The complete travel guide to visiting Fitzroy Island in Queensland!

Fitzroy Island is a must-visit for anyone travelling through Far North Queensland (FNQ). It is a continental island situated just 45 minutes away from Cairns. Since it’s so close, you have no excuse for missing such an incredible island. Fitzroy Island is the perfect weekend escape with plenty of stunning beaches, beautiful rainforests, and great snorkel spots. Furthermore, there are multiple day trip tours available if you cannot commit to staying overnight. However, we highly recommend staying for at least one night! This ensures you have the most time to explore and get the best tides for snorkelling! This guide has everything you need to know about your trip to Fitzroy Island in the Great Barrier Reef.

How to get to Fitzroy Island:

Fitzroy Island is a 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The Fitzroy Flyer is the best option for transfers to the island. They operate several ferry transfers daily, allowing you to pick the best time to suit your needs. 

Prices (return)

Day trip:

Adult – $70 (14+ years)

Child – $43 (4-13 years, 0-3 years free of charge)

Full-day and transfer prices

Adult – $86 (14 years and over)

Child – $43 (4-13 years, infants free of charge)

Family – $229 (2 adults + 2 children)

Timetable

Departing Cairns

• 8:00am – Fitzroy Flyer
• *10:00 am – QuickCoast (weekends only) 
• 11:00am – Fitzroy Flyer
• 1:30pm – Fitzroy Flyer
• *4:30 pm – QuickCoast (weekends only)

Departing Fitzroy Island

• 9:30am – Fitzroy Flyer
• 12:15pm – Fitzroy Flyer
• *3:00 pm – QuickCoast (weekends only)
• 5:00pm – Fitzroy Flyer
• *7:00 pm – QuickCoast (weekends only)

*QuickCoast transfers are on weekends only, Friday-Sunday and can be booked until 30th November, 2022. The timetable is subject to change.

11 am and 12:15 pm services do not run Monday to Thursday, starting 7th February 2022 to 31st March 2022. 

Please check updates as schedules and prices may change.

Take your boat!

If you have your own boat or yacht, you can travel to Fitzroy Island, which has public moorings available. Travel the 15 nautical miles from Cairns along the stunning coastline and not have to worry about your vessel when you are not on it.

Public Moorings

Cost: $35 per night.

Bookings: Contact Fitzroy Island about it here.

Location: Latitude 16 deg 93.0S, Longitude 145 deg 98.6E

Where to stay on Fitzroy Island:

While the Fitzroy Island Resort is available to stay at, as champion backpackers, we cannot recommend enough camping here! Not only is it significantly cheaper, but it also offers a more holistic experience. However, if camping is not your thing, please visit the resort website here. https://www.fitzroyisland.com/accommodation/

The campground on Fitzroy Island:

There is only one campsite on Fitzroy Island, but not to worry as it has everything you need. Just a short 5-minute walk from the jetty, the campground has approximately 20 tent sites available, a toilet and cold shower block, an undercover area, sink and picnic tables. There is only one council BBQ, so it’s good to bring your camp stove too. Alternatively, campers are welcome to dine in both Foxy’s Bar, and Zephyr Restaurant (dress code applies) and shop at the General Store if they do not wish to cook. 

Prices

$37 per tent per night (up to 4 people)

Camping equipment hire on Fitzroy Island:

Don’t worry if you can’t take your camping equipment to Fitzroy Island to camp! You can hire essential camping equipment from the Fitzroy Island resort. See below what they hire out.

Camping kits for two people include the following:

• 1x trolley
• 1x tent (requires set up)
• 2x sleeping mats
• 2x sleeping bags
• 2x pillows
• 2x camp chairs
• 1x esky
• 1x lamp

Pricing (Campsite + Equipment): 

• $97 for the first night
• $67 for additional nights
• $200 bond required

When should you visit the island:

Being in Far-north Queensland, there are only two main seasons that concern Fitzroy Island; the wet and dry seasons. If you do not know what this means, the ‘wet’ season is monsoon season, with lots of rain, very hot and high humidity. November through to April is the wet and stinger season, and May through to October is the dry season. November through to April is the wet and stinger season, and May through to October is the dry season. Depending on your liking, we recommend visiting in the dry season for optimal weather.

