Heron Island
A beautiful coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef.

Located 72 km northeast of Gladstone and 539 km north of Brisbane, Heron Island is a small coral cay which is part of the Great Barrier Reef. Both Captain Cook (1770) and Matthew Flinders (1802) failed to locate Heron Island. It wasn't until January 12, 1843 that the HMS Fly anchored off the island and the ship's naturalist, Joseph Bette Jukes, noting the reef herons, named it after the herons which are part of the rich bird life which inhabits the island. The island is also home to flocks of mutton birds and terns.

It is known that guano miners visited the island but unlike Lady Elliot (which was extensively mined) they moved on. Thus, until 1932, it remained virtually untouched. In that year Captain Christian Poulson was granted a lease over the island. His plan was to develop a tourist resort. From 1932 to 1977 the Poulson family ran a resort on the cay.

In 1943 the entire island was declared a National Park. Four years later (1947) a regular Catalina flying boat service was operating from Brisbane and in 1950 a marine research station was established on the island.

This is a typical, well established Barrier Reef holiday resort with the magnificence of the reef lying just off the island's beaches. People coming to the resort participate in the usual activities associated with a Barrier Reef holiday - bushwalking, snorkelling on the reef, playing tennis on the resort's courts, enjoying boat trips out across the reef, bird watching and walking along the beach.

The island is actually part of the Great Barrier Reef National Park and as such is the headquarters for a University of Queensland marine geology survey and research team as well as having protected areas where the visitor can experience the beauties of the Barrier Reef removed from the impact of modern civilisation.

It is possible to reach the island by a short, and spectacular, helicopter flight from Gladstone. There is also a two hour fast catamaran trip. The usual attractions - whale watching between June and October - and walking on the reef are the most popular attractions for day visitors.

Vital Information About the Island
1. The Island Itself
Location
72 km northeast of Gladstone at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

Description of the island
16.8 hectare coral cay. It is 1.8 km around the island which is surrounded by reefs which can be explored during low tide.

How do visitors access it?
Catamaran - two hours from Gladstone. Helicopter - 25 minutes from Gladstone airport.

Activities on the island
Reef walking, bird, turtle and whale watching, snorkelling, diving, fishing.

Reef walking

Reef Walking Once a day, at low tide, the resort Activities Officer takes groups reef walking. This pleasant activity involves looking at clams, coral formations, beche de mer and marvelling at the richness and variety of reef life.

Snorkelling and Diving
Because there is a deep sea channel between Heron Island and Wistari reef the ability to explore the edge of the cay, while remaining in calm waters, is unequalled. The island boasts 21 recognised dive sites and has been nominated as one of the world's premier dive destinations. It is common to see turtles, reef sharks, schools of smaller fish, forests of staghorn coral and other undersea wonders.

Birdwatching
The Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service has brochures on the birds which inhabit and nest on the island. At nesting time the island smells of guano and there are literally tens of thousands of terns and shearwaters on the cay.

Turtle Watching and Whale Watching
From December to April thousands of turtles use Heron Island as a breeding ground. The winter months see large numbers of whales passing through the channel between the cay and Wistari reef.

2. Resorts on the Island
History
The first resort on the island was established by Captain Christian Poulson in 1932. In 1980 the current owners, P&O Australian Resorts, took over. They refurbished the resort site in 1996/97.

How big is it?
117 rooms catering for approximately 300 people. There is a genuinely wide range of accommodation ranging from rooms with shared facilities to separate standing beachfront retreats.

Who does it appeal to?
Predominantly couples and singles. Kids are catered for in the NSW and QLD school holidays.

Free activities
Reef and bird walks, island walks, tennis, swimming, snorkelling.

Other activities
Fishing, semi-submersible, snorkel boat, diving.

Eating at the resort
A single, excellent buffet style restaurant with fine food and good wines.

 

	Resorts
	Heron Island Resort via Gladstone Heron Island QLD 4680 Telephone: 132 469 Facsimile: (02) 9299 2477 Rating: ****