Five men arrested in Australia allegedly intended to cross the ocean in a small fishing boat and join the so-called Islamic State group.

Police arrested the men as they were towing the boat through the northern part of Queensland state.

Media reports said they were being held on suspicion of foreign incursion offences.

One of the men is notorious Islamic preacher Musa Cerantonio, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said.

It appears they were seeking to reach Indonesia from Cape York before somehow finding a way to join IS.

"Five men have been arrested and are currently assisting police with inquires," an Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said.

"This activity is not related to any current or impending threat to the community."

Musa Cerantonio was previously arrested on the Philippines island of Cebu in 2014 and deported back to Australia after telling his social media followers that he had travelled to Syria.

Shayden Thorne was also among the arrested men, reports said. He is the brother of Junaid Thorne, a self-styled Islamic preacher jailed for using a fake name to book a flight from Perth to Sydney.