Heron Island
Property Information
Property Locality: Great Barrier Reef
Type of Property: resort
Children: suitable for children
Disabled Facilities and rooms available
Conference: facilities available
Rates (per couple per night)
Price Range: from $314.
Please see detailed rates below
Special Conditions: Rates are inclusive of GST and are subject to change without notice
Property Description
Heron is the only Great Barrier Reef Resort located on a true coral cay. You are quite literally surrounded by the reef, you can swim right from the beach to an endless garden of coral teeming with marine life. One of the world’s best dive sites, there are more than 20 Great Barrier Reef dive sites accessible from Heron Island, half of which are within 15 minutes of the resort. The Island itself is a protected habitat for a stunning array of wildlife including nesting turtles and an abundance of Australian birdlife.
Accommodation
All rooms feature: a balcony or terrace, ceiling fans, refrigerator, tea & coffee making facilities, beach towels, clock radio, ironing facilities, extra pillows & blankets, en-suite bathroom with shower, hairdryers, umbrellas
TURTLE ROOMS from $314
Turtle Rooms are located in a garden setting, a short walk away from the beach and close to the central resort facilities. With two rooms per block, all Turtle Rooms are at ground level and feature a deck and outdoor area.
REEF ROOMS from $394
Positioned close to the beach and offer reef and water views through a canopy of beachside trees and shrubs. Family room configurations are available. Maximum 3 - 5 people depending on which configuration. Disabled Access is also available.
HERON BEACHSIDE SUITES from $474
Beachside Suites offer spectacular views and are set in a prime beachside location with direct access to the beach and reef. The Suites offer a large bathroom, mini-bar and a CD player. Bedding includes a King Size Bed and single divan. Maximum 3 people.
WISTARI SUITES from $554
Wistari Suites enjoy secluded garden setting with ocean views and offer maximum privacy. The Suites are a short stroll away from the central resort facilities, beach and walking tracks. Bedding includes a King Size Bed or twin. Maximum 2 people.
POINT SUITES from $554
Point Suites are positioned with uninterrupted views of the reef and magical sunsets over the ocean. From there you can walk out onto the lawn and resort gardens. Bedding includes a King Size Bed or twin. Maximum 2 people.
THE BEACH HOUSE from $758
Located beachside and set within a grove of trees, the Beach House offers filtered ocean views and a private boardwalk, providing direct access to the beach. With only one Beach House on offer, it couldn’t be any more exclusive. Bedding includes a King Size Bed and a single divan (a rollaway can also be put in the room). Maximum 4 people.
Environmental Initiatives:
Heron Island is famous around the world for its spectacular coral reef, its extraordinary variety of aquatic life, migrating whales, nesting turtles and as a breeding ground for an abundance of birdlife. The Heron Island Resort is Great Barrier Reef ecotourism at its best, and has been awarded an Advanced Eco-Certification by Ecotourism Australia.
Heron Island runs its own power generator, potable water production and wastewater treatment, and also provides these services to the independent Heron Island Research Station and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Ranger Station.
Heron Island is a protected habitat for a stunning variety of wildlife. An amazing array of animal life can be discovered throughout the year. The island is a significant nesting location for two vulnerable turtle species, the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta). Strict guidelines are in place for the viewing of nesting and hatching turtles. Through all but a few months, Heron Island is a breeding and nesting sanctuary for a variety of birds, primarily the Black Noddy Terns (Anous minutus) and the Wedgetailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). Bird nesting holes are protected with covering boards as the nests are often found in the middle of a trail or path.
Heron Island Research Station
Heron Island Research Station has been established for over 50 years and is one of the most prestigious marine research stations in Australia. It is an internationally renowned facility for coral reef research and student training in marine sciences.
The crystal clear waters of the reef surrounding the Research Station are home to around 60% of the 1500 species of fish and around 72% of the coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef. It is also an important site for the long-term collection of baseline oceanographic data on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, and is an integral component of the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Observations System (GBROOS) and nationwide Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).
Great Barrier Reef Ocean Observing System
The GBROOS sensor network on Heron Reef is one of several on the Great Barrier Reef and a integral part of the nationwide Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), a collaborative program designed to observe the oceans around Australia. The observation network seeks to understand the influence of the Coral Sea on continental shelf ecosystems in north-east Queensland including the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park.
In the next decade, GBROOS will monitor the effect of rising ocean temperatures on the incidence of coral bleaching, and on the frequency of regional upwelling that fuels productivity in sections of the GBR. In the longer term. GBROOS will monitor the impact of global climate change upon ocean chemistry that threatens the survival of calcifying organisms.
GBROOS is managed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) on behalf of a number of consortium partners, of which HIRS is an important member.
Contact Details
Postal Address
Heron Island Resort via Glastone Qld 4680, AUSTRALIA
environmentally friendly accommodation, ecotourism, green travel
