Heron's beautiful white beaches melt into a kaleidoscope of living coral and brightly coloured fish. Perfect for snorkelling or reef walking at low tide. In summer, turtles lay their eggs and hatch on the beach near your suite. Whales migrate in September, and a bountiful array of birds have made Heron their home.
A combination of unspoiled natural beauty with top quality facilities and service. A World Heritage holiday that opens a unique window to one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.
Accommdation
Heron Island has a total of 117 rooms, with all rooms serviced daily. To help guests leave the outside world behind, TVs and telephones are not found in guest rooms available on the island.
Please note that children under 6 are not catered for. All accommodation costs include full buffet breakfast, full buffet lunch, a-la-carte dinner with change of menu daily, guided reef and island/nature talks.
Roomtypes:
- Turtle Cabins: 30 budget bungalow style cabins with share bathroom facilities using an amenities block 50 metres from the cabins. Each has ceiling fan,tea and coffee making facilities, a handbasin, and 1 double and 2 single bunks OR four single bunks.
Resort Map
Dive Map
- Reef Suites: 44 mid-range rooms with 1 queen bed and 1 single bed, balcony, and ensuite shower and toilet. Accommodates 3 people (4 if rollaway or cot used) and has hairdryer, ceiling fan, refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities and clock radio. Adjoining suites are available.
- Heron Suites: 38 deluxe beach side two room units with 1 queen bed and 1 single bed, balcony, and ensuite shower and toilet. Accommodates 3 people (4 if rollaway or cot used) and has hairdryer, ceiling fan, refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities and clock radio.
- Beach House: 1 premium beach frontage accommodation with a bedroom and sitting room, balcony, queen bed, and ensuite with bath and toilet. Accommodates two adults only and has hairdryer, ceiling fan, refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities, clock radio, and ironing facilities.
- Point Suites: 4 premium extra large one room configuration units with balcony in a premium view location. Each has a King-sized bed, ensuite with shower and toilet, hairdryer, ceiling fan, refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities, clock radio, and ironing facilities.
Restaurant and Bar Facilities:
Room tariff includes 3 superb meals each day. Breakfast and lunch are lavish buffets while dinner is a 4 course menu service. Open for breakfast (7.30 -9.00am), lunch (12.30-2.00pm), dinner (from 6.30 - 8.00pm), the Maitre D' allocates guests' tables for the duration of their stay at their first meal.
Special diets and picnic hamper service available by advance arrangement.
The Pandanus Lounge And Bar opens onto reef side terrace and features panoramic reef views, cocktail bar, entertainment lounge, dance floor and upstairs games area. Varied light entertainment program each night of the week and is open 10am to Midnight.
A Coffee Shop is located within the Pandanus Lounge and serves cappuccinos, cakes and snack foods.
The Wistari Room is an air-conditioned presentation room for evening nature presentations and late release movies.
Services & Facilities:
- Reception (8.30am to 5.30pm)
- Credit Cards accepted: Amex, Diners, JCB, Mastercard, Visa,
- Bankcard
- Foreign exchange and traveller cheques cashed
- Safety deposit facilities
- Postal services
- Onward flight confirmations
- Public Telephones
- Daily activity sheet, the 'Heron Times'
- Flora & fauna reference literature
- Swimming pools
- Beach towels
- Games room with snooker table
- Table tennis
- Complimentary board games
- Departure lounge (for helicopter & catamaran)
- Baby sitting (Please request at time of booking of accommodation.)
- Complimentary child care for 5 to 10 year olds during main school holidays in morning, afternoon and evening
- Complimentary guest laundry and ironing rooms (powder sold at shop)
- Cots available free of charge
- Resort shop and boutique stocking clothing, souvenirs, confectionery, magazines, newspapers, toiletries and voltage adaptors (voltage on Heron is 240V A.C.)
- National Parks interpretative centre
- Registered nurse and first aid centre
Diving
Heron Island is the best diving package in Australia. For a start, there's no need for daytrips to the Reef, because you're already there. So you can easily enjoy two full dives a day.There are over twenty different dive sites, more than half of which are just fifteen minutes from the beach. With so many acres of living coral literally teeming with fish.
