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Travel Destination Guide - Heron Island
Heron Island (Queensland, Australia) 
Heron Island Information
Slideshow of Photos
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Heron Island is a true coral cay right on the Great Barrier Reef. Here you can swim straight off the beach to an endless garden of coral where the waters are literally teeming with beautifully coloured fish and marine life.
It's what you don't see around Heron that makes the resort so special. You won't see any buildings above the tree line. And you won't bump into any daytrippers either. The reef experience on Heron is exclusively for guests, a unique experience few other resorts in the world can offer. There's a relaxed island lifestyle that sets Heron apart, a sophisticated yet casual resort atmosphere. Here the emphasis is on exploring and discovering the natural attractions that have made Heron famous around the world.
You'll enjoy some of the world's best reef diving. There's a choice of spectacular sites just minutes from the beach, and can you imagine a better place to learn to dive?
Join a guided reef walk to learn more about the unique ecology of the Great Barrier Reef or snorkel off the beach and come face to face with the kaleidoscope of marine life just below the surface. Enjoy a day trip to explore an idyllic, uninhabited coral cay or spend the day just lazing by the pool. The choice is yours.
At night there's live entertainment, dancing or a quiet drink at the Pandanus Lounge. On Heron, all meals are included in your tariff and you'll find a range of accommodation to suit your budget. As you would expect, Heron takes great pride in maintaining the highest standards of food and service.
Heron is renowned for its abundance of birdlife with dense Pisonia forests which are home to thousands of Noddy Terns. A Heron holiday combines the rare excitement of nature with all the comforts of an international resort.
Locality:
Heron Island is off the south coast of Queensland, at the south end of the Great Barrier Reef. Just south of the Tropic of Capricorn. (it is 340 mls N of Brisbane international airport. 45 mls NE of Gladstone national airport and harbour on the mainland). It is part of the Capricorn group of islands. It is completely surrounded by its own coral reef and opposite neighbouring Wistari Reef.
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The wildlife attractions include turtles and humpback whales, and there's the rusting hulk of a ship in the harbour entrance to complete the Robinson Crusoe image. No day visitors are allowed and (curiously) the island operates its own daylight-saving system, making it 1 hr ahead of Queensland's Eastern Standard Time.
Theoretically a coral cay should be completely surrounded by beach, but much of the shore in front of the accommodation is quite rocky, especially at low tide. However, there is more than enough beach to go round, made of near pure-white coral sand.
During the daytime there is unlimited scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities. There are guided walks to see the reef close up, island ecology, birds, turtles nesting, humpback whales (June to Sept).
The nightlife offers low-key entertainment, live music, casino night and a quiz night.
Eating in (rates include all meals). Dinner is table d'hote except for weekly seafood buffet. A la carte snack meals available from coffee-shop section of bar.
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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar
Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra
Australia - New South Wales - Sydney
Australia - Tasmania - Hobart
Australia - Western Australia - Perth
Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.
Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.
In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.
The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.
But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.
The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.
The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.
Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.
Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.
The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers. |
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Heron Island Travel Awards
Local Area Weather
Rockhampton, AUSTRALIA |
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