Fitzroy Island National Park
Fitzroy Island National Park
Fitzroy Island National Park
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
529 reviews
Excellent
295
Very good
158
Average
42
Poor
24
Terrible
10
Conrad M
Cairns, Australia126 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
It has been over twenty years, since I have been to Fitzroy Is. The island is approximately 45 minute boat ride from Cairns. The trip can get rocky at times, if you are prone to sea sickness? Take something along just in case. If your lucky you will see some dolphins.
Dress comfortably for the day...gets hot and humid
We took our own food, drinks and plenty of water. Don’t forget a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen. All of those things can be bought on the island but you will pay a premium, a can of coke is over $4. We had a couple of drinks at the bar, the food I saw going out, well????
Overall our day on the island was lovely, everyone had a great time, the kids especially, 11, 6 and 3 loved it. We went snorkelling, enough sea life around to keep the kids active, don’t expect too much nice coral, we walked to nudey beach, great for pictures and swimming, the island has pockets of cool semi rainforest. There is enough time to take it all in. We enjoyed the turtle tour.
The one turn off, on the island?
The lack of toilets and showers. There are toilets at Foxy’s, you can only use those toilets if you eat or drink there, there is security at the toilets all day, to make sure you don’t sneak in. There is more toilets at the resort, but only for guests. The public toilets are way down at the camp grounds. Not very convenient.
Having said all that, we still had a great day on the island.
Now very important, you bring stinger suits, or you can hire for $10 a day, if traveling light head straight to Nudey beach.
The best place to set up your camp is directly left, when walking off jetty, patches of sand and good shade, most of the the beach is broken coral, wearing you flip flops is a bonus.
If your doing the walk to the lighthouse? Do it early, or very late if staying on the Island. Fitness level, medium, it’s a good up hill walk.
The is a camp ground on the island, but I would don’t recommend camping in summer up here, rainfall, heat and humidity high.
There is a resort on the island, facilities are strictly for guests only....
If you have you children? And you really want to visit one of the two islands closet to Cairns. I would go to Green Island, still take everything. It is far better for young children, plenty of sandy beach for them to play and explore
Dress comfortably for the day...gets hot and humid
We took our own food, drinks and plenty of water. Don’t forget a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen. All of those things can be bought on the island but you will pay a premium, a can of coke is over $4. We had a couple of drinks at the bar, the food I saw going out, well????
Overall our day on the island was lovely, everyone had a great time, the kids especially, 11, 6 and 3 loved it. We went snorkelling, enough sea life around to keep the kids active, don’t expect too much nice coral, we walked to nudey beach, great for pictures and swimming, the island has pockets of cool semi rainforest. There is enough time to take it all in. We enjoyed the turtle tour.
The one turn off, on the island?
The lack of toilets and showers. There are toilets at Foxy’s, you can only use those toilets if you eat or drink there, there is security at the toilets all day, to make sure you don’t sneak in. There is more toilets at the resort, but only for guests. The public toilets are way down at the camp grounds. Not very convenient.
Having said all that, we still had a great day on the island.
Now very important, you bring stinger suits, or you can hire for $10 a day, if traveling light head straight to Nudey beach.
The best place to set up your camp is directly left, when walking off jetty, patches of sand and good shade, most of the the beach is broken coral, wearing you flip flops is a bonus.
If your doing the walk to the lighthouse? Do it early, or very late if staying on the Island. Fitness level, medium, it’s a good up hill walk.
The is a camp ground on the island, but I would don’t recommend camping in summer up here, rainfall, heat and humidity high.
There is a resort on the island, facilities are strictly for guests only....
If you have you children? And you really want to visit one of the two islands closet to Cairns. I would go to Green Island, still take everything. It is far better for young children, plenty of sandy beach for them to play and explore
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura R
4 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
I have been to Fitzroy on numerous occasions, for both day trips and overnight stays and have always loved it.
