Heron Island - Environmental Maintanence Review

Fantastic place, one of a kind. Not for everyone though. The week we were there, the flies were out of control. Eat quick to beat them to the food!. Unappetising in the restaurant. Brekkie had no day to day variation. There are no screens on turtle room windows and no air con, so expect bugs. Take plenty of sea sickness pills for the boat ride over.

Despite all that, it's still a unique resort, and on the Reef. Can't beat that! I'd do it again in a minute when the alternative is a live aboard boat - no thanks on that!

A fantastic place for families in a laidback easy resort. Great snorkeling and diving. The restraunt is good and the bar is excellent - especially the live music. The rooms are comfortable. If you happen to be there in turtle egg-laying season it is even more brilliant. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Nice resort with goid snorkeling. Way too expensive for food and drink

Idyllic surroundings, but the food is extremely overpriced and poor quality. Great for photos and snorkeling, but that's all if its raining take some books, because there is nothing else to do. No TV or DVDs in the room.

It's amazing! There is so much to see. You can snorkel in the reef and you'll see A LOT of really cool animals. The staff was mostly kind and good. Although the whole resort is extremely focused on earning money. The food is extremely overpriced and we could have bought a wetsuit for the amount of money we spent on renting it 4 days.
Pro tips:
1. Bring some food with you. This will save you a lot of money, because you won't have to pay $45 for a buffet every night. There is a water cooker and a fridge in the room so get creative . The lunch you could buy was much cheaper and still really good.
2. Bring your own equipment, if you have. This will save you money too.

But still the experience was amazing and I would recommend it to anybody who would like to explore the reef through snorkelling or diving. It was like swimming in a fish tank!

Very simple place..but THE Island it self is Beautiful. For an vegan its not the best choiches of food or snacks..Bring fruits. You cant lock the door to your cabin.

The wonderful island is only marred by a resort with a lack of competition. Food options are frustratingly expensive and inflexible. Generally good aside from that, and the island itself is stunning.

Tried to make a booking got an American voicerecording tell me to hold for minutes then im sorry no one home ????

No other island like it. Swim off the beach and straight away you are on the reef swimming with the reef fish, turtles and reef sharks.

Worst Hotel ever. Rooms were dirty and not cleaned. Service was bad. Food in the Restaurant was expensive and nothing special. Snorkeling was great, but nothing the hotel offered was. The hotel is like a youthhostel.

Although knowing many jewelleries of nature already, I was toughed to tears when visiting this place!

Short version:
Heron island is truly a paradise with a great group of staff and management eager to help you relax, unwind, and explore. The nature is as beautiful as ever and the resort is on an upward trend under new management. The wildlife and beauty of the island are just stunning, as we saw immediately on arrival as we walked down the jetty surrounded by all sorts of sea life and the most stunning turquoise water. We kept away from the resort Wifi and enjoyed distraction-free sunrise mornings, adventure-filled days on the beach and out on the reef, and amazing sunsets from the bar with a glass of wine. The food and chefs at the restaurant we TERRIFIC - if it were a restaurant on the main land we would definitely go just to eat there again. From what we had heard the whole restaurant had just been refurbished and a new menu had been created - seafood, steak, vegetarian dishes - it was all fantastic.

Heron Island is an experience not to be missed in Australia - to wake up for a morning snorkel or dive with the turtles, rays and sharks right on the Great Barrier Reef. We will never forget our time there, and will certainly recommend our friends and family to come!

Long version:
My partner and I travelled to Heron in June 2020, as in-state restrictions on travel were lifted for Queenslanders. Although it was only the first week since resorts had reopened, there were no issues in booking or getting to the resort via the Heron Islander ferry from Gladstone - a very smooth process. The ferry operators will ask if you want to check any luggage through to your room on the island; make sure you don't check luggage with essential items you may need in the interim few hours, since the bag gets delivered to inside your room, you won't be able to access the items until your room is ready (we arrived on Heron 2 hours before our check-in time). This wasn't an issue for us but something to consider.

