Frankland Islands – Everything You Need to Know (Cairns, QLD)

Frankland Islands – Everything You Need to Know (Cairns, QLD)

Everything you need to know about the beautiful Frankland Islands near Cairns, Queensland. Includes information on how to get here on a day trip, with photos and a breakdown of what to expect.

The incredible Frankland Islands are one of the least visited islands off Cairns. This hidden gem is truly one of the best Great Barrier Reef Island experiences you can have! For those who want to experience a healthy reef ecosystem that I believe rivals the outer reef, be sure to check out the incredible Frankland Islands.

In this short guide I will outline everything you need to know about visiting the Frankland Islands in QLD. I include how to get here with a transfer or day trip, information about the islands, and epic photos and videos that I hope will inspire your visit! I'll also explain why I think the snorkeling in the Frankland Islands is better than much of the outer reef!

Featured in: Epic 5-Day Cairns Itinerary

Frankland Islands video

Here is a short video I put together from my trip to the Frankland Islands. Enjoy! And if you're looking for more short travel videos, subscribe while you're there.

Where are the Frankland Islands?

The Frankland Islands are a series of five islands just off the mouth of the Mulgrave River, south of Cairns and the closer Fitzroy Island. All five islands are accessible by boat, for those lucky enough to have their own. However, there is only one organized day trip from Cairns to Normanby Island (the best Frankland Island).

Read below how to get here.
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How to get to the Frankland Islands?

As I mentioned earlier, there is only one company licensed to operate tours and day trips to the Frankland Islands. These people have been here for over 50 years and do an incredible job offering sustainable and enjoyable day trips (tours) to the Frankland Islands from Cairns.

Excursions include coach transfers to the Mulgrave River, from where you take the ferry to the Frankland Islands.

This is the same all-inclusive day trip to Frankland Island that I will cover in this blog post. Don't worry, you don't have to be a backpacker to take advantage of this cheaper offer.

To break down why booking through this website is the best way to get to the Frankland Islands; The total price for an all-inclusive day trip to the Frankland Islands from Cairns is just $199. This compares to $219 if you book directly with a tour operator in the city. If you use my code OLLY5 you'll get an additional $5 off!
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Featured in: The 11 Best Tours and Experiences in Cairns

Frankland Island Day Trip from Cairns – What to Expect

The rest of this blog post will break down exactly what you can expect based on my experience on the Frankland Islands tour from Cairns.

Included in this Frankland Islands tour is:

• Bustransfers zu und von Ihrer Unterkunft in Cairns
• 30-minütige Fahrt auf dem Mulgrave River (man kann Krokodile sehen)
• 4 Stunden auf Normanby Island (die beste)
• Verwendung von Schnorchelausrüstung, Stinger-Anzügen, Wasserausrüstung wie Kajaks, SUPs usw
• Eine geführte Schnorcheltour
• Geführte Inselwanderung
• Köstlicher Morgentee, Mittagessen und Nachmittagstee

Pretty good deal, right? While island transfers to Green Island and Fitzroy Island are generally cheaper, let me explain why Frankland Island is the best Great Barrier Reef island off Cairns!
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alt="Coral Patches of the Frankland Islands">
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Cruise down the Mulgrave River

After a short bus transfer to the Mulgrave River we hopped on the Frankland Islands boat.

The first leg of the trick involves a scenic river cruise on the Mulgrave River, where it is possible to spot crocodiles on the banks. The excellent team on board will also provide you with your snorkeling equipment, hot drinks, morning tea and an introductory and safety briefing.

What I loved most about this first river cruise was that it was very informative. The expert reef guides on board explained to me the importance of mangrove ecosystems like those in the Mulgrave River and the role they play in creating healthy reefs.
alt="Frankland Island Day Trip from Cairns">

Arrival on Normanby Island (France Islands)

After just 30 minutes we landed on the beautiful Frankland Islands. This tour only stops on Normanby Island, the only “green” marine park zone. This means it is protected from fishing activity and creates a nursery for fish, turtles and marine life!