I recently went with my family visiting from Ireland and was embarrassed to have brought them somewhere that expects you to pay $10 per person for a day pass to use the toilet-toilets which have open sanitation bins in the ladies! They have a security guard standing outside the toilet making sure you don't go in without your pass. Your other open is to purchase an overpriced drink from foxy's bar to get a single use toilet pass- but bar staff don't hand these out with every drink so you need to ask for it. There is also a security guard keeping watch over the toilets and pool area in the resort. Apparently you can use the council toilets in the campground, however with a 3 year old, lengthy walks to the toilet were not an option for us.
The staff on raging thunder were brilliant and Fitzroy island itself is an amazing island. Definetly worth doing the summit and visiting Nudey Beach. The resort itself is badly in need of maintenance, having barely had any work done in years, and the bedrooms smell of damp. Its such a shame that issues with a toilet can ruin what would otherwise be a great day out.
I recently went with my family visiting from Ireland and was embarrassed to have brought them somewhere that expects you to pay $10 per person for a day pass to use the toilet-toilets which have open sanitation bins in the ladies! They have a security guard standing outside the toilet making sure you don't go in without your pass. Your other open is to purchase an overpriced drink from foxy's bar to get a single use toilet pass- but bar staff don't hand these out with every drink so you need to ask for it. There is also a security guard keeping watch over the toilets and pool area in the resort. Apparently you can use the council toilets in the campground, however with a 3 year old, lengthy walks to the toilet were not an option for us.
The staff on raging thunder were brilliant and Fitzroy island itself is an amazing island. Definetly worth doing the summit and visiting Nudey Beach. The resort itself is badly in need of maintenance, having barely had any work done in years, and the bedrooms smell of damp. Its such a shame that issues with a toilet can ruin what would otherwise be a great day out.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isabel S
11 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
The only option for non resort staying guests is Foxy's bar where anyone would recommend to do anything but. 'Cooks' obviously don't care about their food and they don't need to as what other choice are people given? Definitely bring your own food unless you can afford to book in through the resort to their restaurant. Additionally bring your own mozzie repellent. General staff such as on boats, reception, etc were very lovely and assisted everyone to make sure their stay was brilliant. Wifi had to be paid for and without you were left without reception until about 50m offshore.
Written 12 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz B
4 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Day trippers very poorly catered for. Had to purchase something from the bar in order to get a pass for the toilets where a staff member was stationed all day.
The only free public toilet was 200 metres away in the campground which was neglected and run down.
Arrived just before 10 and refused the breakfast menu which closed at 1030. Only those staying at the resort were able to access on this day apparently because there was a problem with the resort restaurant. Alcohol was freely available though.
Compared to my last trip 2 years ago it was evident that the resort is the main feature of this island and day trippers just an add on.
The only free public toilet was 200 metres away in the campground which was neglected and run down.
Arrived just before 10 and refused the breakfast menu which closed at 1030. Only those staying at the resort were able to access on this day apparently because there was a problem with the resort restaurant. Alcohol was freely available though.
Compared to my last trip 2 years ago it was evident that the resort is the main feature of this island and day trippers just an add on.
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott
33 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
We went for three days and were blown away. The crystal clear blue waters are such a stark contrast from the brown waters in Cairns. The beaches are mostly coral shingle so I'd recommend investing in a pair of reef shoes before you go. But there are still a few nice patches of soft white sand to lay your towel down at Nuddy beach (don't let the name fool you, it's definitely not a nudist beach, very family friendly). The hikes through the rainforest were stunning and the water was warm and inviting! We were surprised by how good the snorkeling was around White Rock and Shark Fin Bay... loads of healthy living coral and colourful reef fish. We even saw a turtle! I'd definitely recommend eating at Zephrys Restaurant... such a delight.
