The Dreamiest Islands To Visit Off Cairns

Play castaway on one of these unmissable islands to visit off the coast of Cairns.

Take a patch of white sand, add a few palm trees, some crystalline waters, fringe it with coral formations, and you have yourself a tropical island paradise. But rather than just dreaming about your island idyll, why not start planning the perfect escape to one of these unique islands off the coast of Cairns?

1. Fitzroy Island

The fact that 95 per cent of Fitzroy Island is a designated national park only adds to its allure. There are two sides to the islands: there are the beaches lined with swaying palms, and the jade-green rainforest crisscrossed with walking tracks. The four-kilometre path to the summit takes about two hours return and includes a loop to the historic lighthouse, which was an observation point for ships coming into Cairns Harbour during the Second World War. From the top of the craggy peak, you can see all the way to the outer reef.

Distance from Cairns: 15 nautical miles (38 kilometres) away from Cairns by boat.

Getting there: Get there in your own yacht or catch a ride on the Fitzroy Flyer, which takes about 45 minutes.

Best for: Families and those who suffer from sea sickness, as it is only a 45-minute boat ride from Cairns.

Highlight for visitors: Fitzroy Island is home to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre , which is dedicated to the conservation of sick and injured turtles.

2. Michaelmas Cay

Michaelmas Cay turtle — Michaelmas Cay is rich with a myriad of sea life. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Michaelmas Cay is a sand island curled like a comma in the middle of the Coral Sea, on the western tip of Michaelmas Reef. The island, which was formed by the accumulation of broken coral, has a tangle of vegetation and stretches for 1.8 hectares, making it a paradise for first-time snorkellers and divers. In addition to having great cultural significance to the local Gungandji, Mandingalbay-Yidinji and Yirriganydji indigenous peoples, the island is a sanctuary for migratory sea birds.

Distance from Cairns: 43 kilometres northeast of Cairns (about two hours by boat).

Getting there: Get onboard Reef Runner Charters, which travels to the cay and beyond.

Best for: Inexperienced snorkellers, first-time divers and keen fisher folk.

Highlight for visitors: Spotting turtles and swimming with giant trevally around the shallow waters off the island.

3. Low Isles

Woody Island and Low Isles are the two islands that make up Low Isles, which are considered important cultural sites for both the Kuku Yalanji and Yirraganydji tribes. Surrounded by 22 hectares of reef, the island’s proximity to the coastline makes it perfect for either a full or half-day adventure. There are about 150 different species of hard corals in the waters off the two small islands, as well as 15 species of soft corals. You can swim or snorkel straight from the beach at Low Isles, where you are likely to spy species such as parrotfish, angelfish, clownfish, trevally and moon wrasse. The Isles are also a protected paradise for nesting turtles.

Distance from Cairns: Low Isles is located 9.1 nautical miles (15 kilometres) off the coast of Port Douglas.

Getting there: The sandy coral cay islands that make up Low Isles are best reached by driving to Port Douglas, from where it is just a short sailboat ride to Low Isles with a local tour operator.

Best for: Families with first-time snorkelers who will appreciate the shallow waters and wide stretch of sand.

Highlight for visitors: The old heritage lighthouse on Low Isle, which has been operational since 1878.

4. Dunk Island

The Traditional Owners of Dunk Island are the Bandjin and Djiru people, who have lived in this pocket of Tropical North Queensland for tens of thousands of years. The Indigenous name for Dunk Island is Coonanglebah (which translates to ‘the island of peace and plenty’), and you will gain an understanding of why when you explore the island, which is home to a diverse array of marine life, such as crabs, shellfish, sea turtles, fish and dugongs. Keep an eye out for the incredible Ulysses butterfly, which has become the emblem for the island, and about 150 different species of birds.

Distance from Cairns: It takes about two hours to drive to Mission Beach from Cairns, which is 138.9 kilometres north.

Getting there: Catch the Mission Beach Dunk Island Water Taxi for the 10-minute ride from Wongaling Beach to Dunk Island.

Best for: Active types who are missing their elliptical trainer and want to burn off a few calories hiking to the summit of Mt Kootaloo.

Highlight for visitors: Play castaway for a few days and choose from one of just eight camp sites for an overnight stay on the island.

5. Green Island

As well as being a protected marine park, Green Island has a luxury eco-certified resort that will help you get into go-slow holiday mode. As well as the eco attitude of the resort, the fact that you can roll out of bed and be on the beach before the day-trippers descend is heavenly. Continue that feeling of castaway cool by padding from the beach to the poolside bar for cocktails and then back to your room overlooking the island’s emerald-green rainforest. Write your Out of Office memo in the sand and stay a few extra days so you can take up some windsurfing lessons, enjoy an evening nature tour and daily fish-feeding presentation.

Distance from Cairns: Green Island is located 14 nautical miles (27 kilometres) off the coast of Cairns.

Getting there: Get onboard the Great Adventures fast catamaran for the 45-minute journey to the 6000-year-old coral cay.

Best for: Romantics who are partial to a luxury resort after lazing on white coral sand beaches.

Highlight for visitors: There is a wide range of activities on offer on the island – from glass-bottom-boat tours to walking underwater with Seawalker helmet diving – but the daily crocodile show at Marineland Melanasia Crocodile Habitat is a must.

6. Frankland Islands

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet. If you’re going to see this natural wonder of the world, do so in the pristine environment around the Frankland Islands’ archipelago, where the reef is truly breathtaking. The Frankland Islands include Normanby, High, Russel, Round and Mabel Islands, which are all uninhabited islands in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Snorkel or dive with Frankland Island Reef Cruises and see giant pink-rimmed clams and a technicolour kaleidoscope of coral and reef fish.

Distance from Cairns: The Frankland Islands are about 45 kilometres southeast of Cairns by road and just five nautical miles (10 kilometres) offshore.

Getting there: You must drive to the township of Deeral before detouring to the coast, where you will find the jumping-off point for the islands.

Best for: Lovers of nature and wildlife. The fringing reefs around the Frankland Islands are home to green sea turtles, feather stars, butterfly fish, manta rays, wrasse, stingrays and more.

Highlight for visitors: Frankland Island Reef Cruises is the only company with a permit to visit Normandy Island, so if this snorkelling experience here feels exclusive, it is because it is. The guided walk by a marine naturalist is another highlight.

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

6 of the most dreamy islands to visit off Cairns