The Great Barrier Reef has more than a thousand islands, but only a handful have beds, ferries or campsites. Some are low coral cays with reef off the sand; others are big, forested continental islands made for walking and sailing. Here are 14 worth your time, from luxury lodges to A$7.75 campsites.
Which Great Barrier Reef island is best to visit or stay on?
For coral straight off the beach, pick a southern coral cay such as Lady Elliot or Heron Island. For an easy day trip, Green or Fitzroy Island from Cairns; for beaches and sailing, the Whitsundays. Our Great Barrier Reef guide covers the reef itself.
| Island | Type | Access | Stay? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lizard | Continental | 1 h flight from Cairns | Luxury resort, camping | Splurges, remote reef |
| Green | Coral cay | 45 min ferry from Cairns | Resort or day trip | Families, short boat rides |
| Fitzroy | Continental | 45 min ferry from Cairns | Resort, camping | Turtles, beach snorkelling |
| Dunk | Continental | 30 min ferry, Mission Beach | Eco tents, camping | Quiet beaches, walks |
| Hinchinbrook | Continental | About 1 h boat, Cardwell or Lucinda | Trail campsites | Multi-day hiking |
| Orpheus | Continental | 30 min helicopter, Townsville | Lodge, camping | Couples, seclusion |
| Magnetic | Continental | 20 min ferry, Townsville | Towns, all budgets | Koalas, snorkel trails |
| Hamilton | Continental | Own airport; 60 min ferry, Airlie | Hotels to qualia | Easy island base |
| Whitsunday | Continental | Boat from Airlie Beach | Camping only | Whitehaven Beach |
| Hayman | Continental | Boat from Hamilton or Airlie | Luxury resort | Five-star stays |
| Daydream | Continental | About 30 min ferry, Airlie | Resort | Families, Living Reef |
| Heron | Coral cay | 2.5 h ferry, Gladstone | Resort | Turtles, diving |
| Lady Musgrave | Coral cay | Boat, Bundaberg or 1770 | Camping, Easter to late Jan | Self-sufficient campers |
| Lady Elliot | Coral cay | About 40 min flight | Eco resort or day trip | Mantas, beach snorkelling |
What is the difference between a coral cay and a continental island?
A coral cay is a low island of sand and broken coral piled up on top of a reef, so the reef starts at the shoreline. A continental island is the top of a drowned coastal range, cut off from the mainland when sea levels rose, with hills, forest and often fringing reef.
The Reef Authority counts about 1,050 islands in the World Heritage Area: 617 continental islands and more than 300 reef islands or coral cays, plus mangrove islands. Cays such as Green Island, about 6,000 years old, are small enough to walk around. Continental islands have hills and long walks, but the best coral is often a boat ride away.
Which Great Barrier Reef islands can you visit from Cairns?
Green and Fitzroy islands are both about 45 minutes by ferry from Cairns, and Lizard Island is a one-hour flight north. All three are in tropical Queensland, where stinger suits are worth wearing, usually from November to May.
- Green Island: a rainforest-covered coral cay 27 km offshore. Ferry transfers start from A$112 per adult. Stay at Green Island Resort or visit for the day; camping is not allowed. Best for families and anyone who wants little time on a boat. Price level: mid.
- Fitzroy Island: about 97% national park, with good snorkelling off the beach in Welcome Bay, a turtle rehabilitation centre you can tour, and a walk to Nudey Beach. Stay at the resort or in the campground of about 20 grassy sites. Best for turtles and a cheap island night. Price level: budget to mid.
- Lizard Island: 240 km north of Cairns, with 24 beaches, 40 villas and a research station. Children must be over 10. On the 2025–26 rate card rooms started at A$1,966 a night, all-inclusive, plus A$550 per person each way for the scenic flight. Campers can use the five sites at Watsons Bay, reached by boat or a 1.2 km walk from the airstrip. Best for a once-in-a-lifetime splurge near the Ribbon Reefs. Price level: luxury.
Can you stay on Dunk Island after Cyclone Yasi?
Yes, but not in a resort. The old Dunk Island Resort was wrecked by cyclones and is still in ruins, but the island reopened to overnight guests in April 2026 with beachfront eco tents beside the jetty on the Spit.
- Stay: eco tents from about A$260 a night (two-night minimum, Wednesday to Sunday) and six bring-your-own-tent sites from about A$60 a night.
- Access: the ferry from Clump Point, Mission Beach, takes about 30 minutes and runs Wednesday to Sunday.
- Reef: you can snorkel off the beaches, but visibility near the coast is sometimes poor. Walks include the steep 7 km return Mount Kootaloo track.
Best for quiet beaches and walking. Price level: budget to mid.
What are the best islands between Mission Beach and Townsville?
Hinchinbrook is for hikers, Orpheus for a secluded lodge stay, and Magnetic Island for an easy, affordable island with koalas.