Once on the island, the staff and management were welcoming and noticeably excited to have visitors back to this little slice of paradise. From wait staff to front desk, dive teams, boat crew, and management you could feel their passion for the protecting and exploring the island and its amazing wildlife.

Honestly we had no negative experiences with service or anyone on the staff - everyone was very friendly and went out of their way to ensure we had everything we needed for our room, while out on excursions around the island, or in the restaurant/bar. The food at the restaurant exceeded expectation, especially at dinner, based on older reviews. The dining area was very clean and refurbished, and we
Although slightly dated, our room was kept very clean by housekeeping and had amazing views of the beach and reef (your real room where you'll be out spending most of you days anyway)!

If you have even the slightest interest in nature, sea life, snorkeling or diving, then this is the place for you. All activities are available directly from the island - just make sure you sign up at the Marine Center when you first arrive on check-in. There are few other resorts that bring you right up the edge of nature - especially one of the wonders of the world - and open the door for you to explore every day. We have no hesitations in recommending Heron to anyone looking for a truly amazing adventure in Australia and love the outdoors. The people working on the island are some of the friendliest we've met on our holidays, and we cannot wait to get back here soon!

Amazing place I would love to visit again!! The nature surrounding the Island is spectacular with great diving and snorkelling opportunities. It's impossible not to see turtles, manta rays or other kinds off sea creatures! The food is not the best, but there is a buffet with some variation of choice.

We had a lovely relaxing and educational time at Heron Island.
Staff gave me good first aid when I fell on coral, but I had to wait a day to get off island to get medical treatment.
The tour of the scientific side of the atoll was fantastic.

The most relaxing 5 days we ve had on a holiday. We recommend Marine helicopters to take out to the resort and the Heron Islander catamaran back. Everything was just perfect. Great value, money well spent.
Take a tour with one of the research staff. Great information and lots to learn.

Great holiday location
Plenty to do. Good food buffet. Satisfactory accommodation. Great educational and wildlife tours. Plenty of turtles, sharks, rays, colourful fish, coral and other sea life to see. Plenty of birds too. If you can't enjoy yourself here, you are hard to please. Great value.

We celebrated our 15yr wedding anniversary at Heron Island after having married there all that time ago. The staff on the island were exceptional and the food was just as good. The accommodation was also excellent and tidy. The island is just magical and brought back so many happy memories. We will definitely be back again.
The staff were always happy, polite and smiling. Made the holiday even better with the great atmosphere.
Thanks to Jim, Enrico and Gluthurine and a special thanks to Shelby.

Great place to get away and disconnect. Heron is an amazing wildlife sanctuary, saw so many sharks, turtles, hatchlings and lot of birds. Don't look up with your mouth open!

Wonderful place to relax and explore the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.Island location is 5 star,resort amenities 3 star and unfortunately staff service and food even less so.

Great food, friendly staff, reef so close to beach. Fantastic Island.
Only down side, largely Chinese owned.

Island is beautiful, lots of coral, fish and wildlife to be seen. There are also various tours you can go on, such as the evening turtle walk and the reasearch station tour. Would recommend visiting to everyone who has a chance to, and bring a waterproof phone/camera if you're into photography. Food is good, no phone service although paid internet access is available at the bar and a few other areas around the island, would also recommend going for walks along the beach early in the morning before too many people arrive. In general a wonderful holiday, would go there again.

What a beautiful island, 2nd time there and cant wait to go back.

Small island in protected area 2 hrs by fast cat from Gladstone Qld. Best coral on the reef. Scuba diving and snorkeling best there is. The island is a bird sanctuary so can get noisy and a bit smelly but you get used to it. Accommodation 3 star but great bar and restaurant. No TV radio phonws or wifi. People like us who appreciate nature at it's best give it 5 star. The underwater wildlife is second to none.

Accommodations were pretty basic and dinner was very mediocre and overpriced. But being on an island right in the reef makes up for that. It was gorgeous there and you can snorkel right off the beach. You can also take a short boat ride to the edge of the reef to see bigger fish and more vibrant reef

An amazing island with lots of great activities. The food wasn't always the best though at the restaurant. The bar though is a lot of fun!

