Sunlover: Fitzroy Island Day Trip From Cairns By Fast Catamaran

Highly recommend the half day trip to Fitzroy on the Sunlover catamaran. The staff were all super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable . It's 45 mins to the island and the cat stops on the jetty, So if you have mobility problems or kids I'd recommend this one. (Smaller boats just roll up to the shore and people had to walk down narrow metal steps onto the beach). The picnic lunch was LOVELY with lots of variety and plenty of food - you pick these up from Foxy's cafe if you've ordered one. Foxy's is quite big and has a full bar and serves hot food, which looked good. They also have toilets there. Nudey Beach is 1.2km walk BUT involves high steep stone steps (no rails), and a hill. If you aren't young or very mobile it will be difficult! Fitzroy is beautiful unspoilt island and you need to take it as it comes. To make it "accessible" for all would require infrastructure that they don't have. The beaches are pieces of broken dead coral so painful to walk on in bare feet. We saw several older people with walking sticks and they had to stick to the main path alongside the mangroves. There's a beautiful hotel there, a small campsite with a shower and toilets and a small general store. Snorkelling is WELL WORTH a try as it's shallow, calm and very few boats. Crystal clear and tons of amazing fish just off the shoreline. We saw a few turtles too but obviously there's no guarantee you'll see one. They hang out more near the White rock on the left side of the island as you approach on the boat. Also please check the Turtle Rehab Centre is open and donate! They help injured and sick turtles. Such amazing gentle creatures.

The glass bottom boat ride is a hoax! Nothing really worth the view and the guide didn’t speak loud enough hear whatever education she was providing!

Beautiful place - just make sure you bring sturdy reef shoes or some such as the coral makes the beach there and it’s a bit like walking on nature’s Lego !

Highly recommended for families with children. During our visit (July), the river was knee- to hip-deep. The water temperature was pleasant and the current wasn't dangerous, so the focus was on having fun. The guides were all incredibly friendly and helpful. Excellent value for money.

We loved our day trip to Fitzroy Island with two families and kids aged 4-10. The boat was big and comfortable, crew super-friendly and helpful. The island itself is beautiful with short walks, clear water and lots of coral and fish close to shore - much more than I’d expected from a touristy island. Plenty of shade available under trees along the shore. There’s lots of coral washed up on the beach so a good idea to bring reef shoes or waterproof sandals. An awesome day trip.

Planned a day for the family to Fitzroy Island, we were messed around getting tickets, and when we were checking on, as we searched for a seat, the sunlover team held reserved seats for a large group booking who either weren’t there or didn’t show, the upshot when we asked were to sit, they asked if we got seasick?, I said I don’t know and our family had to sit on the roof in the wind and sun. The sun lover team member complained to her fellow crew about having to sit up there saying she would get sun burnt, ummm yeah, so will we. It was crazy windy that day. On the way back the same chaos, passengers arguing in line about getting on first or second: it was revolting. Honestly what was an otherwise lovely day was managed so poorly by the tour operator, go with someone else.

Overall, this was good value for money. The transfer left on time, there was plenty of time to explore the island, and the packed lunch was a nice touch. However, I did feel that there wasn’t a clear system in place to account for all passengers. Compared to other reef tours I’ve done, it felt a bit unstructured, and it seemed possible for someone to be left behind. Still, a good option if you’re looking for a simple and affordable day trip.

Beach all dead coral no sand so not comfortable to lay on and shallow for a long distance plus not many fish to see snorkeling. Did see a turtle swimming about though. And a komodo dragon walking along beach about 4feet long

The snorkeling was disappointing (not a lot of fish and only one turtle was spotted). The snorkeling gear was nor in great condition and didn’t feel prpoerly cleaned. The island was beautiful, especially Nudey beach. Lunch was nice.

Navigating a way down to the beach was dangerous. Two of us fell down the slippery and high sandbag steps. The beach is mostly very sharp and large pieces of coral. We should have been advised to wear reef shoes and where the safest access was to the beach. There was a pool at the resort but you’re not allowed to swim in it. And swimming on the beach meant a full stinger suit and reef shoes. Not enjoyable at all. The actual cruise company were friendly and professional but all in all it was a hard pass for me. The food at the restaurant was average too. I did ask the resort to use the pool as it was extremely hot. They said they sold passes but not on that day. Very disappointed.

