Things to Do on Fitzroy Island

Q: Is Fitzroy Island good for kids?

Yes. Calm swimming at Welcome Bay, the glass bottom boat, Turtle Talk and short walks make it an easy day out with children, and the second child travels free when two adults and two children aged 4 to 15 travel together. Junior Marine Biologist and kids' activities are also available.

A rainforest national park on the Great Barrier Reef, 45 minutes from Cairns — with more to pack into a day than almost anywhere. Snorkel it, hike it, or slow right down. Here's the complete guide, from a reef-tour operator who's been running it for decades.

Quick Answer

On Fitzroy Island you can snorkel the fringing reef straight off the beach, swim at Welcome Bay, walk to Nudey Beach, hike to the summit and spot wildlife — all included with a Sunlover day trip. Add guided experiences: a marine-biologist snorkel tour, Turtle Talk, rainforest walk or sea kayak tour. Snorkel gear and glass bottom boat tours come with the packages.

Book your Fitzroy day trip →

What's your island style?

Not sure how to spend the day? Pick the vibe that sounds like you — mix and match as you like.

Active · Early start

The Summit Seeker

Up early, up high, then cool off.

Take the early transfer for a head start
Hike the Summit Circuit (4.2 km) for Coral Sea views
Cool off snorkelling at Welcome Bay
Wander to Nudey Beach, then lunch at Foxy's

Curious · Learn

The Nature Nerd

Every plant, every critter, the whole story.

Guided rainforest walk through the Secret Garden
Turtle Talk at 2:30pm at the rehab centre
Glass bottom boat over the coral gardens
Marine-biologist-guided snorkel tour

In the water all day

The Reef Lover

If it's wet, you're in it.

Marine-biologist-guided snorkel tour to start
Free-swim the fringing reef off Welcome Bay
Glass bottom boat for the bits you missed
One last dip off Nudey Beach

Families · Easy wins

The Family Crew

Big day, little legs, no stress.

Glass bottom boat — reef without getting wet
Calm swim and sandcastle time at Welcome Bay
Turtle Talk (a hit with kids)
Short Secret Garden walk (2nd child travels free)

Slow · Switch off

The Beachcomber

Do nothing, beautifully.

Stroll the rainforest track to Nudey Beach
Swim and laze at Welcome Bay
Collect a picnic lunch box from Foxy's
Find a patch of coral sand and stay put

Everything you can do on Fitzroy Island

Plenty comes free with your day trip, a few guided experiences can be added on, and there's even more available on the island.

Included with your Sunlover day trip Free

Snorkel the fringing reef

Coral starts metres off Welcome Bay — parrotfish, wrasse and green sea turtles. Gear included in every package.

Swim at Welcome Bay

Sheltered, clear water right by the jetty — easy swimming for all ages.

Walk to Nudey Beach

Rainforest track to the coral-sand beach ranked among Australia's best.

1.2 km · ~45 min return · moderate

Secret Garden walk

A gentle rainforest loop to a rest platform — listen for scrubfowl and fruit-doves.

700 m · ~45 min return · moderate

Boulder Lookout

A short, steep climb from behind the jetty to panoramic views — the start of the Summit Track.

~30 min return

Lighthouse Track

Through rainforest to the island's lighthouse, with views over Welcome Bay.

3.6 km · ~2 hrs · high

Summit Circuit

The island's highest walk — WWII history and Coral Sea panoramas from the top.

4.2 km · ~3 hrs · high

Spot the wildlife

Major skinks, goannas, scrubfowl, cockatoos and sea turtles — see the nature guide below.

Bird watching

A rainforest island rich in birdlife — orange-footed scrubfowl, bush stone-curlews, sulphur-crested cockatoos and the Wompoo fruit-dove. Bring binoculars.

Free self-guided walk

Download the Nudey Beach self-guided walk, or scan the QR on the island map.

Guided experiences to add on Extra

Guided Snorkel Tour

$65 adult · $45 child · $175 family

A marine biologist guides you over the reef and helps you spot the hidden critters most people swim past — safer and more rewarding for beginners and nervous snorkellers.

Duration45 minutes
Group sizeMax 6
Great forNon-swimmers & nervous snorkellers

Turtle Talk

$23 per person

Meet the patients at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre and learn how sick and injured turtles are cared for and released. 100% of ticket sales are donated to the centre.

TimeDaily, 2:30pm
Duration35 minutes
Group sizeMax 10 per day

Guided rainforest nature walk through the Secret Garden, Fitzroy Island

Guided Rainforest Walk

$42 per person

A guided 1 km walk through the Secret Garden with an experienced guide — the island's ecosystem, native flora and fauna and natural history, beneath the canopy.

Duration45 minutes
Group sizeMax 11
AvailableMon, Wed & Sat

Sea Kayak Tour

$65 per person

Paddle straight off the beach and see the island from the water — rainforest, granite headlands and clear shallows. Single or double kayaks and buoyancy vests provided.

Duration45 minutes
Group sizeMax 6
RequirementMin age 8 · basic swimming (not for non-swimmers)

Add any of these at checkout when you book a Fitzroy Island day trip — after you choose your adults and children, the options for your package appear. Already booked? Email res@sunlover.com.au or call 1800 810 512 and we'll add them.

Also on the island On-island

Stand-up paddleboarding

Hire an SUP and glide over the coral gardens right off the beach — a workout with a view.

Kids & Junior Marine Biologist

Hands-on marine education and family activities — great for curious young reef-lovers.

