place! It looks like it has it all…beautiful beaches, snorkeling, awesome views, and even a turtle rehabilitation centre! Amazing. I’d love to go there. I also laughed out loud at your husband sleeping on that rock…does not look like it could be comfortable at all, but he somehow made it comfy! :)

  8. You have such a way of making Australia look amazing! I am always wanting to go overseas but maybe we should explore Fitzroy Island one time! I have been twice to the GBR and loved swimming alongside turtles. Bron

  9. I am so glad that your Aussie tales are still coming out, I love them. I have never been to this island, so as an Aussie it was great to see it through your eyes.

  10. Thanks for linking to #wkendtravel inspiration! Looks like an amazing holiday destination… it has all of Australia’s best bits, from nature to wildlife, beaches and corals. Love the turtles!

  11. What a fantastic day trip. The beaches looks beautiful, and I would love the chance to visit the turtles. I can’t imagine how your husband slept on that rock, but he looks comfortable!

  12. When we were in Cairns the weather was not good, and we never made it out to the great barrier reef. I wonder if Fitzroy would have been an option. Great photos (I pinned a few) and good information. Thanks for linking up with Weekend Travel Inspiration (I am one of the new co-hosts)

  13. What a beautiful place to spend a few hours or a day! I could certainly use a break from this cold, rainy German weather! Mary, thanks as always for linking up with Weekend Travel Inspiration!

  14. That looks like a really fun trip! Thank you for posting all those beautiful photos. I especially liked the one with a closeup on the pebbles (coral?) on the beach. And could imagine myself there, warming up in the sun, instead of shivering in the sub-zero C temperatures that we’ve had for quite a while now. Hm… Time to go some place warm :)

  15. What a wonderful trip! It truly does look like paradise, between the blue water and the lovely beach. The coral area is stunning. Love where your husband fell asleep!

  16. What a wonderful tour you had. I loved the coral beach and the bush walk more since they were not as crowded as the Welcome bay. Lovely captures as usual Mary :)

  17. I didn’t make it to Fitzroy (just Green Island and the reef itself), but I’d also say no visit to Cairns is complete without visiting Port Douglas (Rinforest Discovery Centre), Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest. Kids will love seeing the salt-water crocs, from a distance.

    I can relate to your husband; I can sleep any time of day anywhere, unless it’s night in my own bed!!!

  18. Absolutely beautiful, Mary! The kids look like they are shivering in the first picture? Getting that up close to the tortoise would be amazing! :)

  19. I’m glad this relatively untouched part of the world is being preserved as a National Park. I loved reading about the turtles and will add it to my list of things to do and see when I visit Australia!

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