Lizard Island National Park

Lizard Island National Park encompasses Lizard, Osprey, Palfrey, and South islands, along with Seabird Islets and Eagle Island, situated approximately 250 km north-east of Cairns. This group of six high islands lies midway between the coast and the outer barrier reefs on the edge of the continental shelf. The islands are fringed by mangroves and sandy beaches, and cloaked in grasslands, woodlands, and wind-sheared heaths. The highest point is Cook's Look, rising 359 meters above sea level. The islands are rich in cultural meaning for the Dingaal Aboriginal people and contain sacred sites including initiation, ceremonial, and story sites. Shell middens, which provide evidence of long-ago feasting on clams, oysters, spider shells, and trochus shells, are found on the islands. Lizard Island also has a rich heritage associated with the earliest European exploration of the coast and subsequent settlement. Today the islands are a popular tourism destination and the base for world-renowned tropical marine research.