View Our Photo Gallery

Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive

Islands of the Great Barrier Reef Cairns Australia

Rates
Inclusions
What to Bring

Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive offers visitors to Tropical North Queensland an unforgettably exclusive Great Barrier Reef experience. Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive set themselves apart from other reef tour operators in that they are the only company able to visit this spectacular group of five breathtaking continental islands surrounded by fringing coral reef.

Click For Frankland Islands Contact Details

Normanby Island is the largest of the Frankland Islands, and is the destination for guests aboard the Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive full day Great Barrier Reef trip. The island boasts an abundance of plant and wildlife species, vibrant and colourful rainforest which is met by beautiful, unspoilt beaches and brilliant coral gardens which are home to tropical fish, giant clams and, most notably, green sea turtles; a popular calling card for Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive and one which takes pride of place in adorning their logo.

With maximum daily passenger numbers of 100, and a high crew to passenger ratio, a Great Barrier Reef day trip to the Frankland Islands ensures you an intimate, personal and unforgettable experience tropical Island experience from Cairns.

The Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive Great Barrier Reef adventure begins with guests being picked up from their holiday accommodation via air-conditioned coach (Northern Beaches departs 7 a.m. while Cairns City departs 7.30 a.m.) and transferred to the Frankland Islands departure point in Deeral, south of Cairns (an approximate 40 minute drive). Upon boarding, guests are offered complimentary morning tea including freshly brewed tea or coffee and biscuits, as the days adventure really begins. A gentle and peaceful cruise along the Mulgrave River starts the day on a pleasingly note. Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive being the only reef tour to include a river cruise in your day out so you can see the bio diversity of the rivers and maybe spot crocodiles in their natural habitat.

Mangroves shroud the calm waters teeming with wildlife while spectacular views of rainforest-clad hills loom in the distance. The Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive river cruise offers a tranquil and scenic start to the day, whilst also providing guests with the opportunity to enjoy the diverse range of Far North Queensland's scenery; an advantage which not all visitors to the Cairns region are lucky enough to experience.

When approaching the estuary head of the Mulgrave-Russell River, the islands of the Great Barrier Reef emerge spectacularly and almost instantaneously. This is truly a sight to behold. The five islands which make up the Frankland Islands rest atop the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, appearing as havens of emerald rainforest and foliage, golden beaches swimming amongst a sea of sparkling sapphire. The ocean cruise takes about 25 minutes only, yet provides guests with spectacularly endless views of the Coral Sea, Islands and Australian mainland.

Rates

Age	Prices	Inclusions
Adult	$136 AUD	All of their tours include: Fresh Tropical lunch with seafood Glass bottom boat or semi-submersible coral viewing tours Guided Island Walk Reef Ecology Presentation Maximum 100 People All day snorkelling plus equipment Morning and Afternoon Tea	Book Now Contact
Child	$89 AUD		Book Now Contact
Family	$349 AUD (2 Adults, 2 Children)		Book Now Contact

The open water cruise from the mouth of the Mulgrave estuary to Normanby Island is the shortest offered in Tropical North Queensland, which is also ideal for travelers who suffer from sea sickness. Once the Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive vessel reaches Normanby Island, the boat is securely anchored and guests can begin to explore this tropical paradise at their own leisure.

Guests with Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive day tour can choose, if they so wish, to separate themselves from the group, enjoying a peaceful and tranquil retreat. All visitors are offered beach tents as sun shelters to use as their own for the day, and are able to leave their belongings in these for easy access. There are also many packages available catering to individual tastes and budgets.

The 'All-Day Inclusive' package includes a guided snorkeling tour, tuition and snorkel equipment, a semi-submersible tour, guided island walk, lunch and morning and afternoon tea. The 'Full Day Cruise and Lunch Package' includes use of snorkelling equipment and tuition, morning and afternoon tea and lunch. On both the Full Day and All Day Inclusive packages Introductory and Certified Diving are available at additional cost.

The final Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive option is the Full Day Cruise and Introductory Dive Package which includes an Introductory Dive, morning and afternoon tea and lunch. All Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive package options provide unlimited enjoyment of the island and surrounding pristine coral reef.

The cluster of Frankland Islands in itself is a protected national park, the native habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. Sea birds are prolific on the island, and the Frankland Islands are a well known nesting ground for both common and endangered varieties of birdlife. The Normanby Island nature trail is the ideal way for visitors to gain insight into the immensely astounding natural beauty of the island, and the easy 20 minute circuit offers guests the opportunity to enjoy rocky outcrops, dense tropical rainforest, coastal vegetation and mangrove communities. There are a range of rock pools that are home to a variety of wildlife, and many forest and marine creatures can be sighted on the easy nature walk throughout Normanby Island.

The guided island walk and informative environmental commentary is truly an opportunity not to be missed. Delivered by a Marine Biologist or Marine Naturalist, these guided walks are informative, descriptive and interactive. You will see and hear about things you probably would have walked straight past or not even seen. Guides entertain their visitors whilst educating them, once again providing a Great Barrier Reef experience paralleled by no other.

The coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef which surround the Frankland Islands are those of the most untouched in the entire world. Experienced snorkellers and certified divers will appreciate the pristine patch of coral reef surrounding Normanby Island, and with guidance can experience the deepest depths of the Coral Ocean. Travellers who prefer sun and sand will find delight in the sun-burnt shores of the island - soft sand, tall coconut palms fringing dense rainforest, combined with an abundance of wildlife, create an idyllic tropical island environment.

Nervous swimmers and first time snorkellers and scuba divers will also appreciate the calm, shallow waters lapping the shores of Normanby Island. This is the perfect sanctuary to gain confidence and experience the Great Barrier Reef.

However, for those wanting to experience the wonders of the reef without getting wet, or if you are afraid of the water and its sea creatures then a semi-submersible tour of the reef is available. The semi-submersible runs periodically throughout the day, ensuring those that don't swim still enjoy an up-close-and-personal encounter with the Great Barrier Reef. The semi-submersible boat seats 30 passengers in comfort, and the unique vantage point under the surface of the water offers spectacular views - just as if you were snorkeling!

A tropical cold buffet lunch is served under the canopy of the forest trees on Normanby Island and includes cold meats, seasonal salads, freshly baked bread and sumptuous prawns plucked fresh from the Coral Ocean. There is no better location to enjoy lunch alfresco at your own leisure than on the shores of the Great Barrier Reef. After a full day experiencing the rainforest, reef and beaches of the exotic Normanby Island, guests embark on the return journey to Cairns. A 3 p.m. departure from the island allows guests to appreciate the tropical Australian scenery bathed in the late afternoon light as they reminisce about their Great Barrier Reef experiences. By 4 p.m., travellers holidaying in Cairns will arrive at their accommodation, and by 4.30 p.m. for those staying on the Northern Beaches. The perfect way to spend the day - book your Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive Great Barrier Reef experience today!

Reef, Rainforest and River - Frankland Islands Cruise and Dive - Great Barrier Reef Day Tours