Heron Island is a true coral cay right on the World Heritage listed 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. 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.

Accommodations

The Beach House

The Beach House offers a superior style of accommodation with a high degree of privacy. Set within a grove of trees, a private boardwalk provides access to the beach. Air conditioned, the Beach House offers a separate bedroom with spacious ensuite including a bath and shower and an expansive living area including oversized sofa and a work desk with direct dial STD/IDD telephone. Other in-room features include a fully stocked mini bar (replenished daily) and CD player. Guests receive a deluxe fruit basket on arrival and a sunset canape platter and ice is delivered each afternoon. The Beach House also offers its own private outdoor shower.

Point Suites

Set in a premium beachfront position with an outlook that offers uninterrupted reef views and magical sunsets, Point Suites are Heron's superior grade of accommodation. With an interior designed for relaxation, Point Suites are air-conditioned and enjoy a range of additional services and in-room comforts including a fully stocked mini bar (replenished daily), a CD player and phone. Guests receive a deluxe fruit basket on arrival and a sunset canape platter and an ice bucket - perfect for pre-dinner drinks - is delivered each afternoon.

Point Suites are spacious in design and include a large ensuite and separate dressing room. A generous living area extends through glass doors to an extensive outdoor terrace where sun lounges, for the exclusive use of Point Suite guests, can be found.

Wistari Suites

Wistari Suites are an excellent alternative for guests seeking maximum privacy. They are located on the point and situated within a garden setting with ocean views. Interiors are spacious with contemporary design elements including a 3 seater couch, an armchair and King Size bed in an area separate to living. A private outdoor terrace features stylish wooden furniture and a two person hammock. Wistari Suites are air-conditioned and have a fully stocked mini-bar with CD Player and telephone in each room. Similarl to the Point Suites and Beach House, Wistari Suite guests receive a deluxe fruit basket on arrival and a sunset canape platter and fresh ice each afternoon.

Heron Beachside Suites

Offering absolute beach frontage with direct access to the water and views of the reef, Heron Beachside Suites are generous in size with villa-style inclusions. Double glass sliding doors fill the room with natural light and connect both the spacious bedroom and separate living space to a large outdoor balcony. The living area features a divan as well as comfortable armchairs and coffee table. A large bathroom and an in-room CD are among some of the other features of a Heron Suite.

Reef Suites

Positioned closer to the beach, Reef Suites offer filtered reef and water views through a canopy of beachside trees. The living area extends outdoors to a balcony or garden setting, interiors are light-filled, modern and comfortable.

Turtle Rooms

Located in a garden setting a short walk away from the beach, these cottages have a relaxed casual style. Built in duplex fashion with two rooms per block, all Turtle Rooms are at ground level and feature a large deck and outdoor area. Interiors are bright and fresh, compact but comfortable. Standard and Family Rooms are available.

Activities

Complimentary Activities

• Interpretative reef walks
• Island ecology walks
• Birdlife walks
• Turtle viewing (peak nesting times)
• Wildlife presentations
• Beach picnic hampers
• Snorkelling lessons in swimming pool
• Tennis (night & day)
• Reef creature interpretative workshops
• Research station walks
• Nightly entertainment

Other Activities (charges apply)

• Snorkelling excursions to the reef edge
• Heron Kids Junior Ranger Program
• Semi-submersible coral viewing cruises with commentary     by reef interpretor
• Guided glass bottom surf ski tours
• Scuba diving
• MV Wahoo Diving and Fishing charters
• Night dives
• Adventure dives
• Discover Scuba (1 day resort course)
• PADI Dive Courses
• Fishing trips
• Scenic helicopter flights
• Sunset wine & cheese cruises
• Wine & cheese tastings
• Therapeutic massage

Dining

Shearwater Restaurant

3 superb meals are included each day. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style while dinner features a 3 course table d'hote or themed buffet. Open for breakfast from 7.30am - 9.30am, lunch is served from 12.30pm - 2.00pm & dinner is served 6.30pm - 9.00pm. Special diets catered for by prior arrangement. Non Smoking.

A picnic hamper service is available on request.

Pandanus Lounge & Baillie's Bar

The Bar & Lounge features panoramic reef views, with a cocktail bar, entertainment lounge, dance floor and a mezzanine level library area. The Bar & Lounge opens to an outdoor terrace. Open from 9.30am to midnight.

Wistari Room

An air conditioned presentation room for evening nature presentations and latest release movies.

Services & Facilities

• Reception is open from 8.30am to 7.00pm
• Major credit cards accepted
• Foreign exchange and travellers cheques cashed
• Eftpos facilities
• Facsimile facilities
• Postal service
• Public telephones
• Onward flight confirmations
• Daily activity sheet - The Heron Times
• Swimming pool
• Cots available
• Registered nurse & first aid centre
• Heron Kids Junior Rangers Program
• Conference facility for up to 100 people
• Disabled facilities available
• Internet access available at reception

Diving the Great Barrier Reef

Heron Island is famous around the world because it is exciting diving made easy. There's no need for day trips to the Reef because you're already there, so you can easily enjoy up to three 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.

The Heron Advantage

• Minimal time to dive sites (5-15 minutes)
• Shallow dives available (18 metres maximum)
• Long bottom times can be obtained (up to 45 minutes)
• Buoyed dive sites
• Stable platform style boats with shaded canopies
• Divemasters dive all dives
• Giant stride entries - exit via wide ladders
• No carrying of tanks or weights at any time
• All dive sites located within a Marine National Park
• Highest quality dive equipment
• Up to three dives per day
• Two tank morning dives
• Night Dives
• Adventure Dives

Water Temperature Range

Winter: 20-22 degrees C (68-70 degrees F) Summer: 25-27 degrees C (77-80 degrees F)

A full wetsuit is recommended between March and October.

Location/Getting There

Covering 18 hectares, Heron Island lies on the Tropic of Capricorn (23 degrees south of the equator), 72 kilometres NE off the coast from Gladstone, central Queensland. 534 kilometres north of Brisbane. 1,183 kilometres south of Cairns. Heron Island operates 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) all year round.