Day trippers arrive at Green Island

Green Island
Tiny coral cay which is a popular destination for day trippers from Cairns.
For nearly fifty years Green Island has been one of Cairns' primary tourist attractions. A small, coral cay it once had nothing more than a jetty, a marine viewing point at the end of the jetty and a few huts.

In spite of its distance from shore, Green Island was well known to the local Aborigines. The Gungganyji people claimed it was haunted by spirits but they still brought their young men to the island for initiation. This process of initiation commonly lasted for weeks.

The first European to sight Green Island was Captain Cook during his journey up the east coast of Australia in 1770. Cook named the island after Charles Green who was the chief observer and astronomer-in-charge on the Endeavour.

It wasn't until 1857 that a man named J.S.V. Mien settled on the island. He was in search of beche de mer (sea cucumbers) for the Asian market and found that the waters around the island had a plentiful supply. This activity continued on the island until the 1870s when the beche de mer were effectively fished out.

In 1899 the Queensland government planted the island with coconut palms. This was an attempt to provide food for shipwrecked sailors. The argument was that a shipwrecked sailor could survive for an extended period on the milk and meat of the coconut.

In 1905 George Lawson, a seaslug fisherman known around Cairns as Yorkey (he came from Yorkshire, England) settled on Green Island. He remained there until his death in 1907. It was during this time that the Cairns Town Council took control of the island hoping eventually to turn it into a major tourist attraction. A report on the island's potential at the time suggested that 'Hotels will be erected and steamers will ply daily between the island and Cairns.'

By the 1940s the facilities on the island had expanded and there were tents and huts available for rental as well as a guest house. Perhaps the most important innovation at this time was the establishment of the underwater observatory in 1954. It was built in Cairns and towed to the island on a boat made from empty 44 gallon drums. The drums were pierced and it was sunk into the water where it still stands today. It is a very simple chamber which is a far cry from glass bottomed boats and semi-submersibles but it is an important piece of Great Barrier Reef history.

Green Island was the setting for an innocent pre-marital holiday for Joe Harman and Jean Paget in Nevil Shute's novel A Town Like Alice.

Things to see:  

Lazing on the beach at Green Island

Vital Information About the Island
1. The Island Itself
Location
27 km east of Cairns.

Description of the island
Green island is a small (15 hectare) coral cay which can be effortlessly walked around in 20 minutes. In fact its circumference is almost exactly 1.5 kilometres. It is about 300 metres wide and 650 metres long. The edges of the island are either compacted coral or rather beautiful coral/sand beaches. The interior is predominantly rainforest. The resort takes up only 12 per cent of the total island so, remarkably, there are still plenty of places where people can escape.

How do visitors access it?
Great Adventures have a 50 minute fast catamaran which leaves Cairns Harbour throughout the day. The first journey is at 9.30 a.m. The last journey back from the island is at 4.30 p.m.

Windsurfing off Green Island

Activities on the island
Swimming, snorkelling and bushwalking. The walks through the rainforest are surprisingly informative as they are all on boardwalks and there are numerous interpretative signs.

2. Resorts on the Island
History
There has been some sort of holiday accommodation on Green Island since a guest house was established there in the late 1930s. Still it has always remained primarily a daytripper destination. The current resort, a beautiful 5-star place hidden in the rainforest near the jetty, was completed in 1994 by the Japanese property developer Daikyo. Accommodation on Green Island Reef Resort can be arranged by contacting the resort on tel: (07) 4031 3300 , free call 1800 673 366

How big is it?
46 rooms with a capacity 92 people.

Who does it appeal to?
In recent times the resort has become primarily a honeymoon destination. It is quite popular with Japanese and Green Island holidays are sold extensively in Japan.

How much does it cost?
Room and breakfast is $350 which works out at $175 per person. This is one of the most reasonable rates for any island accommodation in Queensland given the quality of the resort.

Free activities
Bushwalking, nature walks, glass bottom boat, underwater observatory, beach equipment, swimming.

Other activities
Scuba diving, snorkel tours, access to the Outer Barrier Reef.

Eating at the resort
The resort caters as much for day trippers as for regular guests. The range of eating on the island is pretty comprehensive. Emeralds Restaurant offers high quality food; The Canopy Grill is a snack bar, grill and kiosk which is open all day; Reflections Pool Bar offers drinks beside the bar.

	Resorts
	Green Island Resort P.O. Box 898 Cairns 4870 Green Island QLD Telephone: (07) 4031 3300, 1800 673 366 Facsimile: (07) 4052 1511 Rating: ****