Great day out. Boat ride was enjoyable and crew was friendly and welcoming. We did the lunch and snorkelling. The lunch was delicious and plenty of it. The snorkeling was amazing we saw so many fish and turtles and even a shark. Would definitely recommend.

Had a very good experience in this island.I would recommend to avoid glass bottom tour and start doing snorkelling and kayaking once you reach the island which gives enough time to enjoy your activity.Amazing under water sea life you experience in this island while doing snorkelling.

Thank you Ram and team! We booked the transfer to and from Fitzroy Island, plus the snorkel gear hire, packed lunch and glass bottom boat tour. It was a great experience and we saw lots of fish, coral, whales and turtles!!! The snorkelling gear was clean and well maintained, just make sure you bring a bag to carry it in, as it is issued to you on the boat and the best snorkelling spots are a short walk away. The lunch box was also given out on the boat and was excellent, with enough food for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea - bring a cool bag to keep it fresh unless you plan on eating it all at once. We travelled with young kids and the staff on the boat were very friendly and engaging. The only downside of the trip was the lllooonngggg lines to the toilet on the island itself, we could only find one for non-resort users. There are also cold outdoor showers that you can line up to use.

One of the best decisions I ever made was to book this experience! Me and my partner booked the package with the glass bottom boat tour and the snorkel gear hire. We decided to bring our own lunch, but the lunches looked nice from what I could see! The transfer boat there and back was excellent. The staff were ready to help the passengers and it was easy to pick up and swap our snorkel equipment. The island itself is absolutely beautiful. If you scan the QR code on the boat you get a pdf that shows you the different locations on the island and where the good spots are for walking and snorkelling. I would highly recommend snorkelling in the white rock area. We got to see the amazing coral and even turtles! It was a surreal experience. The boat tour was brilliant too. The lady leading the tour was very informative and we learnt a lot about the coral and wildlife. It wasn't too long either which was good. We then decided to do the summit walk. It said it would take 3 hours but it took us about an hour and 15 minutes. We are keen hikers though and it is quite steep so just be aware of that if you plan on doing it! The views were absolutely insane. The Sunlover crew member let us leave some of our bags with her as we hiked which was really kind and helpful. The general store was good and the cafes looked good from what I could see. My only complaint is that I wish I had longer on the island- it is just fantastic. If you are thinking of booking this tour, do not hesitate, I cannot stress enough how brilliant it was.

An unforgettable experience! Everything went smoothly from start to finish. The cruise team was incredibly friendly and professional. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to swim among beautiful fish and sea turtles ; truly magical. I highly recommend this cruise company!

Excellent day out…well worth the experience and all aspects handled well by the operator. Thanks…will do again

We had a great time snorkeling at Fitzroy island. However, the snorkeling gear provided was low quality (one mask would not seal and the snorkels lacked the splash protector on top). Loading on the return ferry was chaotic, no guidance from staff on which line we needed to be in. Many people were frustrated to wait in line only to find out it was the wrong line.

A really beautiful place with fantastic views. The staff were really helpful and look after us very well Glass bottomed boat tour was great got really close to the corals and had great guides in Ram and Steve. Very good lunch.

I think if the weather had of been nicer this would have been a great day. However due to the weather there was minimal to see through the hazy water, which happens when the weather is bad I understand that. However prior to leaving I record a message saying that due to weather sometimes there are late cancellations and with this message I felt confident that conditions on the island would be adequate for the amount of money spent. The trip should have been cancelled. My $500 I spent on the day trip paid for a wet lunchbox. I also assumed which may have been ignorant me that there would have been a snorkeling tour with a guide to assist especially with beginners and teaching children, however it felt like we were dropped of, given lunch and picked up in the afternoon.