Beautiful island but we should have listened to the reviews about the resort. So incredibly dirty & in a state of disrepair. I do not recommend family s with babies to travel here due to the extremely low standard of cleanliness. The restaurant staff are very friendly and accommodating and we enjoyed the food so the two stars are for the restaurant. If you like moldy curtains, spider infested rooms, bird poop covered pathways & a backyard with dead birds then this is your place.

Great get away holiday with friendly service. Pristine natural marine park experience uncompromised. Grwat variety of excursions. Idyllic.

The island itself is as good as it gets (at least when we were there in July). The accommodations could be tents or shacks and you d still enjoy the wildlife, sandy beaches, and snorkeling.

The resort facilities are good. We stayed in a cheaper turtle room and found it to meet our needs with a reasonably comfortable bed and it good cleanliness. However, food on the island was mediocre at best and throughout the island all staff seemed overworked and flustered.

You book things like snorkel tours, reef walks, etc. after getting to the island. Many of these fill up a day or two early and there are three separate places to sign up for things depending on what your doing. As a result, if you delay booking or end up at the end of the line when you get there and are staying only a couple days, you could have activities like semi-sub unavailable during your stay. It would be nice if they had an advanced booking option for activities that cost money and one central location for signing up for activities to streamline things.

The snorkeling tours were fantastic. Perfect length (45 minutes in the water plus travel to and from location of snorkeling). Plus you could snorkel right of the beach within 2 hours of high tide if you want (although not quite as good as the tours). We enjoyed both length of tours and wildlife you see on Heron Island much more than in northern reef near Port Douglas/Cairns. Gear and wetsuit rental is reasonably priced, but we saw many people with wetsuits that were ripped or damaged in some way. For $15-20 a day, suits should be in good condition but were hit and miss.

Overall, this was the highlight of our Australia vacation and we d recommend it to friends despite the drawbacks of the resort, but a few details could use improvement within the resort management/culinary offerings. Even with the downsides, I was surprised at how cheap the overall experience was. Reasonably priced for what you get.

This is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The coral, fish, sharks, rays and turtles are always close and on display. You will also share your experience with the thousands of birds that make this coral cay home. Don't come for a five star holiday...it's not that sort of place. You'll stay in average cabins, but you won't care at all. The staff are so passionate and knowledgeable and they will inspire you to be more environmentally friendly. Bring a sense of adventure and wonder and I promise you will not be disappointed. Oh, and bring ear plugs. You'll thank me!

Nature MAGNIFICENT - Resort food AWFUL
Heron Island is an amazing destination - 5star snorkelling/diving. Four of us (2 teenage boys) just had 5 nights at end of June 17. The resort is well maintained and the staff were friendly. The resort owners changed last December so maybe that has something to do with the terrible food and under staffing in the restaurant/kitchen. Half the staff were new.
We went over 4 years ago and it was excellent. There is only one place to eat now as they have stopped the pizzas/snack food at the bar. There are only 3 sandwich choices from the bar during the day and nothing after 5pm. There are no "nibbles" options to enjoy with your drinks whilst taking in the amazing sunset, so bring your own cheese/biscuits. Dinner is buffet at $45 per head every second night alternating with A la carte $55 3 courses. We have two teen boys so it was $180/$220 for dinner. which we don't mind paying if its a good experience. The food was tasteless and buffet trays down to the dregs. Dessert buffet empty and what was bought out after asking was Sarah Lee tray cake. As the resort kitchen does not cope with large numbers you have to book in at breakfast to a dinner sitting, they know how many and when people are turning up, so no excuse for empty buffets. Lunch was buffet also at $22per head and same story as dinner except for "burger buffet" one day. Even our very hungry and not fussy teens refused to eat there after one go of buffet lunch and dinner. The best value is to go on a reef fishing tour ($235 for 2) and catch your own coral trout which the kitchen will cook for you for dinner with salad and chips - SUPERB!

Heron Island is simply spectacular. Be aware, however, that you're paying for location, location, location, as the resort itself is a little tired and run down - although in our experience the staff make up for this. Once the announced renovation takes place it will probably be worth the fifth star.

