Just 30 kms from Cairns, Fitzroy Island National Park features rugged, diverse landscapes of granite outcrops, open woodlands, rainforest, mangroves and coral beaches. This high continental island was connected to the mainland before sea levels rose. It has many walking tracks ranging from a short stroll to Nudey Beach through to a more challenging hike to the Summit. The island is surrounded by beautiful fringing reefs which are teeming with marine life. Total area 4 square kms. Highest peak 269 mtrs.

The fringing reef just off the beach reveals the diversity of marine life found in the waters surrounding the island. A variety of reef fish, hard and soft corals and other marine animals can be seen.

On the island catch a glimpse of brilliantly-coloured Ulysses butterflies, along with emerald doves, sulphur-crested cockatoos, orange-footed scrubfowl, ospreys and migrating birds, such as buff-breasted paradise-kingfishers and pied imperial-pigeons. One of the largest predators on the island, the 1.2 m long yellow-spotted monitor, can be seen around the resort area. At night the eastern dusky leaf-nosed bat, a small insect-eating bat, can be seen chasing insects near the lights.

Lieutenant James Cook gave the island its current name in 1770 after the then British Prime Minister, but the island has a far longer history being the traditional home of the Koboburra indigenous people.

In more recent times the island became a quarantine station for Chinese people heading to the Palmer River Goldfields in 1876, and later became part of a mission  Aboriginal

growing fruit and vegetables.

Several lighthouses have been established over the past 80 years, from a carbide gaslight on Little Fitzroy Island in 1923 to a wartime light built on the ridge above the old light keeper’s residence in 1943. The lighthouse on the main island was built in 1970, but is no longer in use. This was the last staffed lighthouse purpose-built in Australia and probably the world. Today’s automated lighthouse is located on Little Fitzroy Island.