Green Island is one of the most popular Great Barrier Reef islands, and for good reason
It’s no surprise that the largest reef system in the world would be festooned with tropical islands. But the sheer number of offshore paradises makes it difficult to decide which one to call home. Some islands are accessible and filled with hotels and activities while others require a bit more know-how. Here are eight of the best Great Barrier Reef islands to consider for your next trip to Australia’s natural wonder.
1. Fitzroy Island
Travelers flock to the clear waters of Fitzroy Island to snorkel, dive and kayak
A rainforest national park covers the majority of this island oasis, making it a great destination for families and couples. Just 45 minutes from Cairns on the Fitzroy Fast Cat ferry, the island is accessible for travelers who want to spend a day snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and diving, or book island accommodation, which ranges from campgrounds to cabanas.
2. Fraser Island
The Maheno Shipwreck is one of Fraser Island’s many draws
Piled like the contents of an hourglass over millennia from drifting sand, UNESCO-listed Fraser Island stretches more than 75 miles along the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef and is the largest sand island in the world. Beyond shifting dunes and colorful cliffs, Fraser Island is home to freshwater lakes and rainforest trees that shoot 160 feet up from the sand like no other place on earth. With so much to see, guided tours such as the 5-Day Fraser Island and Great Barrier Reef Tour are highly recommended. The trip features a 4WD ramble down Seventy-Five Mile Beach as well as visits to the Maheno Shipwreck, Pile Valley rainforest, Lake Birrabeen and Indian Head, where travelers might spot sharks, turtles, dolphins, rays or even migrating humpback whales between July and November.
3. Hamilton Island
Stunning Hamilton Island attracts adventurous and luxury travelers. Photo by Serena Renner.
Another favorite of the Great Barrier Reef islands, Hamilton Island is the launch pad for most travel adventures in the Whitsunday archipelago. Attracting both adventurous and luxury travelers, Hamilton offers enough activities to fill a week or two (from golf and go karts to a koala center), but it’s also a quick hop to beloved Whitsundays attractions such as Whitehaven Beach, Heart Reef and the Hardy Lagoon.
4. Lady Elliot Island
This beauty is the southernmost coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef island chain. It’s also a designated “Green Zone,” which means it has earned the highest level of protection bestowed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. That means clear water for snorkeling and diving and important breeding grounds for such species as green sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles and humpback whales. Speckled carpet sharks, manta rays and a myriad of sea birds are also abundant.
5. Lady Musgrave Island
There are wild beaches for walking and lively seas for fishing on Lady Musgrave Island
Benefiting from proximity to its sister, Lady Elliot Island, Lady Musgrave is another prime sea turtle habitat. Nearby no-take zones also make it an excellent site for fishing, one of the most popular activities around these parts. Regular ferries and tour boats access the island from the town of 1770, and rustic camping is available for those who wish to rough it in paradise.
6. Lizard Island
Accessible only by private plane, Lizard Island is merely a dream for a lot of people. But those who can afford it are not disappointed by the award–winning Lizard Island Resort, surrounded by pristine national parkland and some of the best dive sites in the world. The national park and surrounding marine reserve teem with fascinating wildlife from goannas and osprey to black marlin, minke whales and three types of sea turtle. The Cod Hole, one of the area’s world-famous dive sites, is just a short boat ride away.
7. Low Island
A lighthouse crowns Low Island off the coast of Port Douglas
Just nine miles off Port Douglas, a small lighthouse is the first thing you’ll spot when approaching Low Island on a Sailing Cruise from Cairns. Beneath it is a tuft of rainforest and then 55 acres of shallow fringe reef that’s home to green sea turtles and the odd dugong. Low Island is most well known for protected swimming and snorkeling spots just steps from the sand. There’s also a glass-bottom boat for those who wish to see but not be seen.
8. Green Island
Green Island is a highlight of many Great Barrier Reef tours, accessible via helicopter, seaplane and sailboat
The popular day trip from Cairns could easily extend overnight in a reef or island suite at Green Island Resort. All were designed with balconies to take in views of the pool (open to day-trippers) or the unique rainforest that sprouts from the coral cay. Green Island is accessible via helicopter, seaplane and all manner of boat, and it’s a highlight on a number of Great Barrier Reef tours for its rainforest core, white sand beaches and outstanding fringe reefs frequented by sea turtles.
Experience the best of Green Island on a day-trip from Cairns!
- Contributed by Serena Renner
Top 8 Great Barrier Reef Islands from Cairns & the Tropical North Things to Do