In 1859, Captain John Murray was surveying the Queensland coast when he stumbled upon a small, beautiful island fringed with coral reefs, crystal-blue water and rugged headlands. He named it Orpheus — shorthand for calm, tranquillity and beauty.
Orpheus Island is a long, narrow ribbon of reef and rainforest.
Eleven kilometres of quiet.
Most of the island is national park, alongside a research station and a small resort lease — where we hung out for a few days this summer.
It sits a short boat ride from the Great Barrier Reef for snorkelling, right next door to exclusive Pelorus Island, and is Traditional Land of the Bindal people. Low-key eco-tourism has existed here since the 1970s and has remained tight, small and carefully managed — protecting the island from mainland crowds.
This was our second visit. I’m not usually a fisherman, but on Orpheus… I am. It’s that good.
We were lucky with the weather, catching the island before ex-tropical cyclone Koji hit this week. I hope all is well on the island — I’m sure it copped a soaking.
Just a 30-minute helicopter ride from Townsville, Orpheus is perfect for families.
My little men absolutely love the joint.
— uge
