Coral Sea Islands - Australian external territory

The Coral Sea Islands is a federal territory off the northeast coast of Australia, just east of the Great Barrier Reef. They were separated from Queensland in 1969.

Understand

Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on Willis Island. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. These tropical sand and coral reefs and islands are an important nesting area for birds and turtles.

The Coral Sea was the location of the Battle of the Coral Sea in the Second World War.

Get in

By plane

There are no airports in the Coral Sea Islands.

By boat

There are no harbours in the Coral Sea Islands.

Get around

Your only way to get around is by walk or by your own private boat

See and do

• Coral Sea Marine Park. There are coral reefs to explore, much of them are in better shape than the Great Barrier Reef. 2022-02-26

Buy

As the Coral Sea Islands is an Australian external territory, the Australian dollar is the official currency, but there is no economic activity in the Coral Sea Islands.

Sleep

There are no public accommodations in the Coral Sea Islands.

Stay safe

Go next

• The Great Barrier Reef has much more to offer than these islands