Green Island Cairns Review: Ferry, Glass Bottom Boat & Seasickness Tips

During our trip to Cairns, Australia in our 60s,

we also visited

Green Island!

Cairns is famous for the

Great Barrier Reef,

and Green Island is one of the most popular places to visit because it is easy to reach by ferry.

We stayed at

Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns,

which is right beside the Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal.

That meant we could enjoy breakfast

and then walk to the ferry terminal in just a few minutes.

If you're visiting Green Island by ferry for the first time,

here is our very real experience.

Great Adventures Gets to Green Island in About 45 Minutes

When planning our trip,

we compared two ferry operators:

Great Adventures

and

Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises.

Great Adventures currently departs Cairns at

8:30 AM and 10:30 AM,

with the trip taking about

45 minutes depending on weather conditions.

Big Cat also offers multiple departure options.

Its larger 9 AM vessel takes around 1 hour 15 minutes,

while some services using the faster Reef Rocket take around 45 minutes.

For us,

Great Adventures worked best because of the departure time

and the short ferry journey.

We booked a package that included a choice of

snorkelling equipment or a glass-bottom boat tour.

Great Adventures still includes this choice in its Green Island Eco Adventure.

Our Ferry Was VERY Rough — Motion Sickness Medication Helped

Passengers who boarded early were offered

coffee,

tea

and biscuits.

But on this particular day,

I was very glad I didn't drink coffee.

Why?

Because the weather was bad,

the sea was rough,

and

the ferry moved A LOT!

The best way I can describe it is:

imagine the up-and-down part of a roller coaster...

for about 45 minutes.

Not ideal.

If you are prone to motion sickness,

it is worth preparing in advance,

especially when rough conditions are forecast.

Something for motion sickness was also available onboard,

but what we saw appeared to be a ginger-based product.

We had brought our own motion sickness medication from Japan.

Even after taking it,

45 minutes of that movement was just about my limit...

Some passengers were vomiting,

and quite a few people looked completely exhausted.

Of course,

sea conditions vary.

On calmer days,

the journey can be much more comfortable.

The Ferry Back to Cairns Was Much Calmer

Interestingly,

our return ferry was much calmer!

We were very relieved.

Maybe the wind and waves had simply changed by then,

but whatever the reason,

the return trip was much easier.

We could finally sit back

and relax.

Things We Would Keep in Mind When Visiting Green Island in Our 60s

For travelers in their 60s,

these are the practical things we noticed during our trip:

✔ Consider motion sickness medication if you are sensitive to boats
✔ Ferry conditions can change depending on weather and sea conditions
✔ Wet paths and floors can become slippery
✔ The tropical sun can be strong
✔ You may walk more around the island than you expect

We Made It to Green Island — and Birds Were Waiting for Us♪

Somehow,

we made it to Green Island!

After that rough ferry ride,

seeing this beautiful ocean immediately improved my mood.

The weather had been poor on the way over,

but once we reached the island,

the sun started coming out♪

We managed to take some lovely photos too♡

And almost immediately,

a Green Island bird came to welcome us.

It seemed very used to people

and didn't run away at all.

So cute!

One of the things I love about travelling in Australia

is seeing all the different birds.

It looked like it was saying:

“Welcome to Green Island.”

There are different kinds of birds around the island,

and they were very relaxing to watch.

Walking Around Green Island — Shops, Pool and Marineland

Once we started walking around the island,

we noticed a strange smell in the air.

It reminded me a little of dried fish.

Maybe it was related to the wet weather,

but I can't say for sure.

There are quite a few shops,

chairs

and tables around the island.

The weather changed quite quickly during our visit.

One minute it was fine,

and then suddenly it would rain.

Because of that,

some areas of the ground were wet.

If you're in your 60s or older, watch your step on slippery surfaces.

A sun/rain umbrella can also be useful.

This is the

Day Visitor Swimming Pool

available to Great Adventures guests.

Great Adventures currently includes swimming pool access with its Green Island Eco Adventure.

So if you want a break from the beach,

having access to a pool is a nice extra.

Green Island also has

Marineland Melanesia

and a souvenir shop.

You can find typical Cairns souvenirs such as

T-shirts,

magnets

and stuffed animals,

as well as some Green Island-themed items.

Marineland is a relatively small attraction,

so it does not take very long to look around.

If you like crocodiles,

you may want to visit.

Admission is separate.

Doing Absolutely Nothing on the Beach Was Wonderful

In our 60s, sometimes lying around on the beach is the best activity!

So that is exactly what we did.

We relaxed

and looked out at the beautiful water.

We brought

a picnic mat, drinks and bread.

Some of the other visitors had brought snacks such as potato chips.

And of course...

the birds noticed（笑）

There are restaurants

and places to buy snacks on Green Island,

but if you want to keep costs down,

bringing some food purchased in Cairns can be useful.

The water felt cold during our visit,

so we didn't swim.

But just sitting there

and looking at the beautiful sea

was incredibly relaxing.

Glass-Bottom Boat — Huge Fish and a Very Lazy Remora.

Our package let us choose between

snorkelling equipment

and a

glass-bottom boat tour.

We chose the glass-bottom boat.

When we visited,

we were asked which option we wanted during the ferry trip.

Because the weather had not looked very good on the way over,

we thought snorkelling might feel cold,

so the glass-bottom boat won.

There were

so many huge fish!

I remember thinking:

Maybe everything in Australia is bigger（笑）

And then...

a remora attached itself to the glass-bottom boat!

So cute～！

The suction area really did look a little like the shape of a coin.

And instead of swimming itself,

it just stayed attached to the boat

and travelled with us（笑）

Apparently,

even sea creatures like an easier way to travel.

The glass-bottom boat did not feel especially rough to me,

but I did see an older passenger who appeared to feel seasick.

So if you are very sensitive to boats,

it is still something to keep in mind.

Our Green Island Experience in Our 60s

The weather during our visit was quite changeable,

with periods of rain and cloud,

so I would love to visit Green Island again

during a stretch of better weather.

Even so,

we saw cute birds,

lots of fish,

a beautiful ocean,

and spent some peaceful time relaxing on the beach.

Next time,

I'd like to try snorkelling too.

Green Island turned out to be a very easy Great Barrier Reef day trip from Cairns,

especially because the Great Adventures ferry takes only around 45 minutes in normal conditions.

Just remember:

the sea gets the final say（笑）

If the ferry is rough,

45 minutes can feel much longer.

But once we arrived,

the scenery made us very glad we went.

More Cairns travel articles

Shangri-La The Marina Cairns Review

Kuranda Skyrail from Cairns in Our 60s