Heron Island accommodation ranges from Turtle Rooms, which are set amongst Pisonia Forest (watch it come alive with birds during nesting season), to the secluded Point Suites—an ideal place  to watch the sun set. Taking top place are the Beach House and Superior Point Suite, which boast plenty of space and privacy, to get away from it all, or entertain family and friends.

Turtle Room

All Turtle Rooms are located close to North Beach and set amongst Heron Island’s ancient Pisonia Forest, which comes alive with hundreds of thousands of seabirds during nesting season from  October through March. Comfortable and compact, these ground-level rooms are appointed with an en-suite with shower and feature a delightful timber deck and outdoor area.

The Turtle Room is 22.79 sqm in size and accommodates up to two guests and features:

Outdoor deck

One Queen bed

Turtle Family Room

All Turtle Family Rooms are set amongst Heron Island’s ancient Pisonia Forest, which comes alive with hundreds of thousands of seabirds during nesting season from October through March. Convenient to the pool and a short walk from the beach, these spacious rooms feature one Queen bed, two single beds and an en-suite bathroom with shower. Family rooms offer a ground floor setting, however one block of four rooms is available in a double storey.

The Turtle Family Room is 26 sqm in size, accommodates up to five guests and features:

Queen bed and two single beds

Reef Room

Located on beautiful North Beach, Reef Rooms are comfortable and spacious with an en-suite bathroom with shower and an outdoor terrace with filtered views through the natural vegetation overlooking the reef.

The Reef Room is 21.85 sqm in size and accommodates up to three guests and features:

One Queen bed and one single bed

Private terrace

Reef Family Room

Available on the ground floor or upper levels, Reef Family Rooms offer either partial beach or forest views. These rooms feature one Queen Bed and two Day Beds, along with an en-suite with shower and an outdoor terrace.

The Reef Family Room is 19.68 sqm in size and accommodates up to five guests and features:

Private terrace

One Queen Bed, two day beds

Rollaway bed

Beachside Room

Offering access to both the Great Barrier Reef and the resort’s beachfront, Beachside Rooms are spacious, with double glass sliding doors opening up onto a large outdoor balcony. The living area features partial ocean views, two day beds, an oversized cane chair and a coffee table. These rooms are available with one King bed or two Single beds located on both the upper level and ground floor.

The Beachside Room is 33.6 sqm and accommodates up to four guests and features:

Large balcony or Private terrace

One King bed or two Twin beds and two Day beds

Wistari Suite

Located in a natural garden setting to ensure maximum privacy, air-conditioned Wistari Suites feature bright, spacious interiors and down lights. The Suite is available with one King bed or two twin beds with an en-suite bathroom featuring a stylish vanity and shower. The private outdoor terrace is just a short stroll to all Heron Island Resort facilities, the reef, beaches and the jetty.

The Wistari Suite is 44 sqm and accommodates up to two guests and features:

Private terrace

One King bed or two twin beds

Air conditioning

Bathrobes and slippers

Beach House

Nestled along North Beach, the Heron Island Beach House accommodation features a bright, airy living space encompassing a separate bedroom with a King bed, a luxurious en-suite bathroom with bath and shower and a living area opening to a private patio and boardwalk leading onto North Beach.

The Beach House accommodates up to four guests and features:

Private patio with outdoor furniture and shower

One King bed or two twin beds

The room has a day bed

Air conditioning

Bathrobes and slippers

Point Suite

Offering stunning views of Great Barrier Reef sunsets, our air-conditioned Point Suites are private, spacious and designed  with downlights and large en-suite  bathrooms with vanities and showers. Recently updated with modern furnishings, these suites feature either one King bed or two twin beds and a private outdoor terrace.

The Point Suite accommodates up to two guests and features:

Private terrace with views of the reef

One King bed or two twin beds

Air conditioning

Bathrobes and slippers

Heron Island has come a long way from its first use as a turtle cannery in the 1920s. The island itself is a coral cay, which began forming around 6,000 years ago. Francis Blackwood on the H.M.S Fly discovered the cay in 1843 while looking for shipping channels through the Great Barrier Reef. The ship’s geologist named it Heron Island after he noticed what he though was a large number of reef herons feeding on the cay’s reef.

1920s — Turtle Cannery

Bird-watchers and guano miners visited the island sporadically, but development didn’t occur until Mr. L. Marsh applied for a special lease over the island in 1925 to establish a turtle soup factory. However, his company, the Australian Turtle Company, folded and the lease was taken over by Percy Friend. Friend’s time running the turtle soup factory was also brief as, not surprisingly, turtle numbers dropped dramatically and the business became unviable. In the 1930s, the lease was taken over by Captain Christian Poulsen who saw the island’s potential as a holiday destination. Building the hotel where it still stands today, Poulsen organised the ferrying of tourists first by boat, then with ex-RAAF seaplanes.

1940s and 50s — National Park

In 1943 Poulsen noticed a damaged naval vessel abandoned on a beach near Gladstone. He decided it would make a terrific breakwater and bought the ship (circa 1884) for 10 pounds. The wreck is one of the first things visitors to the island see and it’s a popular roost for one of the island’s visiting birds, the large Brown Booby. Heron Island was declared a national park in 1943. Five years later Poulsen went missing in nearby waters. In 1951, the Heron Island Research Station was built. It is still operating successfully in conjunction with the University of Queensland.

Postcards and photos of Heron Island in the 1950s show visitors displaying their catches of the day, clasping big cowries and clams, and riding sea turtles. Happily for the turtles, riding them became prohibited in the 1960s. Today, many visitors come specifically to see the majestic turtles laying their eggs in the sand, all the while marvelling at the fact that each turtle they see has returned to lay her eggs where she herself hatched.

1960s to the Present — Eco Paradise

The late 1960s saw a harbour carved out, and in 1987 the jetty, where people now arrive by launch, was built. Since the 1970s, Heron Island Resort has remained a unique destination on the Great Barrier Reef, offering the eco-minded traveller an opportunity to experience nature in a relaxing and comfortable setting.