Great Barrier Reef - Heron Island

As I enter a small man-made channel, heading towards the wooden jetty of Heron Island, I first pass by the sunken wreck of HMAS Protector, an 1884 Australian Royal Navy ship commissioned by the South Australian Government to defend its coastal borders. Built in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, the boat made a long journey to Australia and served as a survey vessel for several years in China, followed by WW1 and WW2. In 1943, the ship was abandoned after it collided with a tugboat en route to New Guinea. Two years later, the wreck was purchased for ten pounds and towed to Heron Island to serve as a breakwater. Today it is home to the large seabird, the Brown Booby.

Like Lady Elliot Island, Heron Island is a coral cay of about 40 acres that appeared 6,000 years ago. There is no evidence of indigenous people ever inhabiting the island. The first European sighting was in 1816, but it wasn't occupied until the early 20th century, first by attempting to establish a turtle cannery that soon failed and later becoming a tourist destination.

For a small island, the vegetation is dense, and the forestry is diverse. Pisonia grandis, a flowering tree from the Bougainvillea family, dominates the central and southern parts of the island. To the northwest, the forest is more open, with Cordia subcordata as the flowering tree with pretty orange tubular flowers. The wild poinsettia, native to tropical America, has also been introduced and adapted well on the island. The vegetation is sparser on the northeastern side, where birds and animals dig nesting burrows.

The island is an incredibly important cay; each year, migratory birds such as the Black Noddies and Mutton Birds arrive in droves to breed. It is estimated that up to 200,000 birds may occupy the island during summer. At the same time, female turtles lay eggs, and as the hatchlings emerge, they head for the sea. In the winter months, humpback whales can be seen from the jetty. There is animal activity all year round on Heron Island. The hardest decision to make is which month to visit. For me, seeing the tiny green sea turtles hatch and waddle across the sand to the sea would be the absolute highlight.



PS. Experience our virtual challenges in real life - The Conqueror Adventures

The team at The Conqueror Challenges
https://www.theconqueror.events