Green Island

Green Island is a small Coral Cay of 15 hectares which is surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef and located 27kms from Cairns. Coral cays are islands that form on top of the existing reef. Sand, coral and shells and pushed together and if conditions remain right a small sand island is formed which with time then becomes a Coral Cay.

Green Island is a National Park and is regarded as one of the premier environmental heritage sites of Australia. Green Island supports a range of habitats and marine life. Green Island is home to over 120 species of plants and 55 bird species are regularly viewed on the island. Seagrass beds are found in the shallows around the islands edge which join with the reef which continues on into the deeper water. Some of the best snorkeling and diving of the Great Barrier Reef can be found at Green Island.

Captain James Cook sighted and named the island in 1770, for thousands of years though the local Aboriginal people had been using the island for hunting and fishing grounds. In 1924 a local family begun a ferry service from Cairns to Green Island taking locals which allowed local people to discover the wonders of the island. In the 1940s the first guest house was opened on Green Island and in 1948 the first glass bottom boat was used to show visitors the reef, since then the island has been renowned as a tourist destination.

The Green Island Resort is one of the leading eco-sensitive developments in Australia and the only Coral Cay in the Great Barrier Reef to have tropical rainforest. The Green Island Resort has 46 luxury suites and all the facilities which you would expect from a world class resort.

For more information on the Green Island Resort Cairns Click Here