Green Island, just 45 minutes by boat across the Coral Sea from Cairns, is a magnificent, 6,000-year-old coral cay located on the Great Barrier Reef. The small island has an area of only 15 hectares (37 acres); it’s easy to walk the entire circumference of it in less than half an hour. While a resort occupies a portion of the island, day-trippers are welcome. Ringed by white-sand beaches and diverse marine life, and with a rain-forest interior populated by a multiplicity of bird species, Green Island offers a taste of the attractions of the Great Barrier Reef conveniently close to Cairns.
