Fitzroy Island – 6 Reasons Families will love this Tropical Island

Aug 4

[UPDATED AUGUST 2022]

Most people dream of spending a day chilling on a Tropical Island BUT when you have an active family you need more on offer than just pristine beaches and a blue ocean.

Thankfully when you book with Raging Thunder Ferries and head out to Fitzroy Island (off Cairns) there’s a load of activities that will easily keep your whole family entertained. Here’s 6 Reasons why Families will LOVE Fitzroy Island:

1. Fast Boat Trip

Fitzroy Island day trip @adventuremumma.jpg

The journey to Fitzroy Island by ferry takes only 45 minutes. The trip is short and sweet and the boat hugs the coastline for the majority of the way. This is a saviour for kids (and adults) that have queasy tummies and don’t travel so well. It’s also a saviour for parents of restless children. By the time the kids have even thought about asking ‘Are we there yet?’ you’ve arrived at your tropical island destination.

2. Snorkelling off the Beach

Fitzory Island day trip @adventuremumma.jpg

Not everyone is a natural born snorkeller. Getting kids confident enough to keep their heads down in the water and enjoy the underwater realm can be a battle. Starting their Great Barrier Reef adventure from a gentle sloping beach in a calm bay is a huge help. The snorkelling gear we hired is of good quality. They also offer easy to purge snorkels and life jackets for the not so confident swimmers. Once your children ‘spot’ the fish in the shallows it’s only a short swim to the rest of the reef and its underwater delights.

3. Sleepover

Fitzroy Island offers a resort as well as camping if you’d like to stay for the night. The resort itself offers a range of accommodation styles such as studio rooms, self-contained apartments and beachfront cabins. Make sure you give their Facebook page a LIKE to keep up to date with their deals and giveaways.

4. SUP Boarding and Paddle Skis

When you tire of being ‘in’ the water you can have a go at being ‘on’ the water. The calm bay of Fitzroy Island is a great place to paddle and explore the reef from another angle. It was my first go at SUP boarding and I saw many things that I would have missed if I had been snorkelling – an eagle ray in the shallows, some long-toms (a type of garfish) jumping and chasing baitfish, and a school of fish feeding near the surface. Fitzroy Island Resort hires out SUP boards from their Sports Hub located in the Resort arcade – they also do kayak tours & scuba diving and take bookings for the turtle rehab centre.

5. Café, Bar and Shop Facilities

Fitzroy Island souveniers @adventuremumma.jpg

Lets face it. It’s nice to treat yourself when you’re spending a busy day on a tropical island. Icy poles, lunch, cold beers and even Nemo are on sale in the day facilities of Fitzroy Island. You’re free to pack your own lunch and bring your own refreshments to the island, but it’s always nice to have the option to spoil yourself a little. Foxy’s Bar has an excellent casual cafe style food menu including kids meals and coffee.

6. Guaranteed Turtle sighting

Turtle Rehabilitation Centre - Fitzroy Island @adventuremumma.jpg

Turtle Rehabilitation Centre - Fitzroy Island @adventuremumma 1.jpg

Who doesn’t want to see a turtle on their trip to the Great Barrier Reef?

Book a visit to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC). This voluntary non-profit organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick and injured turtles. Here they house injured turtles that will soon be released back into the wild. It's a great chance to get up close and learn more about these amazing creatures.

Fitzory Island big day! @adventuremumma.jpg

For us the sign of a good day is how worn out the kids are at the end of it. The photo above shows my 9 year old boy sleeping on our boat journey back to Cairns. An excellent sign don’t you think!

Keen to visit some tropical islands? Then check out these posts too!

Sleep on the reef - 5 Great Barrier Reef tours that offer a sleepover
Green Island Cairns - Is this turtle heaven??
Top 5 reasons to escape to an island paradise

Good things to know:

Ferry options are either full day or half day - Optional extras include Snorkel hire, glass bottom boat, snorkel safari tour, snorkel experience tour or picnic lunch.
The Day Facilities at Fitzroy Island offer a bar, restaurant, café and souvenir shop and is open to everybody. The main Resort (and swimming pool) are for people staying at the Resort only
You can camp on Fitzroy Island – book through Fitzroy Island Resort
Whilst Fitzroy island is not known for stingers, they are present in Far Northern waters approximately November – May, so all guests are recommended to wear a full-body lycra suit. Lycra suits provide a good measure of protection against stingers and sunburn. Lycra suit hire from the FI Sports Hub
Whilst Main beach is a ‘coral’ beach NOT soft sand - so remember to take your shoes!, head on round to Nudey Beach, Australia’s #1 most beautiful beach (as voted in 2018), where you’ll find stunning golden sand.
Fitzroy Island has some great walking tracks. The smaller walk (45 minutes) will take you along the coastline to a sandy beach. The longer walk will take you up to the lighthouse and to a lookout if you have a couple of hours to spare.