Lizard Island

Lizard Island is a continental island in the northern Great Barrier Reef, around 240 kilometres north of Cairns and 27 kilometres off the Cape York coast. The island is a granite peak rising to 359 metres at Cooks Look, the summit where Captain James Cook climbed in 1770 to chart a passage through the reef. The surrounding waters contain some of the most pristine coral formations on the entire reef, and the island is regularly rated among the best diving and snorkelling destinations in the world.

The island is home to Lizard Island Resort, a luxury lodge operated by the Delaware North group. The resort has 40 rooms and suites facing the beach, and its remote location and limited guest numbers create a sense of exclusivity that is difficult to replicate elsewhere on the reef. The resort offers guided diving trips to the Cod Hole (one of the world's most famous dive sites, where enormous potato cod swim alongside divers), snorkelling tours to the outer ribbon reefs, glass-bottom boat excursions and nature walks.

The Australian Museum's Lizard Island Research Station, on the northern side of the island, has been operating since 1973 and is one of the most important tropical marine research facilities in the world. Hundreds of scientific papers have been published from research conducted at the station, covering coral biology, fish behaviour, reef ecology and the impacts of climate change on reef systems.

The island is largely national park, with 24 beaches on its coastline and fringing reef accessible directly from shore. The Blue Lagoon, between Lizard Island and the neighbouring Palfrey Island, is a sheltered swimming and snorkelling spot with visibility often exceeding 20 metres. Walking tracks lead to Cooks Look summit and through woodland inhabited by the large monitor lizards that gave the island its name.

Access is by charter flight from Cairns (about 60 minutes) or by private vessel. The resort operates year-round, with the best diving conditions from June to November when visibility peaks and water temperatures remain comfortable. The annual Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic in October draws game fishers from around the world.