Willis Island

Willis Island is a small coral cay in the Coral Sea, about 450 kilometres east of Cairns. It has no residents apart from the staff at Australia's only offshore Bureau of Meteorology weather station, which has operated here since 1921. Ships pass by but passengers do not go ashore. The station tracks cyclones and weather systems across the Coral Sea and Coral Triangle. From the ship, the island appears as a low strip of vegetation surrounded by reef. Seabird colonies, including boobies, terns, and noddies, nest on the island in large numbers. The surrounding reef has clear water and healthy coral, visible from the deck on calm days. It is one of the more unusual sights on Australian cruise itineraries, notable for its isolation more than anything else. No currency or services apply. The interest is in seeing a place almost nobody ever visits.