Join us for an unforgettable day tour to the incredible Frankland Islands on the Great Barrier Reef.
Step on board our luxurious boat the Turtle Islander at Deeral, just 45 minutes south of Cairns, for a spectacular calm water cruise down the Mulgrave River. Keep an eye out for crocs from the panoramic windows as you sit inside in air-conditioned comfort, or step out onto the shaded outdoor decks for a closer look. From the mouth of the river it is only 10km to the Frankland Islands.
The Frankland Islands archipelago is a natural wildlife haven and a protected national park. Beautiful Normanby Island is surrounded by pristine sandy beaches, with rock pools and healthy fringing reefs which can be snorkelled from the beach. Here you have up to 4 hours to relax and enjoy, without the crowds.
Your day tour includes guided snorkelling from the beach, with equipment and instruction. For a limited time it also includes our popular adventure snorkel safari, snorkelling from the boat along the island’s western reefs. A buffet including prawns for lunch, morning and afternoon tea are also included in your tour. After lunch, join our marine biologist and Master Reef guide for a walk around the island, discovering the diverse wildlife that flourishes under the water, in rocky pools and in the rainforest. Choose from a range of optional extras to enhance your day (see below).
Tours are currently restricted to just 80 passengers per day. Enjoy the opportunity to have this hidden gem all to yourself!
Your Day Trip includes:
Free coach transfer option:
There is a free coach pick up taking you to the boat from Cairns CBD accomodation and designated meeting points in Cairns. Please note this is subject to availability on the day. If the coach transfer is full you will need to make your own way to the departure point.
Self Drive option to departure point:
Tours depart Deeral at 8.30am and return at 3.30pm. Deeral is an easy 45-minute drive from Cairns – please allow time for the drive and check in at the vessel by 8.10am.
Enjoy outstanding customer service throughout the day, and plenty of time to explore a pristine Great Barrier Reef National Park island.
Meeting point: Meet at Deeral jetty for check in. 45 minutes’ drive south of Cairns.
All prices are shown in AUD ($)
Hi Vova, thank you for your review. Great to read you've enjoyed your trip with us to Frankland Islands.
Well organised from the hotel pickup straight to the river cruise and out to Normandy Island. Plenty of helpful and friendly staff and easy to understand briefings. Real bonus having whole island to ourselves to enjoy the reef, the marine life and the numerous activities suitable for all skill levels. Toss in a great lunch which all adds up to a not to be missed experience.
Hi raymondm, Thank you for your 5-star review! Great to hear you've had an enjoyable day on Frankland Islands. Our team always tries to provide our guests with the best possible experience. Organisation is key and we're glad we could meet your expectations :)
The trip to the island was only about 30 minutes so you don't ev en need sea legs. On the island there are picnic tables to sit at and easy access to water. Spent most of the 4 hours in the water looking at the beautiful fish,coral and saw 5 turtles. We then had a really nice smorgasbord lunch, there was heaps of food. There was a marine biologist who did a walk and talk around the island which was very interesting.If you like snorkelling and want to avoid the crowds this is definitely the trip to take.
Hi Andrea, thank you taking the time to leave us such a detailed review. We're glad to read you got to experience many of our day trip inclusions and you've enjoyed the experience! Frankland Islands is certainly a fantastic island to visit :)
Many hidden costs, the tour ran despite bad weather and this meant nothing to do. No snorkeling, mini sub, seadoo etc though they pushed scuba diving. Scuba should of been cancelled and myself and others pushed even after saying we wanted to stop.The waves etc made it scary and dangerous to scuba not ideal for learners and resulted in cuts and bruises, pointed out to staff with no feedback or support. No shelter on island not enough seats and no toilets. Should be a higher rating for physical levels required as Island is not suitable for elder or disabled clients. Nearly the whole boat was seasick, again no support from staff. Island tour walks started without telling people and as the only activity people should of been invited along.
hello and thanks for the 1 star!? What a shame about the weather when you visited. It is disappointing that you did not enjoy our experience. Some days are rough on the ocean and we do sell sea sick tablets in case guests want them. It is only for a short duration though as we travel through a river for half our journey to the reef. We will cancel activities if they are not safe to participate in and will never push guests to do something they don't want to - like diving so your feedback is very unual. The island is completely pristine and no there are no toilets allowed there - due to the protection by national parks who manage this island. We run tours back to the main boat. We certainly don't promote our tour as being suitable for disabled clients but it is a good point we should also note we don't have any paved walkways so people are aware of this. As for older guests we have plenty who LOVE our tour as it is so natural and pristine which is hard to find these days! They also enjoy snorkelling straight from the beach which is easy(er) for them! The marine bio always lets people know when the island walk is starting so again I am surprised to hear you missed it.
I loved this tour and Normandy(island from the Frankland islands group) was so so beautiful. Little peace of paradise l could easily stay for a week there. The tour itself was great, lots of activities and the crew was very friendly and attentive. There is a morning tea, very filling lunch and also afternoon tea during the day. The day is full on if you want to do all the activities but if you decide to just chill and swim in the clearest water that's up to you. The snorkelling itself was also great Lots to see(I saw turtle, clown fish and million other fish l didn't know) All in all it was a brilliant day and l would definitely do this tour again if in Cairns. Totally recommended
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vova from Israel wrote on 17 March 2023
Excellent
Everything was ok