OUR UNIQUENESS
We are located on the Great Barrier Reef, a 45 minute fast ferry cruise from Cairns, North Queensland. Cairns has a modern airport with access to regular flights by national and international airlines allowing easy access to Cairns and Fitzroy Island.
Fitzroy Island is an island on the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by fringing coral reefs with rainforest down to the beach. Within easy access is a coral atoll, Green Island, and a small coral cay, Michaelmas Cay. Great Barrier Reef reefs are easily reached: Scott Reef, Sudbury Reef, Moore Reef, Arlington Reef, and Hastings and Normal Reef. A few kilometres south of Fitzroy Island are some uninhabited mainland islands with fringing reef: High Island and the Frankland Islands. These reefs provide a multitude of coral reef ecosystems and marine life to study.
Fitzroy Island and the adjacent Great Barrier Reef is a diverse local environment partially occupied by the local Indinj people. Programs at the Centre seek to help students and visitors to understand how the first Australias related to the environment. We also seek to understand their connection and care for the land and the waters, and all living creatures.
The island has access to tropical rainforest and small sections of mangroves. It also is the gateway to the diverse tropical environments of Cairns and the Atherton Tableland.
The fringing reef on the island supports a large number of animals and marine life, and marine turtles are prolific. Southern migrating whales are seen around the island in the middle of the year.
The Great Barrier Reef Education and Research Centre is being developed utilising the facilities of Fitzroy Island Resort, Cairns, and the Centre’s programs are supported by facilities and services at the Resort. The Centre and the Fitzroy Island Resort has access to tours and tourist services provided by leading international tourist companies. It also has links with researchers at James Cook University, Cairns, and institutions such as the Reef Restoration Fund. The Centre plans to offer a variety of educational programs and experiences to upper primary, middle and senior secondary, and undergraduate students from Australia and overseas. It plans to do this working with national and international marine scientists and researchers, and teachers. The Great Barrier Reef Education and Research Centre and its programs are unique on the Great Barrier Reef, and possibly internationally.
