JoelWhere and How to Get There
Fitzroy Island is a short ferry trip from Cairns which takes around 45 minutes. One ferry service as an example is the Fitzroy Flyer which leaves from the Cairns Marina.
What to Expect
Fitzroy Island is a short ferry trip from Cairns which takes around 45 minutes. One ferry service as an example is the Fitzroy Flyer which leaves from the Cairns Marina.
Where to Stay
Island Resort – prices can vary from $130 – $650 per night for a room.
Campgrounds – $37 per night, per tent.
Ultimate Aussie Bucketlist Experience
This was perhaps our favourite places to snorkel because of how easy it was! You literally walk right off the coral beach, swim for 10 metres and you’ll see coral and all forms of fish!
The ferry ride over is roughly 45 minutes, and it can get a bit bumpy… there were quite a few people on the boat who were sick during the trip. But thankfully it’s a relatively short ride over. As we entered on to the jerry, we knew straight away we were in for an awesome experience. Directly in front of us was the resort, where you check-in for your accommodation (including camping, which we did). You’ll also find the restaurant and hire shop in the same area.
Lugging our camping gear and hiking bags to the campsite was a short 200m stroll heading north along the path. Lucky for us, except for another small group, we were the only ones there! The campground has cold showers and toilets, so it’s a perfect option for those on a budget.
After a quick camp set up and a bite to eat, we were desperate to get in to the water and start snorkelling. For the three days we were there, we clocked about 20 hours of snorkelling each haha.
You’ll find some nice hikes (some of the tracks are pretty steep), with a 360 degree lookout on the highest point and also a hike to visit the lighthouse. Although we wanted to spend all our day snorkelling, we are glad we explored the island tracks. Here’s a small breakdown of what we did:
Day One
Ferry departure at 8am, and arrival to the island at 8:45am. Check in.
At 9:30 we set up camp and had a late breakfast.
Game time! 10:15am, we were in the water snorkelling right off the beach of the campsite. On the first day we snorkelled north of the jetty. After a quick lunch, it was back in the water until it started getting a little dark.
Sunset was amazing. We took our chairs to the beach, along with some snacks and watched the sun as it disappeared behind the mountains. As it got dark – we got a pleasant surprise! A small amount of bioluminescent activity in the water right at our feet! Spectacular!
Today we swam with many turtles, rays, colourful fish (including lion fish) and even a Nurse Shark!
Day Two
Immediately at sunrise, we were in the water again enjoying the peace and quiet before day tours arrived. It’s such a great time to be in the water. You’ll probably be one of the only ones in the water at that time.
9:00am breakfast and guess what – yes – back snorkelling. This time on the southern beach of the jetty. Fish life wasn’t as abundant, but as you swim south along the boulders, the coral is intense! There were a so much of it. We snorkelled almost all the way to Nudey Beach, but turned around as it got a bit deep and murky (chickens haha).
2:00pm and we had lunch then set off for the hiking trip around the island trails. Heading toward the north of the island we followed the track to the lighthouse, then backtracked a little to reach the summit (269m above sea level) It’s all uphill but the views are incredible. Back down the other side led us right back to camp, where we snorkelled again to cool off.
Total hiking came it at around 5km. (This includes a short garden walk near the resort).
Sunset was spectacular again! Exhausted from all the snorkelling and hiking, we were all asleep in no time.
Day Three
Sunrise snorkelling again! We couldn’t get enough of it.
9:00am for breakfast and then a 1.2km return walk to Nudey Beach. Today was a bit over cast and the water at Nudey was murky… so we had a quick look and went back to the beach in front of the campsite.
Blisters were forming from so much snorkelling, but we had the rest of the day to enjoy before our ferry left at 5pm.
In perfect timing, as we were checking out of camping, a large school group arrived and started setting up… phew…
2pm lunch and then a coffee and snack at the bar, we sat near the jetty and soaked in the last few hours of such an amazing island.
Incredibly, as we were about to leave, a small shark swam past just off the shore! And as we walked over the jetty, and large ray passed underneath.
5pm and we are off! It was very bumpy and it even rained for a short time – but we were all so happy from the trip that we didn’t care.
Don’t miss this beautiful island. Fitzroy will always be one of our favourites, and if you’re about to continue to travel to the Northern Territory, it may be your last chance to enjoy snorkelling.
Ultimate Aussie Bucketlist
