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.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

6 of the most dreamy islands to visit off Cairns