My previous experience in the GBR has been on live-aboard dive trips, but with two small children and a partner who gets sea-sick this was not an option. There is probably no better place to experience the reef from "dry land" than this.

Second time back weather was disappointing but island still great. Fantastic snorkelling - if you're snorkelling off the beach watch the tides when planning your day. Book dives before you arrive esp if you need cert/intro dives.

Food options a bit limited especially if you don't feel ready for a buffet.

Absolutely beautiful. I did several dives and saw so many turtles, some reef sharks, tons of beautifully coloured fish, and Manta Rays. Sunsets are unforgettable and so relaxing after a packed day of activities. The accomodation was great and everything you need is provided.

Rude staff - particularly restaurant manager!
Incompetent scuba instructors - more interested in making out than looking after customers.
Won't return. Won't recommend!

5 stars for location. The resort is a bit laid back and probably not what people are thinking for 5 stars, but we had a great time. Snorkeling was amazing! Food was decent, rooms were basic but fine. Staff were knowledgeable about the birds, turtles and rays. Beaches were great.

Unmotivated staff, the food is overpriced (not good for that price).
The resort itself is getting the 1 star, the reef deserves 5!

Wonderfully, when it comes to doing nothing, you can soak up the colors and warm wind for hours !!!

We have been here 4 times so far. This time we stayed in room 188 due to an upgrade.

The wildlife is great, as is the stargazing. The staff are very nice, and very helpful.

They one downside was that the cleaning staff seemed incapable of leaving the floors dry, and similarly incapable of making beds.

On the other hand, all staff was very nice, especially the Marine Centre staff, who were such an absolute joy to interact with. I could not more highly recommend the scuba and snorkeling activities.

Additionally, the naturalists are all marine biologists who make their walks both entertaining and highly informative. The stargazing was also spectacular.

The highlight of our 5 day trip was probably a tie between stargazing where we were able to see Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars and the simple outstanding scuba dives.

Room ( No2 ) superb. Resort staff at Gladstone very friendly and efficient. Nothing was a bother. The Resort is very pristine, environmentally focused and just superb for relaxing. Lots to do. Snorkeling, submersible boat and Turtle watching highlights. The Uni of QLD presentation on marine biology research on coral bleaching also fantastic. Staff very knowledge and friendly. The Only Negative issue - dinner times were not good. Food quality is fine and offerings good but Wait staff inexperienced and need more training. Overall a fabulous holiday. Family friendly.

Best place to go in Australia, hotel needs a good TLC but what a place!!!!

Great food and a great choice as a quiet family get together

This was my favorite place In Australia. There were also fish.

I was shocked, as a leader of the kitchen area, the chef broke his words so easily.

The location is absolutely amazing. Super easy to snokel in the reef steps away from your room. Staff was friendly. Rooms were really showing their age. Boat to and from the island encountered hour plus delays both times. But the location really can't be beat.

Very basic but lovely meals and the views make up for it. Could work on their communication regarding baggage and bus collection when disembarking the Ferry back in Gladstone. Other than that...words cannot describe the beauty. Very friendly staff.

Amazing venue. Staff are super friendly and helpful meals are amazing and the musicians are world class.

One simple word, Paradise
please take care of nature when you are in Heron island

One of the most beautiful places earth (as my photos will attest). If you can afford to go you can't afford to miss it. The star off is for the prices (which will make your eyeballs bleed) and overall resort facilities (which are acceptable, but are really just somewhere to sleep or eat between snorkelling trips).

Sublime island, the top if you are not looking for luxurious accommodation. Bungalow, restaurant, bar, are very basic ... paradise for snorkeling
Swimming with turtles, black tip sharks, rays and a multitude of colorful fish ... on the beach is magical.
Reading the comments, we feared bird attacks and the smell of Guano ... it was not disturbing at the beginning of May ... even rather distracting!

Great location, let down by mediocre food and accomodation.

