Green Island National Park

Green Island National Park is a small vegetated coral cay and protected national park on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It lies offshore from Cairns and forms part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

The island is surrounded by a fringing coral reef that provides shallow snorkelling and coral viewing close to shore. The cay itself supports a patch of coastal rainforest, shoreline walking tracks, and compact visitor facilities including a small resort and visitor services suitable for day visitors.

The cay and its reef are managed for conservation within Queensland’s national park and marine park frameworks, and the area is used primarily for tourism and recreation rather than permanent habitation.

Green Island sits on the continental shelf northeast of the city of Cairns on the northeastern coast of Australia; it is accessed by passenger ferries and tour boats from Cairns.

• Access: Regular passenger ferries and tour boats operate from Cairns providing daily access for day trips and short stays.
• Protected status: Part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and managed within Queensland's national park system, so reef and island protections apply.
• Activities: Popular activities include snorkelling, glass-bottom-boat tours and short rainforest walks on the cay.

What to See #

• Green Island (the cay): A small vegetated coral cay with a surrounding fringing reef that is managed as the terrestrial component of the protected area. The cay contains walking tracks, visitor facilities and a compact area of coastal rainforest.
• Surrounding reef: Fringing coral reef and shallow lagoon that lie immediately around the cay and form part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; used for snorkelling and glass-bottom-boat viewing.