Heron Island, Queensland, Australia

Heron Island is a coral cay located near the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 72 km north-east of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and 539 km north of the state capital Brisbane. The island is situated on the leeward (western) side of Heron Reef, a fringing platform reef of significant biodiversity, supporting around 900 of the 1,500 fish species and 72% of the coral species found on the Great Barrier Reef.

There is a resort on the island, however two thirds of the island is natural vegetation. The waters surrounding the island are a deep blue, with diving and snorkelling opportunities immediately offshore.

Things to see and do

* Scuba diving & Snorkelling
* Marine Life
* Great Barrier Reef
* Bird watching
* Nesting sea turtles – Nov - March

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Australian Dollar (AUD)
Language – English
Land Area – 0.29 km²
Time – GMT plus ten hours
Electricity - 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
International Country Telephone Code – 61

Port Location – Boats travelling to Heron Island depart from Gladstone on the mainland. Visitors disembark at the wooden jetty on the western shore of Heron Island.

Travel Links – Heron Island is accessible from Gladstone on the mainland. Gladstone Airport (GLT) is around 5km from the city centre. Qantaslink has services connecting to Brisbane. There is also the daily all stops flight north to Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns.

The railway from Brisbane to Rockhampton stops in central Gladstone.