Queensland has an island to suit everyone

Queensland offers a range of island paradises, from coral cays to surf beaches, there is a holiday option to suit every traveller. To help you pick your island holiday we’ve put together the best island resorts across Queensland.

The family friendly islands offer great kids activities from adventure playgrounds, kids club, guided tours of reef and wildlife plus free beach activities the whole family can enjoy. 

The indulgent islands offer something special for couples. They are private resorts that offer fine dining, luxurious spa treatments and the highest quality service. Travel to the island can be via ferry or scenic flight. 

Casual islands are suited to both families and couples looking for a great Aussie getaway. The dress code is casual, with thongs (flip flops) allowed in restaurants in the evening and the accommodation ranges from 3 to 4 star. 

Action and Adventure resorts offer a large range of activities both on land and in the water including jet skis, kayaking, windsurfing, paddle skis, ATV 4WDs and  sand tobogganing.

Nature Lover's paradise is for those that want to get in touch with the Australian flora and fauna, to stay in unique natural environment where fish, dolphins, turtles and whales can be spotted. Each island offers a range of tours that allow you to get up close with these animals and learn more about their habitat.

Please continue reading for more information about each resort's facilities, activities, dining and wildlife..

Lizard Island

Escape to Australia’s northernmost resort, Lizard Island for an indulgent or romantic getaway. Located right on the Great Barrier Reef, this luxury retreat offers 24 powdery white beaches with fringing coral reefs. Choose from diving and snorkeling spots including the famous cod hole to secluded pristine beaches only accessible by foot or motorised dinghy. Gourmet picnic hampers for private beach picnics are available on a request basis. 

Lizard Island

Extravagant wining and dining has found its home on Lizard Island, with each day offering a new menu of creative, fresh tropical produce, exciting modern Australian dishes and matching wines. You haven’t experienced island dining like this before. Travel to the island by scenic air transfer from Cairns Airport. On arrival check into your luxury accommodation and choose to spend your days by the water, enjoying the complimentary catamarans, glass bottom boats and motorised dinghies or select from a list of massages, facials and body treatments available at the Day Spa. All packages include air conditioned accommodation, all a la carte meals and beverages daily. Travel between 1 – 20 Dec 12 or 8 Jan – 31 Mar 13 and you can stay 5 night for the price of 4!   

Green Island Resort

Green Island offers the best of island water activities from fish feeding, kayaking, snorkeling, glass bottom boat tours and windsurfing. The island is a national park surrounded by coral what is viewable by a semi-sub, the underwater observatory or from snorkelling off the beach. 

Green Island at sunset

The resorts offers the best of the island life, afternoons playing volleyball on the beach, underwater worlds teeming with marine life, cocktails at sunset, and cool evening breezes. Travel here by ferry from Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal.

Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island, just a 45 minute boat ride from Cairns offers an accessible, affordable tropical paradise of rainforest and white beaches. Fringing coral reef lends itself for snorkeling and diving, so you can explore the colourful coral and marine life from the beach. 

Pool on Fitzroy Island

Its unique rainforest setting provides intimate wildlife encounters are around every corner from birds (including the white sulphur-crested cockatoo) to butterflies.  

Hayman

Hayman, the northern most inhabited island in the Whitsundays offers luxury 5 star accommodation, pampering, relaxation and adventure. It offers beautiful lagoon pools, water sports, Hayman Spa and fine dining. Stay the day with sumptuous breakfast, have a light lunch overlooking the pool and choose from a range of restaurants offering contemporary Australian and international cuisines each evening. There is also a choice of unique dining options including dining with the chefs, behind the scenes tours and cooking classes. 

Hayman Island

Choose from pool wing, lagoon wing or beachside retreat rooms. Take the opportunity to sail the calm waters around the 74 Whitsunday island or enjoy a short dingy ride to fringing coral at Blue Pearl Bay and meet the resident Giant Maori Wrasse. Hayman Spa offers health and spa facilities, there is also the chance to enjoy tennis, windsurfing, paddle skis and island walking tours around the beautiful botanic garden and rugged bushlands.

Daydream Island Resort & Spa

Just a short ferry ride from Great Barrier Reef/Hamilton Island Airport is Daydream Island Resort and Spa, an island that offers 296 rooms and suits, all with views of secluded beaches or stunning rainforest. The islands small size allows guests to conveniently enjoy the pools and restaurants at both the southern and northern end. It is an oasis of endless activities from sail boarding, jet skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, fish feeding, wake boarding, and open-air movies. 

Daydream Island

Families will love the children’s playground, kids club, stingray and shark feeding show and living coral reef outdoor aquarium. Couples seeking romance and relaxation will enjoy the world class Rejuvenation Spa and picturesque Lovers Cove.

