The shipwreck that forms the entrance harbor to Heron Island. All photos by Robert Corkery.
I think we all have a picture in mind when we think of paradise. For me, it’s on a beach. More specifically, I found paradise on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef at Heron Island. Located at the southern end of the reef, the island is off the coast of Gladstone, Queensland on the Tropic of Capricorn.
Even though Heron Island is only 18 hectares, it is a coral cay, so it is literally on the reef. That means you can step off the island and dive directly into the reef. The snorkeling is fantastic just off the island and if you take a dive boat for just a few minutes out into the sea, it gets better than you can imagine spectacular. Corals and fish better of every size shape and color surround you.
The Coral Sea is aquamarine blue, the beaches are white and depending on the time of year that you are there, you might see green turtles lay their eggs or noddy terns nest. There’s no mobile phone coverage, no TV in your room. And even though we extended our visit by a few days last time, we never seem to stay long enough. Seeing that Stockholm is cloudy and gray today, in my mind I am escaping it today. I can almost hear the incoming tide now…
In spite of its small size--you can walk around the island in 15 minutes – it's easy to find a place to yourself.
And if you prefer company, there's a bar and dining areas back at the resort.
Sunset is almost always perfect.
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Wow, is that the moon in the last picture? You don’t see it until you expand it. Cool!
I do believe it is the moon Sharon.
It’s funny, on my first trip to Australia, I was walking the beach and heard someone with a distinctly American accent say: “Look, the man on the moon is upside down.” Guess that’s what happens when you travel down under!
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