Green Island
Green
Island - the exquisite gem in the internationally acclaimed Great Barrier
Reef - is located just 27 kilometres (17 miles) offshore from
Cairns. Recognised as one of the most popular attractions within the
World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the island daily
entices multitudes of eager visitors from around the world.
Totalling just 15 hectares (37 acres) and surrounded on all
sides by magnificent coral reefs, the island is actually a vegetated coral
and sand cay, its sparkling beaches made up of both sand and finely ground
coral. Green Island is just 650 metres long and 300 metres wide and
has a circumference of approximately 1.5 kilometres.
Of course, the traditional owners of the Cairns area have always been acquainted with Green Island, and prior to
European colonisation the Gungganydji people, who inhabit the Yarrabah area, utilised
it for their initiation ceremonies. The first Europeans to lay eyes
upon the island, on Trinity Sunday, June 10 1770, were Captain James Cook
and his crew, as they sailed past in the HMS Endeavour, on their way to
their historic appointment with destiny - the first-ever collision of a
ship upon the Great Barrier Reef. Cook named the coral cay Green
Island, in honour of the astronomer on this famous voyage of discovery,
Charles Green.
[For details of Cook's near-catastrophic encounter with the
Reef see the articles on the "Great
Barrier Reef" and "Cooktown"
included in this publication.]
For such a small and isolated site, Green Island has an
interesting history. Since at least the 1940s it has been a popular
and regular
destination for visitors to the Cairns area. Prior to that, however,
the island was used as a base for beche-de-mer fishermen. As with
many other areas on the Great Barrier Reef, beche-de-mer, or sea
cucumbers, were once abundant in the waters adjacent to the island.
They were harvested and exported to Asia where they are considered a
delicacy...
 
Left: The city of Cairns is left behind
in the wake of a high speed catamaran on its
way to Green Island. Right:
Visitors disembark from a Great Adventures
catamaran at the Green Island jetty.
(Article truncated at this point.)
Things To See And
Do At Green Island
Green Island has the advantage of being free of sharks
and the dangerous box jellyfish that is prevalent along the North
Queensland coast during the summer months. As well, it is far enough
out to sea to escape the influence of any major rivers which tend to
discolour the water. Consequently, the water off the beaches is
crystal clear and popular for
swimming and
snorkelling.
Snorkelling equipment is available from the dive shop on the island.
Visitors preparing for the thrill of snorkelling amongst the coral near
the jetty at Green Island.
The island resort caters to the dining needs of not only its resident
guests, but also the large number of visitors who arrive for day trips.
There is a range of dining facilities on the island including the
Emeralds Restaurant
and the
Canopy Grill,
a snack bar, grill and kiosk which is open throughout the day...
(Article truncated at this point.)
This condensed sample from the article
on Green Island is from the "Cairns Attractions" section of
Cairns-on-a-CD. The "Cairns Attractions" section
includes approximately 30 such articles.
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photographs and interesting information.
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