Green Island Coral Cay Day Walk
Day trip to Green Island — a coral cay National Park 27 kilometres from Cairns — for walking through the dense cay forest, snorkelling the fringing reef, and experiencing a true coral island ecosystem.
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Green Island Ferry Departure
Fast catamarans reach Green Island in 45 minutes from Cairns — the approach to the small green island rising from the turquoise reef water is the quintessential Great Barrier Reef arrival experience.
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Green Island Beach
Green Island's beach completely encircles the small cay — the white sand beach, fringed by coral just offshore, allows snorkellers to enter the water anywhere around the island's perimeter.
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Coral Cay Forest Walk
A boardwalk through the dense cay forest reveals the interior ecology of a coral island — pisonia trees, Pandanus palms, and the nesting sites of wedge-tailed shearwaters that burrow under the forest floor.
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Marineland Melanesia
The Marineland Melanesia on Green Island holds a collection of live crocodiles and artefacts from Papua New Guinea and Melanesian cultures — an unexpected cultural element on a coral island that has been operating since 1965.
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Reef Snorkel Circuit
The fringing reef around Green Island is accessible directly from the beach — coral bommies in 2-5 metres support damselfish, wrasse, parrotfish, and the occasional turtle that nests on the island beach.
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Island Resort View
Green Island Resort is the only accommodation on a Great Barrier Reef coral cay — staying overnight transforms the experience from day-tripper to island inhabitant, with the reef lit by moonlight and entirely private.