AUSTRALIA: Fraser Island | Heron Island | Daintree | Landscapes | Wildlife | West

Pictures: Heron Island, Australia

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Bisected by the Tropic of Capricorn, the reef encircling Heron island is home to around 900 species of fish and about 72% of the coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef. The island supports large nesting populations of noddy terns, mutton birds, and sea turtles.


Island on the Great Barrier Reef


Waves breaking on the Great Barrier Reef


Great Barrier Reef aerial


Great Barrier Reef coral


Aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef


Great Barrier Reef


Great Barrier Reef island


Great Barrier Reef


Heron island on the Great Barrier Reef


Heron island


Heron island pier


Heron island


Heron island


Barrier reef island


Green sea turtle


Baby sea turtle


Sea turtle digging nest


Heron island beach


Female green sea turtle


Sea turtle hatchling


Heron Island reef


Green sea turtle marked for research


Heron island beach


Heron island beach


Heron island beach


Heron island beach


Heron island


Heron island


Green sea turtle


Green sea turtle


Heron island beach


Heron island beach


Stranded green sea turtle


Sea turtle on beach at sunrise


Green sea turtle


Green sea turtle


Heron island reef


Heron island reef


Heron island reef






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Heron Island -- from Wikipedia

Heron Island is a coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef. The island is located on the leeward side of a fringing reef, 72 km northeast of Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, and 539 km north of Brisbane. The surrounding reef is home to 900 fish species and 72% of the Great Barrier Reef's species of coral.

Environmental aspects

The island has no fresh water supply, so all the water for human consumption is desalinated from seawater by reverse-osmosis. Similarly, all the electricity required is supplied by two diesel generators.

Harbour

There is a small man-made harbour and a wooden jetty to the east of the island, in which dive and fishing boats harbour, and where the launch from Gladstone docks. Bordering the entrance channel to the Harbour is the rusted wreck of the HMCS Protector, which was towed to this site in 1945 to form a dive and snorkelling site

Bird life

There are an enormous number of birds on the island, so much so that there is definite bird smell to the island, and there is constant bird noise, even at night (so the resort provides all guests with earplugs to help them sleep).

The island supports breeding colonies of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and white-capped noddy terns. There are also Buff-banded Rails, Eastern Reef Egrets and silvereyes on the island year-round.

Heron Island Research Station

The south-eastern quarter of Heron island is the site of Heron Island Research Station, run by the University of Queensland. Begun in the 1950s it undertakes a variety of research on coral reef ecology.

Heron Island Resort

The north-eastern quarter of the island is home to a resort, and is a popular getaway for scuba diving. The resort is run by Voyages (formerly P&O resorts), and accommodates 200 guests and 100 staff.

Visitor numbers to the resort by region, as listed in the resort's Information Centre, are as follows:
  • Europeans - up to 5000 visitors a year.
  • North Americans - up to 12000 visitors a year.
  • South Americans - up to 500 visitors a year.
  • English and Scots - up to 7000 visitors a year.
  • Irish - up to 100 visitors a year.
  • New Zealanders - up to 600 visitors a year.
  • Asians - up to 1000 visitors a year.
  • Australians - up to 5000 visitors a year.


National Park

The remaining western half of the island is a national park, with a permanent rangers station.

Articles involving tourism in Australia:

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