What to bring on your trip to Fitzroy Island:

It can be hard to think about everything you need to bring to camp on Fitzroy Island; thus, we have created a list below that covers just about everything!

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping matt and pillow
• Hiking shoes
• Snorkel gear (if you have it; if not, you can hire on the island – Target snorkel gear is also great and cheap if you are looking for some)
• bathers/swimmers
• Hiking clothes
• Rain-coat
• Towel
• camp stove
• cooking utensils and eating utensils
• sunscreen
• Hat
• sunglasses
• camera
• Stinger suit (if wet season)

Best hings to do on Fitzroy Island:

Hiking:

Fitzroy Island has four great short hikes that almost anyone can do. 

Summit Track (circuit):

Distance: 4km return. Allow 3 hours.

Difficult/challenging track, but the views from the summit are a great reward. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes, as there are some scrambling parts. To get onto the track, just before the campsite (right next to it), turn right up the little track, and guess what? You are on it! No need to stress now; continue to follow it!

Lighthouse Road:

Distance: 3.6km return; allow 2 hours for an easy return.

Steep in sections, so good shoes are essential. Following the same path from the resort to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, continue straight for another 1.3km to the lighthouse! 

Summit track and Lighthouse Circuit:

Distance: Approx. 5km return, allow 3 hours to return.

The best way to make both of these trails is to do them together! Instead of turning left at the road back after the summit, turn right and go the extra 500 meters (approx.) to the lighthouse! To return, follow the road back to the resort.

Nudey Beach track:

Distance: 1.2km return; allow 45 minutes.

You cannot go to Fitzroy Island and not go to one of the best beaches in the world and Australia’s best beach in 2022. An easy walk from the resort, follow the path from Foxy’s Bar past the Secret Garden Track. 

Secret Garden Track:

Distance: 700 meters return; allow 30 minutes.

Access the track from just behind Foxy’s Bar. The trail is moderately intense but nothing to worry about, as the lookout makes it all worthwhile. 

Snorkelling:

You cannot miss discovering the incredible underwater world while on Fitzroy Island. As the island is situated in the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, you can be sure that the marine life surrounding the island is fantastic. The island is surrounded by abundant fringing reefs filled with tropical fish, corals, some turtles, and the ever-famous clownfish! You can walk straight off the beach into the water and find yourself directly on top of some of these incredible reefs. 

Our top snorkel sports are: 

• The snorkel spot at the very right of Welcome Bay (the right side when you are on the island). Behind a large rock just offshore, you will find one of the most incredible snorkel sports you have ever seen. Marine life is abundant, and do not even get us started on the colourful corals!

• Left of the Jetty, just in front of Foxy’s Bar. Easier to access, as the best areas are not as far out!

• N A more populated snorkel spot, but worth it. A more populated snorkel spot, but worth it.udey Beach. Recently crowned the Best Beach in Australia (2022), Nudey Beach is another excellent spot for snorkelling on Fitzroy Island. A short, easy walk from the main resort area, you can walk straight off this incredible beach into a spectacular fringing reef. 

Scuba Diving:

If you have ever been interested in scuba-diving, head into the Fitzroy Island Sports Hub! If you have ever been interested in scuba-diving, head into the Fitzroy Island Sports Hub! The Fitzroy Island Sports Hub is a PADI-accredited centre, allowing everyone to experience the wonders of diving safely in the Great Barrier Reef! Perfect for qualified divers or people looking to complete their dive course!

Other water sports:

Are you looking for more sports activities while on the island? You can also sea kayak, stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or take a glass bottom boat cruise! For more information, head to the sports hub!

Turtle Rehabilitation Centre:

Love turtles? Then you cannot skip this one! The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is a world-class centre dedicated to caring for, rescuing, and feeding sick and injured turtles. You can learn about turtles and the rehabilitation centres’ work on their daily tours, but be quick, as you can only buy tour tickets on the day, and they sell out fast! 

Fishing:

While there are strict zoning and boundary conditions around Fitzroy Island (as it is a National Park), there is still incredible fishing to be done! Please visit the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Website to ensure you are up-to-date with all the relevant fishing information on this World Heritage Site.

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