Horrible experience..... currently sitting on Fitzroy Island in a blizzard waiting for the boat to come back to transport us back to Cairns. The company takes you to the island regardless of what the weather is going to be. 1st they cancel the buffet lunch and swap it for a picnic box, then they cancel the glass boat tour that has been paid extra for. They then just leave you on the island in horrendous weather to fend for yourselves all day. We tried to find shelter undercover at the resort, only to be kicked out by the manager with nowhere dry to go. I would absolutely not recommend this experience and will never be returning again. $400 to sit around all day waiting to get a lift back to Cairns. Absolutely disgusted in the experience.

The trip to the island was fine.the weather was terrible. The glass bottom boat trip was cut very short abd snorkelling was impossible due to poor visibility and high winds. It would have been better if the trip was cancelled.

Checkin was easy The ferry was in great condition The staff were friendly and engaging Unfortunately the only negative was when my partner was given a snorkel with mould in it. So we took it back over to the staff distributing and she gave him a new one but placed the same mouldy one back on the top of the pile to be handed out to others! Other than that, the transfers were good and we enjoyed the buffet lunch we selected. Beautiful island but the new shorter hours doesn’t allow time to snorkel, lunch and hike. We did enjoy our day out though.

We read a lot of reviews raving about Fitzroy Island, so we decided to give it a try. The experience was ok... The beach is narrow and rocky, but it does have lots of shade which my kids appreciated. If you're looking for a gorgeous white sandy beach, this isn't it. You can easily swim out to the reef from the beach, which makes it a very accessible reef. The downside is that the visibility isn't great. After taking a catamaran out to deep water where we saw a huge parrot fish and vibrant colors, this was a letdown. I was feeling disappointed by the day and decided to do one last snorkel. That's when we saw 2 large sea turtles, and we swam with them in the reef for about 30 minutes. It completely made the experience. If I hadn't seen the turtles, Fitzroy would have been a bust. But, with the sea turtles it was incredible! Be sure to rent a stinger suit from the tour operator. If not, you should absolutely rent them from the hotel shop for safety.

Great trip. Be aware that the weather cannot be guaranteed. February is rainy season so you're going to get wet at some point. That said the organisation and the trip itself is worth the effort. There are great hikes on the island and pool plenty of opportunity for swimming and snorkeling.

Amazing experience, staff were great and helpful . Definitely recommend going with this charter. Highly recommended

Such a great day, snorkelling was fantastic, saw a baby shark and a turtle! Definitely would go to Fitzroy Island again!

That Fitzroy island is the best island to go visit it has some much to do and to look at the water is crystal clear

Very smooth hassle free pickup and transfer. The also accommodates us as we request to going back early.

Easy and quick transfer to Fitzroy Islands with friendly staff. Didn’t do any of the tours because we wanted to have a more relaxed day.

The delay in leaving Cairns and also coming back.Yes they apologied for the day.lmagine thinking you will leave at 10AM and end up leaving after 11AM.l left home without having breakfast,thinking l will have my breakfast at Fitzroy. Surely offering customers something to eat will attending the issue will not have made customers notice the time delay.photos where taken when we where boarding, but nothing was said on where to get them.R egular servicing boats is important.

Great time! The weather was gorgeous. The water was beautiful. Loved being able to snorkel to the Reef from the shore. Lunch was a nice addition. Cool drinks from the bar - bonus! Crew on the boat were great - informative of everything we needed to know. Highly recommend!

We really enjoyed our time in Fitzroy island We did the hike to the lighthouse and summit and did some swimming at Nudey beach. It was a beautiful place. The only negative was the ferry service emailed us the day before and pushed back the start time by 60 or 90 minutes with no good explanation.

Due to an issue on my end with my booking, as well as changes in the times Sunlover were actually able to do the transfers I contacted them to cancel my booking. They were wonderful, understanding and exceptionally prompt with the processing. I can only imagine that it would have been equally exceptional customer service if we had been able to use them.

