White sandy beaches, pockets of rainforest and pale blue waters make these picturesque inshore islands a wildlife refuge and a scenic retreat for nature lovers.

Open eucalypt forests clothe the hillsides, rainforest grows in sheltered gullies and grasslands cover the more exposed slopes. The Ngaro Aboriginal people lived on and visited these islands for thousands of years. They used fire to flush out game and maintain the natural grasslands. A stone quarry for making tools and weapons remains on South Molle Island.

Once used for grazing, South Molle Island later became a national park and a resort was established in 1937. The islands and surrounding waters are protected in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.