- Hinchinbrook Island: home to the 32 km Thorsborne Trail, usually walked over three to five days. Boats take about an hour from Cardwell or Lucinda. The trail is closed from 1 January to 28 February, only 12 walkers may start each day, groups are capped at six, and April to September permits sell out fast. Crocodiles are a real danger here, so check the QWildlife app and keep away from the water's edge. Price level: budget (permits plus boat).
- Orpheus Island: Orpheus Island Lodge has 14 suites and a daily scheduled helicopter from Townsville, about 30 minutes, at A$530 per person each way. Boat-access national park campsites at Yanks Jetty, Pioneer Bay and South Beach suit self-sufficient campers. Price level: luxury, or budget if camping.
- Magnetic Island: about 20 minutes by passenger ferry from Townsville, with towns, hostels and holiday homes. About 78% of the island is national or conservation park, koalas live in most wooded areas, and snorkel trails at Nelly Bay and Geoffrey Bay start from the beach, marked with numbered yellow floats. Price level: budget to mid.
Which Whitsunday island should you stay on?
Stay on Hamilton Island for choice and convenience, Hayman for five-star luxury, Daydream for families, and camp on Whitsunday Island to wake up at Whitehaven Beach. Our Whitsundays guide covers Airlie Beach, sailing and Hill Inlet tides.
- Hamilton Island: direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns land on the island, and ferries from the Port of Airlie take 60 minutes. Stays range from Reef View Hotel to adults-only qualia (16+). Price level: mid to luxury.
- Hayman Island: InterContinental Hayman Island is reached by boat from Hamilton Island Airport (A$299 return per adult) or Coral Sea Marina in Airlie Beach. Blue Pearl Bay, a good beginner snorkel spot by boat, is on Hayman. Price level: luxury.
- Daydream Island: about 30 minutes by ferry from Airlie Beach and only about 1 km long. Its resort has the Living Reef, a 200 m coral lagoon with more than 100 marine species. Price level: mid.
- Whitsunday Island: no resort, but Whitehaven Beach camping area has 10 sites for up to 36 people, reached by boat or camper transfers from Airlie Beach, about 40 km from Shute Harbour. Price level: budget.
Which Great Barrier Reef islands have coral right off the beach?
The southern coral cays: Lady Elliot, Heron and Lady Musgrave sit on top of their reefs, so you can wade in and snorkel. All three are also turtle-nesting islands; our guide to where to see sea turtles explains the rules.
- Lady Elliot Island: about 80 km north-east of Bundaberg, reached only by small plane from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Brisbane (Redcliffe) and the Gold Coast. Eco resort rates start at about A$290 per person per night with meals; flights are extra. Day trips from Hervey Bay or Bundaberg cost A$595 per adult, about 40 minutes each way. Best for manta rays and beach snorkelling. Price level: mid to high.
- Heron Island: a coral cay 72 km off Gladstone with a resort and a University of Queensland research station. The ferry takes about 2.5 hours and costs A$99 each way (no Tuesday or Thursday sailings); a helicopter takes about 30 minutes. Turtles nest from November and hatch from January to May. Best for divers and turtle season. Price level: high.
- Lady Musgrave Island: 96 km north-east of Bundaberg, by boat from Bundaberg or Seventeen Seventy. Up to 40 people can camp at a time, from the first day of the Queensland Easter school holidays until the day after the Australia Day long weekend; you can visit by day at other times. Fires and generators are banned. Price level: budget (camping plus boat).
For the best sites at each island, see our Great Barrier Reef snorkelling and diving map.
Can you camp on a Great Barrier Reef island?
Yes. Queensland's national park islands have some of the cheapest beachfront nights in Australia, at A$7.75 per person or A$31 per family per night, and children under five camp free.
- Book first: permits are required and are booked online with Queensland Parks; holiday periods fill early.
- Bring everything: most island sites have no drinking water, no shops and little or no mobile coverage.
- Exceptions: Dunk Island's campsites are booked through the island's operator, not Queensland Parks, and Fitzroy Island's campground has its own fees.
- Stay safe: check marine stinger and crocodile warnings, and read our guide to dangerous animals in Australia. In an emergency call 000.
Facts checked October 2026. Rates, ferry timetables, camping seasons and permit rules change often; confirm with the operator or Queensland Parks before you travel.
- Outlook Report: Islands (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)
- Camping bookings and fees (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Green Island National Park (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Lizard Island fact sheet (Tourism and Events Queensland)
- Dunk Island camping area (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Thorsborne Trail hiking seasons (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Getting to Orpheus Island (Orpheus Island Lodge)
- Getting here (Hamilton Island)
- Practical information (InterContinental Hayman Island)
- Whitehaven Beach camping area (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Getting to Heron Island (Heron Island Resort)
- Lady Musgrave Island camping area (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)
