Great Barrier Reef Pontoon & Fitzroy Island

Starting from: $AU265.00

Tour Overview

  • Tour: Great Barrier Reef Platform + Flitzroy Island (All in 1 day)
  • Tours are connected
  • Departure locations: Cairns
  • Ideal for snorkellers
  • Suitable for families & couples
  • Number of passengers to the reef: 400
  • Number of reef sites visited: 1 site
  • Reef location(s): Moore Reef
  • Tour duration Pontoon: 9:30am – 11:30am
  • Tour duration Fitzroy Island: 1:30pm – 3:30pm
  • Travelling time to the reef: 1.5hrs to the outer reef / 45min to Fitzroy Island
  • Time exploring the reef: All day
  • Vessel type and size: Catamaran / 30m with 3 levels

Video

Great Barrier Reef Pontoon & Fitzroy Island (All in 1 day)

This is a one day package where visitors travel to an outer great barrier reef pontoon in the morning and visit Fitzroy Island in the afternoon. Best deal ever.

Sunlover Cruises Pontoon

Sunlover Cruises is a tour operator with a great reputation in Cairns. They have a large and comfortable catamaran that can take a maximum of 300 people to the reef but usually they take much less so people have a lot of extra space on board.

Sunlover Cruises departs at 8:00am every day from Cairns and they take visitors to Moore Reef, a reef formation about 40 kilometers from the coast or 1h 45min by boat. Moore Reef ranges from 1 metre to 25 metres depth so it is great for snorkellers who want to enjoy the shallow reef and also great for divers who want to explore the deeper reef.

Sunlover Cruises Platform is very spacious and modern. It is the only platform with a waterslide in the Great Barrier Reef. The waterslide is about 8 metres high and 30 metres long. Visitors can spend the whole day going down the waterslide, it is definitely great fun for kids and also adults.

There are lots of free activities available from the platform, and they are:

  • Underwater Observatory
  • Glass bottom boat tour
  • Semi-submersible
  • Touch Tank & Fish Feeding
  • Snorkelling gear
  • Waterslide

Also included for the day is morning tea, afternoon tea and a tropical buffet lunch with seafood, hot dishes, salads and tropical fruit.

Sunlover also offers extra activities. Please see them below:

  • Introductory diving (for clients who never dived before)
  • Certified diving (qualified divers)
  • Guided snorkel tours (a snorkel tour where an experienced guide stays and assists clients during their snorkelling activity)
  • Sea Walker (diving with a helmet on - the air comes from the surface)
  • Helicopter scenic flights (admire the reef from 2,000 feet above the reef where clients can see the beautiful reef colours and hopefully some marine life such as sea turtles, whales, sting rays etc. Great opportunity to take beautiful photos.)

Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island is a tropical island located 29 km south-east of Cairns or 45 minutes by boat. Fitzroy Island is an island covered in lush rainforest surrounded by a reef system that forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The island has a total area of 339 hectares and the highest point of the island is 375 metres above sea level.

There is so much to do at Fitzroy Island with lots of activities available daily. Visitors can snorkel around the island, do a glass bottom boat tour, hire paddle skis, hire stand up paddles and much more.

Snorkelling around Fitzroy is a nice experience specially for those who never snorkeled before or it is not confident in the water. This is because the reef is just off the beach so the person can access the water slowly and be always close to shore.The reef is part of the inner reef (not outer reef) but the reef is colouful and full of marine life.

Fitzroy Island is also a great place for hiking lovers offering several hiking tracks. The main hiking track is to the summit, the highest point of the island. It takes about 45 minutes to get there and it is considered level easy to moderate. The second hiking track is to the famous Nudey Beach, a paradisaical island located at south-West of the island. It takes only 20 minutes to get there and the walk is considered easy.

This is a great opportunity to see one of the most beautiful islands in the Far North Queensland.

What's included in the main price

  • (Sunlover Cruises Pontoon)
  • Return boat transfer to Sunlover Cruises pontoon on the outer reef
  • Tea and coffee on board the vessel
  • Informative presentation hosted by a Marine Naturalist
  • Tropical buffet lunch including prawns, hot dishes, salads and tropical fruit
  • Semi-submersible guided coral viewing tours
  • Glass bottom boat tours
  • On-board touch tank to experience unique marine life up close
  • All snorkelling equipment and expert instruction
  • Fully enclosed kids pool
  • Underwater observatory
  • Fish feeding presentation
  • Freshwater showers and change rooms
  • (Fitzroy Island)
  • All snorkelling equipment: mask, snorkel, fins, Lycra suit, and life jacket
  • Access to self-guided National Park walks and pristine beaches
  • Introductory dive
  • Certified dive
  • Helmet dive
  • Guided snorkel tour
  • Scenic helicopter flight (10 minutes)
  • Coach hotel transfers

Tour Itinerary

Time Description
07:00-07:30 Check-in at the Sunlover Cruises desk inside the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street
08:00 Boat departs Marlin Jetty Cairns
Travel time is 1.5 hours direct from Cairns on a fast stable motor catamaran
9:30 Boats arrives at the Sunlover platform
Enjoy 2 hours exploring the beautiful outer reef with many activities included and also extra activities to purchase
11:30 Boat departs the outer reef
12:15 Boat arrives at Fitzroy Island
Delicious lunch is served
Enjoy 2 hours exploring Fitzroy Island
15:30 Board Sunlover Cruises catamaram
16:30 Boat arrives back in Cairns
  • Beach clothes and accessories such as swimmers, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
  • Dry change of clothes for the trip home
  • Extra cash or a credit card for any onboard purchases including optional activities, souvenirs, professional on board photos and bar items.
  • If you are prone to motion sickness it is recommended to take preventative measures around 30 minutes prior to the boat departing. Natural Ginger tablets and medicated Travel-Calm are available on board
  • Diving card and log book for certified divers

Please Note:
All Divers: In accordance with Australian Diving law, ALL DIVERS must complete a medical questionnaire on board, before diving.
Flying after Diving: If only one dive is undertaken then a minimum of 12 hours is recommended before flying. If more than one dive is conducted in the day, an interval of 24 hours is recommended. This is not applicable for low helicopter flights over the reef.
Introductory Divers - NOTE: Certain medical conditions may prevent you from diving, (e.g. Asthma, Heart Disease), please contact our office. Min. age to dive is 12 years.

Tour Prices

Rates & Tariffs

Season: 2023 - 2024 Rates Dates: 1st April 2023 - 31st March 2024 Action
Package Price $265.00 per adult
$155.00 per child
$685.00 per family
Season: 2024 - 2025 Rates Dates: 1st April 2024 - 31st March 2025 Action
Package Price $285.00 per adult
$165.00 per child
$735.00 per family

Age: Adult age: 15 yrs + / Child age: 4 - 14 yrs old.
Reef Tax: $10.00 is levied for all adults and children entering the Great Barrier Reef. This charge and other levies are INCLUDED in the cruise fares.

Booking fees: Tourism Cairns do not charge any booking fees.

Deposit and final payment: At Tourism Cairns clients are required to pay a deposit only at the time of booking. Final payment is to be completed 48 hours prior to departure or on the day of travel, depending on each tour operator's policy.

Cancellation by the traveller: If the tour is cancelled by the client up to 7 days prior to departure, a full refund is applicable. If the tour is cancelled by the client 7 days prior to departure, the deposit amount might be retained. If the tour is cancelled by the client 48 hours prior to departure, 100% cancellation fee may apply.

Booking amendments: If the date of a tour needs to be changed, Tourism Cairns must be notified in writing by the client up to 48 hours prior to the tour date.

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