Heron island is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and been. Not just a tourist attraction, it boasts a Queensland University research center which caters from high school students to uni students and scientists. I go to Heron island as a contractor to keep the roofs maintained so I've stayed in the resort workers village and also in the research accommodation. The resort is itself is maintained regularly and is clean but natural with thick vegetation in the surrounding island Forrest. Maybe a little out dated but this is no negative point. Unlike me, I go for work and don't get experience the activities provided which is a decent variety. If you go you need to take advantage of what's on offer and just experience the beauty. Not to sit around a pool relaxing drinking cocktails all day, maybe only at night, lol. Heron island is a beautiful place and more people need to go out and experience it and become aware this beautiful, natural wonder we have right on our door step.

Fantastic 4 days with the family . Really appreciated the beauty and how special the barrier reef is . Diving and snorkelling were well organised and run and we were able book our trips about 24 hrs in advance as they run 3 trips every day. Saw turtles lay eggs, on the beach , babies hatching and so many swimming around the island which was amazing . The harbour was full of marine life with eagle rays , fish , reef sharks , turtles cruising around. The wreck in the harbour was a fantastic snorkel and one of our favourites . Resort rooms , pool and amenities are all fine . Not 5 star which we knew but worked well for us . Could do with an upgrade but what was there is ok . We spent very little time in our room . Catered well for gluten / dairy intolerance with the meals and was fine for our time staying on the island . Great family holiday .

Stunning spot, heaven on earth. Swam with turtles, sharks, Eagle rays and more. Very chilled and laid back spot, great for kids

Heaven! Stayed for 4 nights, swam with turtles, rays, black tip reef sharks and lots of fish. No phone, internet or tv. Great!!!!

So bad. My fault I should have done my research better.

One of the BEST places I have visited, transfer to the island is limited to only once a day and 5 days a week, so plan your holiday accordingly. I would strongly recommend at least 4 days at the resort. On the day in you will reach the resort by 16:00 so nothing much to do for the day except for a good walk around the resort and may be a quick snorkel at the resort depending upon the tide. I would rate the food average, few days it was very good. Limited vegetarian choice (I mean Hindu vegetarian). Very good staff, very helpful and accomodating. If you planning on using the internet at the resort, please do not. It is the slowest connection I have ever been on and you will have to pay for it which is not worth. Very good diving and snorkel spots around the resort. Take your own snorkel gear, renting the gear for 3 - 4 days can be costlier than buying your own.

Tim (american?) was very rude and arrogant at the dive shop, would not recommend

Otherworldly and beautiful. A resort for relaxing, swimming, snorkeling, eating, listening to the ocean, bird watching and more.

One of the most difficult reviews is certainly this. The location is obviously exceptional but thanks to the island which is wonderful, a paradise of nature! Ideal for snorkeling and diving or just to feel a bit far from the world. The ceukari do not take and wifi is paid, but it works well. The room was large as well as the bathroom and comfortable (we had the num 11, winstari suite), quite dark at night (5/5). The interior lighting was poor but necessary to not disturb the turtles. Obviously the review this time should be inserted in the context of the island, in any case the daily cleaning of the room was very poor (1/5). The cleaning service is limited to making the bed, arranging the sink and sweeping, but it does not clean the guano due to the birds on the balcony for example. I do not say to stay two hours in each room but at least remove the bulk of the sand from the ground and from the shower or at least once in a while (we stayed 5 nights). The resort is well organized from the point of view of daily activities. Many especially marine ones are organized (but also on the island and at night). There are many indications on excursions and information necessary to fully enjoy the island, everything is close and the staff is prepared (4/5). Another partially painful note is the staff, not all but partly yes. Sometimes we felt disturbed on their Heron Island vacation. Some, in a very small part in the restaurant and often in the bar, seem annoyed by your presence and are not very available (3/5). In part I think it is due to the apparent absence of a resort manager who keeps the staff under control, made up entirely of young boys from all over the world. It is as if they have left the resort completely in their hands. It is also true that working with foreigners in the public is never easy. All in all we had a good time and we never missed anything!
The buffet restaurant allows you to eat a lot: the breakfast was all in all good, the dinner sometimes left something to be desired as every evening there were more or less the same things and only a few changed. The quality was not generally high, some dishes were very good while others were poor. However, there was a wide choice and you were able to feed yourself, even if the tastes are obviously far from ours (4/5). Much better lunch instead (made to order from the menu). The resort also provides all the equipment for snorkelling, reef walking and diving (some optional things are paid, the rest is free).
As for the birds, it is true there are thousands of them, the stench of guano is strong in some areas especially if it hasn't rained for a while and at night they made a bit of noise, but if you go there aware of this their presence does not disturb you but rather makes you feel even more part of a very unspoiled place reserved for a few lucky visitors.
The island is a paradise for marine fauna and birds, but in the long run I fear that you risk disappearing due to the harmful effects caused by guests who are not very controlled. I happened to see people trampling and breaking corals in forbidden areas like others who annoyed turtles by not following what they were told. This island is a UNESCO heritage site and in my opinion must be more protected, by increasing the controls considerably and limiting tourist flows.

