If you’d rather not rush your morning, the later Fitzroy Island ferry leaves Cairns at 10:15am and still gives you about 4.5 hours on the island. Sunlover Reef Cruises runs it from the Reef Fleet Terminal, under 10 minutes’ walk from Hides Hotel, so you can have breakfast, stroll down to the boat and be on the island by 11am. You’re back in Cairns at 4:30pm. Times are as of November 2026, so check your booking for your own.
The Fitzroy Island ferry is run by Sunlover Reef Cruises.
What are the Fitzroy Island ferry times from Cairns?
As of November 2026, Sunlover runs two morning boats to Fitzroy Island, about 45 minutes each way by fast catamaran. Both come back on the same boat in the afternoon.
- Later boat: check-in 8:45am to 10am, departs 10:15am, arrives 11am. About 4.5 hours on the island.
- Early boat: check-in 7:45am to 8:30am, departs 8:45am, arrives 9:30am. About 6 hours on the island.
- Return for both: boarding from 3:15pm, leaves the island at 3:30pm, back at the Cairns marina at 4:30pm.
Both depart from the Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Street. See Sunlover’s Fitzroy Island departures for the current timetable.
Who suits the later boat?
- Families with young children who’d rather not rush a 7:45am check-in.
- Anyone after a late night in the city, or a late flight in the evening before.
- Travellers who like a gentle pace, with time for a proper breakfast and an unhurried walk to the terminal.
- Anyone who mainly wants a swim, lunch and a short walk, rather than the longer island tracks.
If you want to walk to the summit or the lighthouse, the early boat’s extra 1.5 hours makes that easier. Our guide to a 6-hour Fitzroy Island day covers the early boat in detail.
How should you spend 4.5 hours on Fitzroy Island?
A suggested plan for the later boat:
- 11:00am: arrive at the jetty. Store your bag in a locker and change into water shoes.
- 11:15am: a short rainforest walk. The Secret Garden loop is 700 m, about 25 minutes return.
- 12:00pm: lunch. Collect your lunch box at Foxy’s Bar, a short, flat stroll from the jetty, or buy something there.
- 1:00pm: snorkel the fringing reef off Welcome Bay, which starts metres from the beach, or take the glass bottom boat if you’d rather stay dry.
- 2:30pm: Turtle Talk at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, if you’ve booked a place.
- 3:15pm: boarding opens for the 3:30pm boat back to Cairns.
Prefer one longer walk? Nudey Beach is 1.2 km, about 45 minutes return, and fits before lunch. Despite the name, it isn’t a nude beach. It’s coral rubble and granite boulders.
Which ferry package should you choose?
As of November 2026, Sunlover sells four Fitzroy Island packages, and they work on either boat:
- Ferry only: the return ferry. Snorkel gear can be hired on the island.
- Island Essentials: the ferry plus one of snorkel hire, a glass bottom boat tour or a lunch box.
- Island Value: the ferry, a lunch box, and one of snorkel hire or a glass bottom boat tour.
- Best of Island: the ferry, full-day snorkel hire, a glass bottom boat tour and a fresh lunch box.
With 4.5 hours, think about what you’ll actually use. A lunch box saves queueing at midday, and snorkel hire matters if you plan to spend time in the water.
What should you bring?
- Water shoes or reef booties. The beaches are coral rubble and granite.
- Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a hat.
- Sturdy shoes and water if you plan to walk.
- Your booking confirmation and any medication you need.
Lockers are available on the island, and Foxy’s and the kiosk take cash or card. Stingers can be present in tropical waters in the warmer months, so follow the signs and local advice. Seasickness can happen on any boat; Sunlover suggests talking to a doctor or pharmacist before you go. Sunlover’s health and safety checklist covers what to know before you go.
How do you get to the later ferry from Hides Hotel?
Walk. Hides Hotel is at 87 Lake Street, on the corner of Shields Street, and the Reef Fleet Terminal is under 10 minutes away on foot. Check-in for the later boat opens at 8:45am, so there’s time for breakfast first. Our continental breakfast runs daily from 6:30am to 9am (paid; pre-book or arrange at check-in).
It also works on your arrival or departure day. Check-out is 10am, so leave your bags in a storage locker, walk to the 10:15am boat and collect them when you’re back. You’re in Cairns by 4:30pm, with time for the Esplanade Lagoon before dinner.
Reception can help you book reef trips and day tours. Want the outer reef as well? Reef & Island in a Day visits Moore Reef and Fitzroy Island in one trip. Our Great Barrier Reef day trip guide compares the options.
Planning a slower Fitzroy day? Book the 10:15am ferry on Sunlover’s Fitzroy Island page, then book direct with us or email res@hideshotel.com.au. See our rooms, and walk to the boat after breakfast.
Featured image: Sunlover Reef Cruises.
Where can you check the details before you book?
Sunlover Reef Cruises’ own pages have the latest times, inclusions and conditions:
- Fitzroy Island departures: the current ferry timetable.
- Fitzroy Island day trip: ferry packages and booking.
- Fitzroy Island activities: walks, snorkelling, the glass bottom boat and Turtle Talk.
- Snorkelling tours: Moore Reef and Fitzroy Island snorkelling.
- Pontoon and island activities: everything at Moore Reef and on Fitzroy Island.
- Reef & Island in a Day: Moore Reef and Fitzroy Island in one trip.
- Great Barrier Reef weather: live conditions and a 7-day forecast.
- Getting to the Reef Fleet Terminal: check-in times and directions.
- Health and safety checklist: what to know before your reef or island day.
- Sunlover FAQs: check-in, weather, snorkelling and bookings.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the later Fitzroy Island ferry from Cairns?
As of November 2026, Sunlover’s later boat departs the Reef Fleet Terminal at 10:15am, with check-in from 8:45am to 10am, and arrives at Fitzroy Island at 11am.
How long do you get on Fitzroy Island on the later boat?
About 4.5 hours. The boat back leaves the island at 3:30pm and arrives at the Cairns marina at 4:30pm.
Is there a half-day trip to Fitzroy Island with Sunlover?
As of November 2026, Sunlover’s Fitzroy Island trips are day trips on one of two morning boats. The later 10:15am boat is the shorter option, with about 4.5 hours on the island and a return to Cairns at 4:30pm.
Can you have breakfast before the later Fitzroy Island ferry?
Yes. Check-in opens at 8:45am, and the Reef Fleet Terminal is under 10 minutes’ walk from Hides Hotel, where continental breakfast runs daily from 6:30am to 9am (paid).
