Go against the tide and spend a day on Normanby Island; an uncrowded, paradisaical Great Barrier Reef island that few know about.
The Great Barrier Reef comprises nearly 3000 individual reefs, around 900 islands and 300 coral cays. At its heart, Cairns is the gateway for travellers eager to witness the reef’s incredible beauty and biodiversity firsthand. From Green Island and Fitzroy Island to the Reef Magic pontoon and outer reef cruises, this World Heritage wonder draws in visitors from across the globe. Yet on one small island, south-east of Cairns, the only crowds you’ll encounter are the fish drifting among the coral, just a few flippered kicks from the shore.
By the second muffled squeal, I lift my head out of the water to check everything is okay. Our sons – aged nine and six – are only metres away from me, their snorkels pointed skyward as they float above a patch of coral. I duck my head back under and see their eyes wide with wonder. Everything is more than okay: they shriek with delight, alerting each other as they spot schools of brightly coloured fish.
One reef, many ways to see it
The Great Barrier Reef is home to an incredible diversity of marine life. (Credit: Tom Park Photography)
A few days earlier we’d visited Green Island, the beautiful coral cay just 27 kilometres from Cairns. Alongside throngs of other tourists, we hoped to experience some of the magic beneath the surface. Mother Nature had other plans. Strong winds and currents forced us to abandon our snorkels in favour of a glass-bottom boat ride. Disappointed, we pinned all our hopes on another tour later that week: the Frankland Islands.
A colleague had tipped me off earlier in the year. Despite visiting the Great Barrier Reef several times – including Green Island, Fitzroy Island and the outer reef – I’d never heard of this small, uninhabited archipelago about 45 minutes south-east of Cairns. Curious and quietly optimistic, we board a coach with around 40 other passengers, travelling to Deeral, where we’re fitted with snorkelling gear and wetsuits before boarding a small boat.
A deserted island
A short boat ride from the mainland, Normanby Island reveals a quieter side to the Great Barrier Reef. (Credit: Tom Park Photography)
We keep watch for crocs as we gently cruise along the Mulgrave River, though none reveal themselves today, then shield ourselves against the spray during a short ocean crossing. Only 10 kilometres offshore within the traditional sea country of the Mandingalby Yidinji and Gungandji peoples, the Franklands comprise five islands. We land at Normanby.
We walk over soft white sand to a simple shelter, built among palm trees and mangrove forest and find tables scattered with intricate shells and pieces of hard coral collected by previous visitors. Even now, I’m unsure whether this little-known corner of the reef can rival its more famous neighbours. But that’s the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef: its greatest moments often reveal themselves once you slip beneath the surface. And judging by the shrieking, we have hit the jackpot. Our boys point to large brain coral that must be hundreds of years old, sea cucumbers and schools of darting damselfish.
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Shore time
The reef is located away from the coast. (Credit: Megan Arkinstall)
The island is certainly family friendly, especially for those with little ones in tow. (Credit: Megan Arkinstall)
Collected corals. (Credit: Megan Arkinstall)
One of Frankland’s greatest appeals is that the reef sits offshore, so we can easily swim back to the beach for a break – making it perfect for families and less confident swimmers. Those who want to stay dry can board the glass-bottom boat, enjoy a guided island walk and children can join in a treasure hunt.
During some downtime, our youngest buries himself in the sand, while his older brother wanders with his dad along the shore collecting interesting pieces of coral. I daydream in the Queensland sun until I hear shouting from further down the beach. A guide is waving her hands towards a fin flapping about in the shallows. It’s a huge manta ray.
The Great Eight
A young explorer enjoying a day by the water. (Credit: Megan Arkinstall)
We are told it’s a fortunate sighting, given the manta ray is a seasonal visitor here. It’s also one of the reef’s so-called ‘Great Eight’, which also includes clownfish, giant clams, Maori wrasse, potato cod, sharks, sea turtles and whales. We won’t find the potato cod here, but the others are fair game.
After a buffet lunch of prawns, chicken and salads, we drag two kayaks into the water and paddle around peering into the water. Just as we’re about to turn back, a turtle suddenly surfaces beside me. Now it’s my turn to contain my shrieking. I hold my breath until it eventually disappears.
Soon it’s time for one last snorkel. I am already pinching myself from what we’ve experienced so far but we are spoilt with more: giant clams, starfish and swaying anemone sheltering tiny clownfish. Then, just before our boat arrives, the manta ray makes one final appearance, its fin cutting gracefully through the water as though waving us goodbye.
Travel details
Cruise the Mulgrave River. (Credit: Tom Park Photography)
The Frankland Islands Day Tour departs daily from Cairns, dependent on tidal conditions. The experience is inclusive of coach transfer to Deeral, a scenic Mulgrave River cruise with morning tea, lunch on the island, snorkelling gear, use of kayaks and stand-up paddle boards, glass-bottom boat tour and guided walk around the island. Book through Australian Wildlife Journeys.
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Megan Arkinstall is a freelance travel writer who you’ll often find at the beach, bushwalking or boating with her young family. She loves reliving travel memories through writing, whether that be sipping limoncello in a sun-drenched courtyard of Monterosso or swimming with green turtles in the aquamarine waters of Tropical North Queensland.
Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.
Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.
1. E-Mountain biking
Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)
For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.
As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.
2. HI Fitness Club
Stretch out with reformer pilates.
If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.
I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.
3. Walking trails
Get the blood pumping on a morning run.
We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.
While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.
4. Spa wumurdaylin
Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.
In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.
It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.
5. Sunrise yoga
Start your day on the right foot.
Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.
Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.
6. Getting out on the water
Try your hand at a host of watersports.
Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.
Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.
Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.
7. Take a swing
Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.
For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.
