Heron Island is a paradise island in the south of Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Its aerial views are similiar to those in Maldives or Fiji. But in reality, it is not quite a tropical paradise, though it is perfect in all respects. There are no palms, but everything else is just superb! There are beautiful trees and white sand ashore, while the water is clear with excellent diving and snorkeling on the home reef. There are even shipwrecks not far from the coastline. Birds are the only problem. There are a lot of them, and they always scream and make a lot of excrements, thus leading to unpleasant odor. Shore and seabed: sand, stones.
[edit]
Hotels [edit]
Heron Island Resort is a 4-star property with rooms' rates starting from US$350 per night. Value for money is very bad, and the restaurant is very expensive. However, it is quite Ok for an island hotel with such an exclusive location.
How to get there [edit]
Fly to
Brisbane international airport (BNE). Next fly to
Gladstone airport (GLT) or take any kind of ground transportation.
The most comfortable way to reach Heron Island is a seaplane (US$270 per person per way, flight time is 25 minutes).
However, most tourists prefer cheaper boat transportation (US$50 per person per way, the journey takes 2.5 hours). Departure from Gladstone is at 2 PM, departure back from the island is at 10 AM (except for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Christmas Day).
When to go [edit]
In Heron Island, there is usually good warm weather all the year around. However, if you want a comfortable swimming, please, avoid the period from May to August, as the sea water is quite cold that time. It also makes sense to avoid the rainy season lasting from January to March.
Rainfall, mm
Water temperature, C
Temperature, C
Humidity, %
Wind speed, meter/sec