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island offers huge range of accommodation options set amongst natural bush surroundings, white beach and calm water. The island has a huge range of dining options from gourmet pizzas to upmarket Sails Restaurant, plus takeaway outlets and mini supermarket. 

Yacht Club Villas, Hamilton Island

The accommodation includes the garden set Palm Bungalows; high rise Reef View Hotel; couples only low rise, beachfront set Beach Club; 1 to 4 Bedroom Holiday Homes; the luxurious 4 bedroom Yacht Club Villas and the private, exclusive qualia. Set on the island northern most tip, qualia presents luxury and sophistication with divine food, wine set in total peace and quiet.

Whitsunday Apartments

Also on the island is the family friendly Whitsunday Apartments, a high rise building offering 1 bedroom apartments with garden or ocean views that sleep up to 5 people. 

Whitsunday Apartments, Hamilton Island

It combines resort accommodation with the convenience of apartment style living. The property, set on the beachside of the island boasts its own pool and outdoor spa surrounded by landscaped gardens and tropical palm trees.

Dent Island Golf Course

Hamilton Island also offers a championship 18-hole golf course on nearby Dent Island. Book a day trip with ferry transfers or opt for the 4 night Golf and Spa package. To explore one of the world’s best beaches, take a day trip to the spectacular Whitehaven Beach and enjoy the pure white silica sand and calm water. Take a swim, walk up to the lookout for one of the world’s best photo opportunities or join in the beach activities.

Long Island Resort

Long Island Resort offers a value for money, laid back, casual beach retreat where you can lounge in a hammock under the coconut trees, sip a cocktail by the pool, dine at the buffet restaurant and enjoy free beach activities. The resort is also home to the soothing Club Spa, offering 3 treatment rooms and a range of facials, massages and body treatments, plus steam and infrared sauna and hydrotherapy bath. 

Long Island Resort

A visit to The Whitsundays is not complete without a day trip to the reef where you can snorkel, scuba dive or view the reef from an underwater viewing chamber, semi-submersible or glass bottom boat. For a touch of luxury why not try a scenic flight over the reef and see the famous ‘Heart Reef’.

Heron Island

In southern Queensland, off Gladstone sits Heron Island, a place where you’re likely to meet a dolphin, cross paths with a turtle and discover an incredible unique natural environment. Snorkel, swim, walk or take to the sea to discover the wonderful scenery and wildlife. 

Heron Island

The resort also offers guided island and reef walks, semi-submersible cruises, nature slide shows and beach picnics. Travel from November to May for the chance to see turtles nestling and the young hatchling making their way down to the ocean.

Wilson Island

The nearby Wilson Island provides luxury tent accommodation in a unique natural setting. This is a chance to get as close as you like to native flora and fauna, while still enjoying fine dining. 

Wilson Island

With a maximum of 12 guests, the island offers a quiet and peaceful setting for you to relaxing with a book on the beach, snorkel amongst the coral or laze in a hammock. All meals are served with premium Australian wines in the Longhouse dining hut, communion style.  

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

Lady Elliot Island is renouned as a nature retreat, allowing guests to get in touch with nature and spot wildlife in their natural habitat in a serene environment. 

Turtle off Lady Elliot Island

Guests can step off the beach into an underwater paradise home to coral, fish, turtles and manta rays. The island provides interactive tours for children, guiding them to stops around the island to learn about the reef and marine life.

Kingfisher Bay Resort

Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island, just off Hervey Bay and accessible by barge or ferry from Hervey Bay or Rainbow Beach. Exploring the island’s natural wonders is possible only by four wheel drive vehicles. Hire one for a few days or take a full day 4WD tour from Kingfisher Bay Resort. 

Pool at Kingfisher Bay Resort

The island presents ancient rainforests, spectacular freshwater lakes and the famous drivable 75 Mile Beach. The blue waters and white sand of Lake Mackenzie and the translucent Wangoolba Creek near Central Station must be seen to be believed. From August to October you can visit the mums and calves playing, jumping and splashing about in the Great Sandy Strait on a whale watching cruise.

Tangalooma Island Resort

Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island is famous for the local bottlenose dolphins that visit the jetty each evening for a feast of fresh fish. Guests have the chance to hand feed the dolphin and learn about their history with the resort from guides. 

Moreton Island

Being a sand island there is a chance to enjoy sand tobogganing down dunes or racing up hills in ATV quad bikes. The resort also offers eco based nature experiences at an extra charge including whale watching cruise (June to October) and marine discovery cruise. In total there are over 80 activities available to guests, so you can return again and again for endless fun. 

For the full breakdown of what facilities each island offers, see our comparison table below: