Vlasoff Cay

Take in the full spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef from the sky during a scenic flight from Cairns. Onboard a fixed-wing plane, see up to 140 kilometers of the Outer Barrier as well as many inner islands, reefs, and sand isles. Within 10 minutes of departing Cairns, the real adventure begins, as you get wonderful photo opportunities over Green Island, Oyster Reef, Vlasoff Cay, Upolo Reef, Pixie Reef, and Arlington Reef. Sit back in air-conditioned comfort as you glide through the sky. Take in the spectacular hues of green and blue from your window seat while listening to the pilot's informative commentary about the sights below. Get a chance to spot marine life with manta rays, green turtles, dugongs, sharks, and, if in season, whales, in clear view from the aircraft. Once your journey comes to an end, fly right back to Cairns.

A fabulous scenic Cairns helicopter flight. In forty minutes, we’ll go beyond the inner reef, to the outer regions of the Great Barrier Reef where the frequency of coral structures is outstanding. The additional time allows us to explore more widely, watching out for the incredible reef wildlife flourishing in this World Heritage listed icon. 40-minute Cairns reef helicopter tours are one of our most popular products. By extending the helicopter flight by another 10 minutes, we take in all the highlights of the 30-minute product, but extend the flight path out to the east, passing Green Island and tracking to the outer edge of Arlington Reef – one of the largest reefs in the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We traverse the very edge of the reef pushing toward the edge of the Australian continental shelf where the water clarity is unsurpassed, and the ocean floor drops away to over 1,000 feet. The additional time on our Cairns reef helicopter tours allows us to push further north past sandy Vlasoff Cay and on to the outer reaches of the Reef to provide our guests with the ultimate reef experience. The colours and textures of the reef and clear blue waters framed by the massive North Queensland skies provide unforgettable backdrops for the keen photographer to capture once in a lifetime images. Our local pilot/guides provide informative commentary and insights into the history of the reef, its abundance of marine inhabitants.

This flight offers real ‘bang for your buck’ in spectacular fashion. Savour our beautiful Inner Reef as Green Island, Arlington Reef and iconic Vlasoff Cay sweep below. Then fly the coast - Double Island and Palm Cove herald a climb to 2,500ft over the Range with crystal clear views of Kuranda, Barron Falls to Stoney Creek with the Reef shining in the distance on your return. At Zoom Helicopters, safety and comfort stand central in everything we do. Combined with stunning scenery over the reef and rainforest, this ensures that all our flights contribute to your unforgettable holiday adventure. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a photographer, or simply seeking a memorable encounter with the natural beauty that surrounds Cairns, this activity is a must-do.

One of the most popular helicopter rides in Cairns, this 30-minute scenic helicopter flight departs Cairns airport, showcasing views of the city of Cairns and Trinity inlet, and passing False Cape where you can see the remnants of WWII defences, Mt Yarrabah, Mission Bay and Cape Grafton. From there we strike out to the inner edge of the Reef and Green Island, a 6,000 year-old coral sand island that boasts its own native rainforest eco-system. Tracking to the north, your scenic Cairns helicopter tour will explore the western side of Arlington Reef, home to a diverse range of marine creatures – turtles, sharks and sting rays. Continuing north we’ll circle Vlasoff Cay, a tiny sand island in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef that reduces to only a few square metres in size at high tide. From Vlasoff Cay we head west, over Upolu Cay and back to Cairns taking in fantastic views of the North Queensland coastline framed by the lush rainforest-covered eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range.