Our only criticism is the drunk tourists. It isn't an issue before 11 am or after 3 pm, because they usually come over for day trips on the ferry and don't stay for the night, but they definitely interfere with the otherwise laid back family vibe of the island. By the end we were so sick of drunk backpackers smoking and blasting their music on the beaches, meters from families trying to relax.
Our only criticism is the drunk tourists. It isn't an issue before 11 am or after 3 pm, because they usually come over for day trips on the ferry and don't stay for the night, but they definitely interfere with the otherwise laid back family vibe of the island. By the end we were so sick of drunk backpackers smoking and blasting their music on the beaches, meters from families trying to relax.
Written 23 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelli L
6 contributions
Feb 2021
Our rating is for the gorgeous snorkelling you can do there, the turtle rehab and Foxy's bar. The rest of the island is unwelcoming to day trippers and completely unorganised. We arrived on the morning Fitzroy Flyer and received no information about where to go, what we can do and what to go see, they missed so many opportunities to really help us get the most out of our visit. We were dropped and left basically. We were not told where to go to hire equipment, and it wasn't even open for 40mins after the boat dropped us. Really frustrating that we couldn't jump straight in and snorkel. At the hire place they did at least show us where to go etc. The best place to snorkel is around white rock - we saw 7 turtles on one snorkel and this was amazing, The fish life is really incredible and the reef beautiful. We stumbled upon a gorgeous book in the tiny shop on the island all about a turtle that goes to the rehab centre - it's a fantastic book and they didn't even promote it on the island. They should have told us about it at the turtle rehab place. It was really unwelcoming, we couldn't go so many places and no one was around like on other islands to help guests. I would go again for the snorkelling but lower my expectations about any service at all.
Written 22 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frogs059
Northern Territory, Australia25 contributions
Feb 2021 • Family
Day trip with family was too long suggest if you must go then just go 1/2 day. The beaches are a coral graveyard and the snorkelling is very poor for seeing anything of note. Food on the island is priced high and is quite poor quality. The boat ride there and back were the highlight. There are better options around for visually satisfying snorkelling.
Written 3 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vera T
2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
5 star location 3 star resort.
Booked here to Scuba Dive there is no longer Scuba Diving done on island even tho there is advertising everywhere for it.
The ferry over is mould infested and needs a good clean,the air conditioner is broken and having to sit inside when raining with a mold smell is very unpleasant.
The resort is very tired and needs major maintenance.
My room the bathroom wasn't clean,severe soap scum on shower,hair and sand on floor,air conditioner leaked,freezer on fridge unit unusable as it was frozen over.
Shower drain doesn't cope with having a shower so over fills onto bathroom floor.
Pool lounges are covered in black mold.
No information given about stinger solution stations around resort. No information about currents,tides, etc the actual activities desk is closed down.
Food was very nice,service was friendly.
The snorkeling is Fantastic the reef is beautiful.
Save some money do a day trip experience the beautiful reef the resort just doesn't have anything to offer in the current state.
Booked here to Scuba Dive there is no longer Scuba Diving done on island even tho there is advertising everywhere for it.
The ferry over is mould infested and needs a good clean,the air conditioner is broken and having to sit inside when raining with a mold smell is very unpleasant.
The resort is very tired and needs major maintenance.
My room the bathroom wasn't clean,severe soap scum on shower,hair and sand on floor,air conditioner leaked,freezer on fridge unit unusable as it was frozen over.
Shower drain doesn't cope with having a shower so over fills onto bathroom floor.
Pool lounges are covered in black mold.
No information given about stinger solution stations around resort. No information about currents,tides, etc the actual activities desk is closed down.
Food was very nice,service was friendly.
The snorkeling is Fantastic the reef is beautiful.
Save some money do a day trip experience the beautiful reef the resort just doesn't have anything to offer in the current state.
Written 27 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ethan J
Northampton, UK175 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Disappointed to say the least. The only reason you should come to the island is if you’re staying in the resort. The walking routes are lovely going though the forest. However, the beaches are pretty poor with little to no sand making it impossible to have a relaxing day by the beach. If you do brave it in the water you’ll find very poor visibility for snorkelling and if you do see something chances are it will be a jellyfish.