It's easy to see why keen divers keep coming back to Heron. Because Heron is part of a double reef system, there are over 20 different Dives on offer.
On Heron Island three are no daytrips to the Reef because you're already there!
The Bommie
The first dive site from the harbour is The Bommie. Many isolated coral heads loom up 50ft from a clear, sandy bottom supporting schools of resident fish, eels, sharks, rays. This is an underwater photographer's dream. There's an amazing array of species from Manta Rays to Barramundi Cod, Red Throated Sweet Lip, Coral Trout, Spangled Emperor and Barracuda.
Don't be surprised if you turn around to find a massive Groper looking over your shoulder. They just like to see what all the fuss is about. And of course, The Bommie is home to two of Heron's most famous characters, 'Harry' and 'Fang'. Two large Moray Eels that really love the limelight. *Diving is not guaranteed on day of arrival.
Gorgonia Hole
Going round to the tip of Heron Reef on the north side you'll find the Gorgonia Hole. This is a shallow dive to about 45ft. Here you'll follow a small wall running parallel to the reef edge interrupted by a series of natural gutters, holes and spectacular swim-throughs. This spot offers a diverse variety of coral, from delicate gorgonias sponges and crinoids to large plate and brain corals.
As you pause to study the antics of a Painted Cray, or one of the many Green Turtles you'll get that feeling of being watched. Then a slight movement will betray the camouflage of an octopus keeping a wary eye on you and your buddies. You'll also come face to face with one of the many spotted Sweetlip that have taken residence in the coral crevices.
This is a great night dive location with a good variety of smaller life amongst the coral growths out on the reef flat.
Blue Pools
Just east from the Hole in the Wall and cutting back into the reef edge itself is a beautiful spot known as Blue Pools. Here a moving parade of marine life weaves in and out of the coral to the crunches and cracks of Parrot Fish grinding down rubble for food. White Tip Reef Sharks maintain a casual patrol as if charged with the task of directing traffic.
A natural mini bay on north wall offers shelter from the currents for snorkellers and marine life, squid, sharks, turtles and octopi. You'll enjoy better odds for that 'photo of a lifetime'. Of the 1500 species of fish found on the entire Great Barrier Reef, you'll see 800 right here!
Coral Cascades
A reef edge full of gutters, tight swim-throughs, large tall bommies off the reef edge, footballer trout, anemones and lots and lots of large life.
Tenement 1 is the beginning of a ten metre high wall towards Tenements II, with swim-throughs, overhangs, lion fish, moray eels, leopard, grey reef, white tip and wobbegong sharks out off the wall on a 25-60ft dive.
Three Rocks
This steep sandy slope has large coral heads down to 80ft plus lion fish, morays, turtles, white tips, wobbegongs.
Hole in the Wall
This is a large Bommie split into three with swimthroughs along the wall, maori cod, coral trout, reef sharks, Olive the giant Moray eel and large anemones. Manta Rays are often seen being cleaned and water depths are 30-60ft.
Wistari Reef
Best dived on the later half of the incoming tide, Wistari 1 is a steep slope covered in pristine staghorn, rounded boulder corals, elusive urchins, anemones,barramundi rock cod, and pelagics feeding on bait fish. Wistari 2 is a 20-60ft dive along a reef slope broken up by a few large boulder corals and large schools of hardy head bait fish.
ADVENTURE DIVING
Just when you thought you'd seen it all, Heron also offers Adventure Diving.
Join a full day expedition away on one of the island's specially equipped dive boats, seeking outlying virgin reefs such as Sykes, Broomfield, Lamont and Fitzroy, and explore even more of what the region has to offer. And to top off your diving holiday, try a Night Dive.
You'll witness a dazzling performance from a cast of thousands never seen during the light of day. An entirely new dive experience if you have never explored the marine world at night before.
DIVING ON HERON
- Dive centre and shop (PADI/NAUI qualified)
- Equipment hire including masks, snorkels, diving fins , tanks, pressure gauge, regulator, BC, wetsuits, u/w video camera, torches and sales
- 21 separate dive sites - most within 15 minutes of jetty
- 4 flat bottom dive boats
- Boat dives depart 9.15am and 2.15pm daily (tanks and weights are included in all dive charges)
- Full day Adventure dives to remote reefs (Sykes, Broomfield, Lamont, Fitzroy) and night dives offered three times a week
- Introduction to Scuba (1 day resort courses must be pre booked)
- 6 day open water dive certificate courses commence Sunday (check in Saturday) and finishes Friday (check out Saturday). This must be pre booked.