Camping

A beachfront council campground sits a 5-minute stroll from the jetty (managed by the resort).

Fishing

The surrounding waters are a national park with strict zoning — check GBRMPA rules before you drop a line.

Stay overnight

The Fitzroy Island Resort has rooms, a pool, restaurant and bar if a day isn't enough.

The island's nature — what to look for

Fitzroy Island (Koba) is around 99% national park — rainforest, open woodland and mangroves, ringed by coral beaches and fringing reef, all part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Here's what to watch for as you explore.

Wildlife to spot

Major skinkOne of Australia's largest skinks (to ~40 cm) — sunny boulders and leaf litter.

Yellow-spotted monitor (goanna)The island's biggest land animal, over a metre long; unfazed by people.

Orange-footed scrubfowlBuilds huge mounds of leaf litter to incubate its eggs.

Bush stone-curlewGround-dwelling and nocturnal — the source of those eerie night calls.

Sulphur-crested cockatooLoud and unmistakable, foraging in the leaf litter.

Wompoo fruit-doveListen for its deep "wom-poo" call in the canopy.

Green sea turtlesGrazing over the coral gardens off Welcome Bay.

Resident barracudaOften gliding through the shallows near the lookouts.

Plants & rainforest

Screw pine (Pandanus)Spiral leaves and stilt roots; knobbly orange fruit loved by bats and birds.

White starfish orchidA leafless epiphyte clinging to bark — a sign of a healthy rainforest.

Birdsnest fernsEpiphytes whose rosettes catch leaf litter as a built-in compost bin.

Hairy Mary (Calamus)A spiny climbing palm with hooked leaflets — look, don't brush past.

Strangler & cluster figsVines that grow down and around a host tree over decades.

Buttress rootsWide flared roots that steady tall trees in shallow, nutrient-poor soil.

Shell ginger & hibiscusPink-and-white ginger flowers and native beach hibiscus in spring–summer.

Granite boulders & tree burlsAncient rock smoothed by weathering, and knobbly growths that record decades of storms.

A little history: Fitzroy Island has been important to the Gunggandji people for thousands of years for fishing, gathering and connection to Country. Since then it's been a pearling base, a bêche-de-mer (sea cucumber) farm, a gold-rush-era quarantine station and a WWII coast-watching outpost — you can still spot wartime remnants along the Lighthouse and Summit tracks. Today it's a national park you can explore on foot.

Where to meet on arrival

Guided tour meeting points

Glass bottom boat meets at the green marker near the jetty.
Guided snorkel, kayak and rainforest tours meet at the red marker near the jetty. Turtle Talk is at the Turtle Centre. The island map marks each point.

Getting there

Sunlover departs daily from the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street, Cairns — a 45-minute fast-catamaran crossing. Check in at the Sunlover desk inside the terminal.

Fitzroy Island map showing tour meeting points near the jetty — glass bottom boat, guided snorkel, kayak and rainforest tours, and the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre — Meeting points are marked near the jetty. Grab a printed map on arrival, or scan the QR code on the island signage.

Things to Do on Fitzroy Island — FAQs

What is there to do on Fitzroy Island?

Included with a day trip: snorkel the fringing reef off Welcome Bay, swim, walk to Nudey Beach, hike the Secret Garden, Boulder Lookout, Lighthouse or Summit tracks, spot wildlife and relax on the coral-sand beach. Add-on guided experiences: a marine-biologist snorkel tour ($65), Turtle Talk ($23, daily 2:30pm), a guided rainforest walk ($42, Mon/Wed/Sat) and a sea kayak tour ($65). Snorkel gear and glass bottom boat tours are included in the packages. Stand-up paddleboarding, scuba diving and camping are also available on the island.

What can I do on Fitzroy Island for free?

Snorkelling off the beach (with gear from your package), swimming at Welcome Bay, the walking tracks (Secret Garden, Nudey Beach, Boulder Lookout, Lighthouse and Summit), the lookouts, beachcombing and wildlife spotting are all included with your day trip. A free self-guided Nudey Beach walk is available to download.

What can I do if I can't swim, or have limited mobility?

Plenty. The glass bottom boat lets you see the reef without getting in the water, the marine-biologist guided snorkel tour is a gentle beach-entry option suited to non-swimmers, and Turtle Talk, Foxy's Bar and Welcome Bay are all a short, flat stroll from the jetty. Let our crew know and they'll point you to the easiest options.

Is Fitzroy Island good for kids?

Very. Calm swimming at Welcome Bay, the glass bottom boat, Turtle Talk and short walks make it an easy day out with children — and when two adults and two children (4–15) travel together, the second child travels free. Junior Marine Biologist and kids' activities are also available.

How do I add an activity to my booking?

Select activities at checkout when you book your Fitzroy Island day trip — the options for your package appear after you choose adults and children. If you've already booked, email res@sunlover.com.au or call 1800 810 512.

Are there age or swimming requirements for the kayak tour?

Yes. The sea kayak tour is for confident swimmers, minimum age 8, with basic swimming skills — it is not suitable for non-swimmers. Buoyancy vests are provided.

Does Sunlover run the Fitzroy Island activities?

Yes. Sunlover Reef Cruises operates the day trips and guided Fitzroy Island activities, with marine-biologist-guided snorkel tours. Sunlover holds Ecotourism Certification from Ecotourism Australia and is an Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame member.

Plan your Fitzroy Island day

See the day trips, packages, ferry times and island guide — then add the experiences that suit your style.

Fitzroy Island day trips →