Every photo ever taken at Palm Cove has the same co-star: a green, double-humped island moored a couple of kilometres offshore, posing at golden hour like it’s on retainer. That’s Double Island, and the questions arrive daily: what is it, can you go there, and why not?
Here’s the whole story.
The island
Double Island (its traditional name, Wangal Djungay, belongs to the local Yirrganydji people, for whom it holds cultural significance) is a continental island wearing two forested knolls, hence the name. Through the late twentieth century it ran as an exclusive private resort whose guest book leaned celebrity, before sliding into a long, well-publicised decline under an absentee leaseholder: the resort closed, the buildings decayed, and the island spent years as a locked, fading backdrop while locals campaigned loudly about it.
The tide has turned: the old lease was forfeited in 2024, and a new leaseholder has since taken it on with redevelopment plans that include restoring public access alongside new visitor facilities. Until that work delivers, the island remains closed to visitors, so the practical answer stands: admire, don’t land.
How to get close
The good news is that the water around it is fair game. Guided kayak tours paddle from Palm Cove out around Double Island’s fringing waters, where green sea turtles graze the seagrass and the island finally shows you its far side; it’s Palm Cove’s best active morning. Otherwise the island performs its main role beautifully from a beach towel: sunrise silhouettes it, storms dramatise it, and full moons rise behind it on a schedule the local photographers know by heart.
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Where to stay for the Double Island view
You cannot stay on it, but you can wake up looking at it
The island is private and closed to visitors. The view belongs to Palm Cove, and the beachfront rooms have the best seat. Compare stays with our accommodation partner Booking.com.
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FAQs
Can you visit Double Island? Not at present: it’s been closed to visitors for years and remains so while redevelopment plans progress. Kayak tours circle its waters from Palm Cove, which is currently as close as it gets.
Why did the Double Island resort close? The former resort declined under a long-absent leaseholder and eventually closed, with the state government forfeiting the lease in 2024 after years of public pressure. A new leaseholder now holds redevelopment plans that include restoring public access.
What’s the small island next to Double Island? Haycock Island, the little green pimple nearby, known to locals as Scout Hat. It completes the postcard composition nicely.
Can you see turtles at Double Island? Yes: the seagrass in its surrounding waters supports green sea turtles, and the Palm Cove kayak tours meet them regularly. Calm early mornings are prime.
Where’s the best view of Double Island? Palm Cove beach, anywhere along it, ideally at sunrise; the jetty adds foreground for photographers. Kewarra and Clifton beaches offer alternate angles with fewer people.
Nearby
Header photo: Ben Southall. Courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.
