If you are an avid fan of water activities and are on the hunt for a holiday destination where you can spend oodles of time having a blast in the water, you can’t beat Fitzroy Island!
Fitzroy Island, a stunning tropical island paradise, is located just off the coast of Cairns in Tropical Far North Queensland. Fitzroy Island can be reached from the Cairns Marina by means of a short 45-minute Fast Cat ride. Fitzroy Island is 97% National Park (a beautiful combination of lush tropical rainforest and coastal woodlands) and located right in the heart of the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef.
Due to its position in Tropical Far North Queensland, visitors to Fitzroy Island are able to enjoy warm water for swimming and water activities all year round. This just makes a visit to Fitzroy Island even more enticing!
In this article, we shall introduce you to five awesome water activities that can be enjoyed when visiting Fitzroy Island (whether for just a day trip or a longer stay).
Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Have you ever wanted to feel like you’re walking on water? Well once you’ve caught your balance, that’s exactly the feeling you get with stand up paddle boarding. And it makes for a pretty incredible way to explore the Great Barrier Reef.
Fitzroy Island makes the perfect place for you to venture out on your SUP board because just a few steps out into the water you’ll find the incredible coral gardens of the reef.
Float above and paddle your way around the island. It’s a bit of a workout, but the little areas you can’t reach by foot or boat, will be your reward for all of your hard work.
You probably don’t have your own SUP board right now, but no worry, the Fitzroy Island Sports Hub has ones (and other equipment) that you can hire. You’ll probably enjoy SUP boarding so much that you might end up getting your own – you can stand up paddle board in almost any body of water!
Snorkelling
If you are looking for an easy and relaxed means of exploring the magical sea life that call the island’s waters home, you can’t beat snorkelling. Unlike scuba diving gear, snorkelling gear is light and relatively easy to get the hang of. The beauty of Fitzroy Island is, you can grab your mask, snorkel and fins (all available for hire at the Fitzroy Island Activities Centre, or choose to bring your own gear) and snorkel straight from the shore of the island!
You can’t beat the feeling of floating and gliding your way through the warm and clear aqua tropical waters of the island, all while encountering hard corals, soft corals, tropical fish such as Nemo and perhaps even a sea turtle. Snorkelling is a great option for those less confident in the water, as well as for families with young children.
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayaking is another fabulous means by which you can explore the waters and sea life of Fitzroy Island. Sea kayaking enables you to access private beaches and unique snorkelling locations surrounding the island, that cannot be accessed on foot or by boat.
If chilling out and doing your own thing is up your alley, hiring a glass-bottom sea kayak and kayaking around at your leisure is the perfect option. However, if you are looking to venture a little further and learn more about Fitzroy Island and its surrounding waters, on offer are 3-hour Guided Sea Kayaking Tours, led by an experienced tour guide. On our tours, you will venture to unique private beaches and snorkelling locations, and also be provided a delicious picnic lunch to be enjoyed on the beach, all while learning about Fitzroy Island and the Great Barrier Reef.
Scuba Diving
Anyone who loves the water, and even more so, experiencing the magical sea life below the ocean’s surface, simply must go scuba diving amongst the Great Barrier Reef. Not only is the Great Barrier Reef the largest coral reef system on the entire planet, it is also home to many spectacular marine life species, from thousand of different species of stunning tropical fish, to mesmerising rays, and a standout favourite for many visitors – marine turtles.
The Fitzroy Island Sports Hub is PADI accredited and offers a wide variety of scuba options. If you are new to the art of scuba diving, the Centre offers free introductory scuba diving in the island’s training pool, enabling you to get comfortable with your scuba equipment before electing to head out onto the island’s sheltered reefs.
It is not uncommon for first-time divers to be utterly blown away by their experience of exploring the exquisite beauty of the Great Barrier Reef. In this case, you may wish to take advantage of the island’s offering of PADI-certified dive courses, to make the most of the diving opportunities in the calm, aqua waters surrounding Fitzroy Island.
Resort Pool
The resort pool at Fitzroy Island welcomes guests staying at Fitzroy Island Resort. After you’ve finished a refreshing dip in the pool, kick back and relax with a drink of your choice from the resort pool’s swim-up bar. The resort pool is also lit up and stunning at night-time, and a swim under the stars is a heavenly experience.
Whether you have just one day up your sleeve to visit Fitzroy Island or several, you will not be short of amazing water experiences! We look forward to welcoming you to Fitzroy Island very soon!
