Making the most of Palmtree Island
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise ships have no docking facility here; tender boats bring passengers ashore.
Sightseeing
Palm Island, also called Great Palm Island or Bukaman in Aboriginal language, is a tropical island with a resident community of about 2,000 people. The settlement is variously known as Palm Island, the Mission, Palm Island Settlement or Palm Community. It lies 65 kilometers north-west of Townsville on Queensland's east coast, Australia, 800 kilometers north of the Tropic of Capricorn. As the main island in the Greater Palm group, it has small bays, sandy beaches and steep forested mountains rising to a 548 meters peak.
Money
The Australian Dollar is the local currency.
Opening Hours and
For Palmtree Island, shops and services generally trade Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and until Saturday lunchtime. In cities and larger towns, many shops remain open late on Thursday or Friday evening, usually to 9pm, and throughout Saturday. Shopping malls often trade on Sundays as well.
Remote-area roadhouses provide essential traveller services and commonly operate 24 hours a day on major highways. In tourist areas, even those well off the beaten track, tourist offices are often open daily or at least during the week and on weekend mornings; urban information centres are more likely to follow normal shopping hours.
Museums, galleries and staffed historic monuments commonly open daily, although rural-community attractions may keep irregular hours.