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Date: September 2005
Location: Heron Island, Queensland Australia
Travel writer Jane Hodges thought she'd seen just about everything
Queensland had to offer. A trip to Heron Island,
a coral cay just off Queensland's central coast, proved her wrong.
Heron Island, especially during turtle season, is for the traveller who thinks they've seen everything. Sounds like something out of a brochure - but it's true.
It's sunset and I'm kneeling atop a sand dune, bug-eyed, heart racing, watching baby Loggerhead turtles bubble up from the sand - the animal kingdom's answer to a natural spring.
Flippers flailing, one by one the bite-sized beings clamber to the surface and without a look around make directly for the water - almost 30m away. Not that far really. But a challenge when a dozen gulls circling overhead fancy a fresh seafood entree.
And if they do make it into the water, in this case the crystal turquoise of Shark
Bay - there's a strong chance of being eaten by a creature of the deep. It's
not surprising then that only 10 per cent of hatchlings make it to adulthood.
Nature's food chain and the now outlawed commercial hunting of Loggerheads have ensured the creatures a place on the endangered species list. A research station has operated on Heron since 1952 and the study of turtles has been one of its major projects.
The ethos of Heron's Resort too is observing and preserving the island's natural beauty. During turtle season (November to January for laying, and January to April for hatching) resort staff conduct nightly turtle walks and often team up with research station marine biologists to educate guests and manage the turtle viewing. Without guidance a well-meaning onlooker with a torch or a flash camera could force a mother (who's spent hours trudging up the beach and selecting a nest) back into the water without laying.
The researchers are a dedicated bunch who spend all night and many of the early hours counting, measuring, tagging and taking blood samples from mothers and hatchlings. And there's always a few bleary eyed guests at breakfast who were caught up in the once-in-a lifetime excitement.
The resort's naturalists conduct daily interpretative walks around the island explaining plant and bird life. Thousands of birds, including Reef Herons, Black Noddies, Mutton Birds and Land Rails nest all over the island. From November until March 100,000 Black Noddies make nests in every available tree - it's not unusual to count up to 30 birds in each.
Daily guided reef walks are also on offer. At low tide guests don hats and sandshoes and with the aid of a walking pole and coral viewer can spend hours learning about the coral and creatures that form the reef.
As a coral cay, Heron is actually part of the Great
Barrier Reef's structure. So forget the usual hour boat trip to go diving
or snorkelling. Guests need only stroll from their beach towel to the water to
view some of the most dazzling coral and tropical fish anywhere in the world.
The island enjoys an international reputation as a must do dive location and a twice a day a dive boat ferries you a couple of hundred metres off shore to the best spots. For beginners there's dive or snorkelling lessons or a semi-submersible so you don't even have to get wet to surround yourself with the reef.
The resort caters to a maximum of 280 guests, but surprisingly it's not hard to find solitude on your own private patch of crisp white sand. Many guests depart the island after breakfast on dive, snorkelling, or fishing boats or on an excursion to explore the uninhabited neighbouring islands. You can also play tennis, swim in the pool, browse in the well stocked resort boutique or play chess on the over- sized chess board overlooking the water.
The food is nothing short of sumptuous with three meals a day included in the tariff, no matter which accommodation package you choose. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style and dinner is an a la carte selection that changes daily. Seafood and fresh tropical fruit are a highlight. The chef will even prepare the fish you've caught that day for dinner.
Access to Heron is via a two-hour catamaran ride from mainland Gladstone
or a thrilling 30 minute buzz over the reef by helicopter. The bird's eye view
is priceless and highly recommended if helicopters are your thing. Many choose
to fly in and depart the island on the launch.
One of the best things about the resort is there are no telephones or televisions in the rooms, encouraging punters to seize the day, or, lie on the beach, drink in hand and not seize it. Let's face it, Heron is one of nature's gems and the pressures and routine of home and work will come crashing back soon enough. If I can return once a year as the turtles do, I'll be happy.
For more information:
Gladstone Area Promotion & Development
Tel +61 7 4972 4000
Heron Island Resort
Tel +61 7 4972 9055
- By Jane Hodges
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