Island Paradise by the Reef

by Rory James

My wife and I went on a tropical island getaway during our trip to Cairns, Australia. We found a tourist cruise line that transports passengers daily on a 45 minute catamaran ride out to a small resort island. The island we visited is named Fitzroy Island and is located off the coast of Cairns near the Outer Great Barrier Reef. We only spent the day on the island but could have easily seen ourselves spending several days relaxing at the island hideaway that we discovered there.

The island is a tropical paradise; white sandy beaches; tropical foliage; clear blue water; rainforest; walking trails; everything anyone would want for a secluded island escape with the person they love. We spent time on a pontoon boat during the afternoon, snorkeling and basking in the sun.

After snorkeling, we walked along the "Secret Garden Walk", a rocky path through the beautiful island rainforest. During our walk we marveled at the large cockatoos in the trees and found our way to a lookout over a glorious white sandy beach named "Nudey Beach". I cannot say if the beach lives up to its name since the people on the beach were a fair distance from our vantage point on the rainforest path.

After returning to the resort restaurant, we ate a delicious steak dinner and then headed off hiking on another walking trail up into the hills to view the old island lighthouse before returning to swim in the freshwater pool at the resort.

We had a wonderfully relaxing day on the island. The tiny resort had several quaint little cabins and bunkhouses for overnight guests. It would have been a real treat if my wife and I had stayed at the resort overnight and watched the sunset together on the sandy beach; but we had plans for the next day that required us to take the catamaran cruise back to Cairns. It was definitely a day to always remember.

Copyright 2006 Rory James

About the Author
Rory James is publisher of an informational website, FlyingRugrats.com, providing free planning tips for parents who fly with small children when traveling.
This article is free for republishing if published with author information and web site link.