We went on a Fitzroy island tour with Sunlover Reef Cruise. What I loved about this tour was the time duration on Fitzroy Island. You get to experience Fitzroy island more than enough in a day! We went on a hike, went to the Nudey beach, snorkelling around & spent a day on Nudey Beach exploring! While we were waiting for the boat to go back to Cairns, we spotted some sea turtles on the jetty. Boat came around 5pm and we could enjoy the pre sunset sky at Fitzroy island which was absolutely beautiful ✨ All the staff I have spoken to on the boat, they were all friendly and professional. I highly recommend to book Fitzroy island tour with Sunlover Reef Cruise! It was definitely worth the money.

Great experience! All was on time, great professional and funny staff. :) made a best out of experience even if it was rainy a bit. Just make sure, you eat light breakfast as it can be pretty wavy on board

The glass boat tour guide was funny and had away to get everyone smiling. Overall, very much enjoyed the day trip to Fitzroy Island.

Only used this as a ferry service. We did not opt in to the glass bottom boat or snorkeling. Island is beautiful and offers pretty snorkeling. Nudey beach was a tough treak to make but not too. Wear proper hiking gear and study the path as much as possible and don't be afraid to get directions as it can be confusing. Food places are minimal and close in the afternoon so be ware of timings before heading out.

Great service and very reasonably priced. My friend and I had the best day out on Fitzroy island, there was so much to do and it was very surreal and beautiful to be surrounded by such nature and sights!!

My husband and I took a day trip from Cairns to Fitzroy Island. Professional, helpful staff on the Fitzroy Island boat, and everything ran to schedule. Beautiful scenery as we walked/hiked to Nudey Beach, which was well worth the trek. The trip included the option of a glass bottom boat trip or snorkelling experience, and we chose the glass bottom boat. The 30 minute boat trip was very underwhelming, the boat hovered for a few minutes over some bleached out looking coral, with a spiel delivered by the driver,and then raced back for the next tour group. It very much felt like a money making exercise that I would not recommend. There was also no advance notice that the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on the Island was closed. We ended up coming back 2 hours early and were a bit disappointed overall.

Great snorkeling experience at Nudey Beach. Glad we had stinger suits as we did see a few different stingers and also non stinging jellies. Saw turtles, various fish. Beautiful clear water.

Smooth transfer to beautiful island. Book the snorkeling equipment and glass bottom boat package, well worth it! Can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks, order at Foxy’s or buy at the general store. We got our meals takeaway from Foxy’s and ate at the beach

Amazing experience, the reef is so close to the island we could truly swim into and see how beautiful it is. Got a peak of a turtle and a beautiful sting ray as well. The water is so warm and the food and drinks were great at the café on the island the only issue we had was that the cafè only serves food from 11.30 so make sure you bring food with you in the morning.

What a beautiful island. Picturesque blue waters and greenery. The ferry out was comfortable and short with a great crew to get us out there.

Swimming in the crystal clear waters was amazing. The trails on the island were breathtaking and certainly worth doing.

for starters we went on thursday 23/11 and the young lady who wasn't wearing a name badge was very rude stating that we didn;t have the pass for the swimming and when we showed her the printed receipt with all that was included she just walked away and didn;t bother listening. We didn't see any coral nor the could we go swimming unless it was a closed off area on the beach with the snorkeling equipment. Would not go with this company again

The Sunlover Reef transfer from Cairns to Fitzroy Island was spacious and quick. The boat drops off passengers to Fitzroy Island first before moving on to the other activities. On the way back, we got confused and queued up for the Fitzroy Island Adventure boat. Just keep an eye out lol

Fitzroy Island not to be missed! A little bit of paradise with the clearest water and beautiful fish and coral to explore. Be prepared for a bit of a climb on large stones when exploring the route to nudie beach but so worth it!!

Had absolutely wonderful time snorkeling at Fitzroy Island! As Island, not as cute and welcoming as Green Island, but the reef is way closer to shore and so much more vibrant! We even saw few white tip sharks while out there! Absolutely recommend! One of my trips highlights!

A spectacular day. A big thank you to Victor and Alana for their professional and entertaining glass bottom boat tour. Good information delivered with enthusiasm and fun. We will be back!