Wonderful way to spend a few days away from the rest of the world

Pricey but gorgeous. They ve struck a great balance between protecting the nature of the island but also making a pleasant resort out of it. The diving is incredible, and don t listen to the people telling you to bring your own water, desalinated tastes fine :)

Amazing place!
One of the most beautiful places where i ve been in Australia

The island was amazing but the resort was not. We felt like patrons we're an inconvience for the staff who seemed to be more interested in their own social life and on a few occasions I was left feeling disappointed with service and attention to detail.( Not all staff but overwhelming the majority)
That said we had an fantastic time and felt truly amazed each day by the beauty and diversity of the island and all it's wonderful creatures.
We even got used to the birds!

Beautiful part of the Great Barrier Reef and resort staffed by young people.

Rooms were excellent, the snorkeling was incredible. I would definitely go back again.

Just spent 4 days on awesome heron island ,a beautifull place ,great staff.diving the best I've done.however there desalination plant broke down,no flushing toilets no showers ..they evacuated the island!the whole island was very run down and messy.but the beauty of the reef outweighed this..I'm going again.

Had a great week on Heron! Diving and snorkling was excellent, was good to see they are placing strong emphasis on protecting the reef and encouraging guests to be careful amongst the Coral and nesting turtles.

Amazing experience living with on the reef with nature. The facilities are great considering you are 70km offshore in a standalone resort. I hate to think of the history of the place but balanced with having people exposed to this extremely valuable resource and environmental impact it is very well done and worthwhile.
If you "need 5 star" this may not be the place for you. If you can accept that there is a balance between wildlife / environment and the level of accommodation that can be provided you will love it like we did.

Indescribable, ideal if you just want to enjoy nature, the funky blue waters and tranquility. Simple but clean little house, nice service ... Snorkelling without end, animals in the Pacific close up and experience without fear ...

Location beautiful. Service and food was not as nice as the scenery

Pr the magnificent landscapes, the sharks, the pages, I put 5.
For the rest, I don t want to star. The din of birds is heavy (it is a nature reserve). Earplugs are mandatory for sleeping at night.
Birds brush against us all the time and are really really everywhere.

Heron Island is a spectacular place to enjoy the Great Barrier Reef and all it has to offer. Birds on land, the amazing flora and fauna under the sea. Snorkeling is a dream - right off the beach! The reef surrounding the Cay is huge, and also lends itself well to reef walks at low tide. This resort is also set up for diving - 2 dives daily, possibly 3 if you calculate carefully enough (and have a lot of cash!). The diving is absolutely unparalleled - reef sharks, rays, too many variety of fish and coral to count, all in technicolor because it's relatively shallow (10-14 meters is where the action is). The reef is very healthy around this location with relatively little bleaching. A huge advantage compared with live-aboard boats further north is the dry land accommodations. Sadly, this is where the 5th star came off - the room was OK but cleaning was a real issue. The resort is supposedly under new management with planned renovations, so we'll see whether this improves. The naturalists and staff were all superb, as were the folks at the marine dive center. Food was passable. All in all a tremendous experience and well worth it, though be ready to empty your savings account.

I absolutely enjoyed my stay at Heron! I ve always enjoyed travelling, but Heron is a special place! Being someone who isn t the most confident swimmer, the staff are so professional and really helped me feeling safe during More