- A medical certificate (AS4005.1-P&O Resorts can supply the correct form) must be presented to the dive shop along with two passport size photos.
- Dive referrals operate Tuesday(check in Monday) to Friday (check out Saturday) - medical (AS4005.1) and referral papers must be presented.
- Please note that all diving subject to weather conditions.
- Certified Divers MUST have current "diving certification card" from an internationally recognised dive body prior to diving.
- Flying Restrictions: Last dive MUST be completed at least 24 hours PRIOR to flying. This is not applicable to helicopter transfers, but does include mainland air departures and an additional day at the resort after the last dive, should be booked.
DIVE RATES
Note, all diving from 1 July onwards must be booked and paid for on the Island. Please advise at the time of booking if you are interested in diving so that the resort has advance notice.
Activities:
- Complimentary interpretative Reef walks (operate daily subject to tides)
- Complimentary birdlife walks
- Complimentary turtle nesting tours (At peak nesting times)
- Complimentary interpretative star gazing
- Complimentary wildlife presentations
- Complimentary snorkelling lessons in swimming pool
- Snorkelling excursions to reef edge
- Sea-Safari day cruise including lunch, snorkelling and fishing
- Semi-submersible coral viewing cruises - commentary by reef interpretator
- Fishing trips (Children under 2 not catered for)
- Humpback whale spotting (June to September)
- Full day barbeque cruises to Wilson Island (up to 30 guests)
- Sunset wine and cheese cruise (Only available to persons 18 years and over)
- Complimentary use of tennis court (day and night).
Location:
Heron Island lies on the Tropic of Capricorn (23 degrees south of the equator), 72 kilometres north-east off the coast from Gladstone, central Queensland. 534 kilometres north of Brisbane and 1183 kilometres south of Cairns.
Access to Gladstone is available by:
- Air: Flights to Gladstone are via Brisbane with Qantas Sunstate Airlines and Flight West Airlines (Ansett Australia). Flight time is approx 80 minutes. Courtesy coach departs Gladstone Airport 10.30am each day to Gladstone marina (10 minute trip) to connect with Heron Island catamaran service.
- Road: Driving time approx 6 hours from Brisbane. Undercover and security parking available at Marina. (Charge applicable)
Following arrival in Gladstone, transfers to Heron Island are available by:
- Launch: 2 hours by air-conditioned catamaran. Departs Gladstone marina at 11.00am (check in at marina 30 minutes before departure) and returns at 3.45pm daily (except Christmas day). Light refreshments available on board. Video, bar and toilet facilities. Surveyed for 160 passengers.
- Helicopter: 30 minutes from Gladstone airport. Marine Helicopters (book through resort) departs daily on demand (24 hours notice) and transfers within two hours of most incoming flights, between 8am and 4pm (except Christmas day). Please note that the baggage allowance is 15kg per person plus one piece of hand luggage. Lock up facilities at Gladstone terminal free of charge for excess baggage. Guests arriving at Gladstone other than by airline should telephone Marine Helicopters on 079 781177 by noon the day prior to travelling to Heron to confirm booking.
Check-In/Out Times:
Room check-in is 2.00pm and room check-out is by 10.00am. The Departure Lounge includes showers, toilets, clothes washing facilities and comfortable seating, and is available to guests until island departure.
What to Bring to Heron Island:
Yourself of course and your partner/family.. and ..casual beach wear for daytime and smart casual for after 6.00pm. Also include camera, binoculars and infant's food. (Protective footwear is available on loan).
Environmental Safeguards on Heron Island:
- Use of recycled and/or biodegradable products wherever possible
- All waste returned to mainland and stored for recycling
- All building below tree top level and designed to blend quietly into the natural surroundings
- Non native plant species removed
- Staff induction program on environmental care
- Interpretative activities staff
- Guest information provided on caring for the environment.