We grabbed our gear, got off the boat and headed to the sheltered picnic area.
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alt="Frankland Islands Day Trip from Cairns">

Snorkeling

A snorkeling safari tour is included in the Frankland Islands tour from Cairns. I usually prefer to explore alone, but for the first time I'm very glad I ended up joining.

That's because our professional reef guide Michele was the most knowledgeable and passionate guide I've ever met! She taught me so much about the reef, pointed out many different corals and managed to spot 7 turtles in a single snorkeling session!

She also took me to the best spots and showed me the very rare blue anemone that houses clownfish families.
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alt="Coral Patches of the Frankland Islands">
alt="Coral reef on Frankland Islands">
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alt="Red fern coral on the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, QLD">
alt="blue anenomas in the Frankland Islands">

Why the coral on the Frankland Islands is so healthy

Honestly, I was blown away by how healthy and rich the reef system is on the Frankland Islands. Being so close to the mainland, I really wasn't expecting what I saw! Of the 600 different species of coral that grow on the Great Barrier Reef, over 200 are found right here on the Frankland Islands!

Michele told me that the Frankland Islands have such healthy corals because of the unique nongravity current that exists here. She explained that this unique current washes many essential nutrients across the reef every day, allowing it to grow and stay healthy.

Additionally, the “green” designation by QLD Marine Parks means fishing is prohibited. Turtles also flock here because there is such a large seaweed bed near the beach for them to eat. They also use the healthy corals from the “Turtle Cleaning Station” to treat infections and injuries using the natural properties of certain corals.
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alt="Great Barrier Reef corals">
alt="Coral reef on Frankland Islands">
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Lunch

After one of the best snorkeling experiences I've had on the Great Barrier Reef, it was time for lunch.

This was a self-service, all-you-can-eat buffet type setup that was actually quite tasty. The team offered a wide selection of fresh fruit, salads, meat and cooked dishes.
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Related: What it's like to stay at the Fitzroy Island Resort

Guided beach walk

After lunch, some visitors decided to take advantage of the free kayak and stand-up paddleboard use. Instead, I took the guided beach walk led by our two Great Barrier Reef guides.

We learned a lot about the island, from the unique star sand found here, to the diverse bird life, to the interesting geological history of the Frankland Islands.
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alt=“Star Sand on Frankland Islands”>Star Sand found on the Frankland Islands

Return to Cairns

To round off this fantastic day trip to the Frankland Islands from Cairns, we jumped back on the boat and prepared to head down the Mulgrave River. I was excited at the prospect of seeing some large saltwater crocodiles on the shore as we returned at low tide.

Unfortunately I missed this opportunity, but Michele told me that you can actually see them quite often!
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alt="Frankland Island Mangroves">
alt="Mangroves on the islands off Cairns">
alt="Mulgrave River back to Cairns">

See also: (Review) Daintree Crocodile Tour in Cairns/Cape Tribulation

Review: Should you visit the Frankland Islands?

If you've made it this far in the blog, you may still be wondering if this is the one.

I spent a lot of time exploring, documenting and photographing all the great places around Cairns. I have visited many islands, several outer reef islands such as Vlasoff Cay and Michaelmas Cay as well as diving trips to Norman and Hastings Reefs.

Honestly, the marine life and snorkeling on Frankland Island surpassed all of these epic locations! While Fitzroy Island and Green Island are slightly cheaper, the Frankland Islands are undoubtedly a better GBR experience!

If you're short on time and the Great Barrier Reef is on your Cairns bucket list, I highly recommend booking this trip.

Remember, you can get $5 off any tour at BackpackerDeals.com with my code: OLLY5. I recommend this as it is the cheapest way to board a day trip to the Frankland Islands from Cairns!
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alt="Frankland Islands Day Trip from Cairns">
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alt="Corals at Normanby Island snorkeling site, Great Barrier Reef">

More Cairns Islands and epic day trips

I hope this quick guide to visiting the Frankland Islands from Cairns has helped you plan your visit. For those looking for more travel and adventure inspiration, be sure to check out some of my other travel guides. I've written extensively about many of the best things to do in Cairns, including where to find the best waterfalls, the best hiking trails and the best activities to book.

Otherwise, dive into some of these other articles below.

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