Heron Island

We’ve been enjoying the great hospitality of Tracey and Steve in Agnes Water. They’ve treated us like old friends, feeding us and showing us around. Since we’re heading inland from here, we decided that we must go out to one of the Great Barrier Reef island cays. Heron Island is one of the closest to here, so we spent a weekend out there learning all about this amazing ecosystem.

Tracey very kindly drove us to Gladstone from where we took a catamaran to Heron Island, a two-hour, 70-kilometre one-way journey. The boat slowed down at one point because a humpback whale and her calf were surfacing nearby, and they put on a show for us, breaching and fin slapping.

We spent two nights at Heron Island Resort. We hiked the island several times, as it’s only a bit more than a mile in circumference. We took a guided reef walk, learning all about the coral reef and the animals that make it their home. And we snorkelled with turtles, rays, sharks and many other species of fish. It was a great experience. Here are some photos.