Other vessels such as a 7.2m barge and 5.5m longboat are available for special purposes. Weather rarely restricts access to sites on the leeward western side of Orpheus and nearby Islands. The research station can house up to 42 persons at any one time. Visitor accommodation is equipped with kitchen facilities, refrigerators, freezers, hot showers and flush toilets. Pillows, sheets and blankets for the bunk style beds are provided.
Visitors provide and prepare their own meals except by prior arrangement.
There are no stores, and all supplies must be brought from the mainland. Proximity to the mainland and the seven-day access provided by the Palm Island Ferry Service, however, make provisioning convenient. Three major marine science institutions, James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority are based in nearby Townsville. Thus, a wealth of scientific resources including specialist expertise, libraries, laboratory facilities, data collections, and technical support are only a short distance from the research station. Loans of equipment not stocked at the station can often be arranged.