I wouldn’t recommend coming here at all and $95.00 for a return ferry is a criminal price.
I wouldn’t recommend coming here at all and $95.00 for a return ferry is a criminal price.
Written 31 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen B
8 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
Beautiful island, fantastic service and great food. My friend and I stayed in a larger room. My friend slept on the lounge bed and I had the double bed. Both were incredibly comfortable. The food at the resort and at the local bar was really good. We brought our own breakfast, ate sandwiches from the store for lunch and also got a couple of salads for lunch as well. We ate dinner at the bar and at the resorts restaurant. Both were fantastic. Oysters, fresh seafood and plenty of fresh produce. Utterly delicious and not expensive. The wine was especially well priced. At the resort’s restaurant a two course meal was $60pp for dinner. We hiked the summit each morning. We stayed for four whole days which was perfect. The staff were super friendly and helpful! It was a great holiday
Written 1 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will we be able to snorkel the first week in November, or will the stingers be too bad?
Written 9 October 2019
How likely are crocodiles in the water? Has anyone heard of one being on the beach here?
Written 5 August 2019
The water is very clear around Fitzroy Is, not normal habitat for crocs as they like the swampy areas. Never known crocs to be sighted at this location. You can always check with staff at the resort when you arrive at the Island.
Written 11 October 2019
Do we need to book the Fitzroy island tour in advance for early Aug? If so, a few days or months in advance will do?
Written 11 April 2019
Hi ! August is in nice time to visit. May to Sept is the busy tourist season. No need to book Months in advance. I advise you check out the weather on arrival and book your tour a few days in advance. The tour company is Great Adventures and if you book another tour they give 10% discount. If you are an outdoors type, they run Canyoning Tours at 2 great locations as well as Reef trips. I have not been on the Canyoning tours but often swim / hike in the gorges around these locations. Safe travels and I hope you enjoy kayaking at Fitzroy Is.
Written 15 April 2019
Is it possible to swim near the beach without a stinger suit in late November?
Written 11 June 2018
There is some risk in doing that. You may want to contact the local travel providers for a more definitive answer.
Written 13 June 2018
clairetara
Hobart, Australia
Where can we park our car and camper trailer securely whie on fitzroy island for 10 days?
Written 3 March 2018
Maybe you could contact one of the caravan parks. I would imagine they should be able to find you a store area.
Written 6 March 2018
Sonali B
55 contributions
When you travel from Cairns to Fitzroy Island, do the sea get too rough and toss the ferry, making you fall over and break your bones?
Written 18 February 2018
The sea does not get too rough, and if you stay seated as they request you can't fall over. Regulations would dictate that they would not go if the weather was unsuitable. Australia is very safety conscious.
Written 21 February 2018
Does this tour go to Fitzroy in April & year round, snorkeling?? Is there a pick up at hotel and drop off?
Written 14 December 2017
The ferry to the Island goes all year round. April is a good time- no jelly fish. You can hire equipment on the Island. They have glass bottom boat tours. Not a huge lot of coral left but still nice. Saw a few tropical fish. The turtle rehabilitation tour was very interesting. The National Park Lighthouse walk is quite steep but take your time and worth the effort. Other walks are easy.
Written 19 December 2017
Buenas tardes, estaré en Cairns y quisiera saber cómo llegar a la isla Fitz Roy, hay ferrys? o todo con excursión? También qué otra isla recomiendan y cómo llegar? Muchas gracias!
Written 4 November 2017
what days is the turtle rehabilitation centre open? do you need to book or can you just turn up?
Written 6 March 2017
Hello, Best place to park in Cairns before getting the ferry over?
Thanks,
Written 2 March 2017
Hi sorry for late reply , best way to park is at the pier $6-$10 a day ..
Written 18 May 2017
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