It was a beautiful little island sanctuary. We so enjoyed wandering the island for afternoon reef walks.

Rooms were very basic with no hairdryer, WiFi and TV. The $25 per day fee for WiFi use seemed very steep to me and would have been great to learn about before the trip. Breakfast was also basic with not a lot of fresh/ healthy food options aside from a few tinned peaches. If you wanted a coffee that was not instant, you had to pay which I also found a shame, surely they could provide one free decent coffee per person given the amount we were charged each night.

Being close to nature both on the island and with snorkelling was great.

Overall the restaurant was a shadow of its former self. We have been there three previous times and have previously had seafood and roast buffets etc. Now evening meals are very average - expensive and a limited choice.

I love it that Heron Island Resort is integrated into the natural world rather than trying to dominate resulting in another wonderful experience. Staff were very engaged and friendly (particularly the restaurant staff) and the room was comfy.

Like many other reviewers, the food is a big let down in both option and quality. While an improvement to our last visit (five years ago) the restaurant still offers little more than boarding house quality with premium pricing. The buffet is particularly poor. Unfortunately the resort offers minimal food alternatives to the restaurant.

The turtles, the snorkeling. Especially around the wreck. The staff were great. The room was good. Second time here. 22years apart. Loved it

Our room was probably the worse out of its category (facing the information roof) which made the afternoon sun beat into the room, but we still had a fabulous stay The meals were very expensive and not much choice. There was only one buffet night in our 5night stay. And they couldnt tell you the day before if it would be buffet or al la cart. Made it harder for planning. It was breeding season so there were thousands and thousands of birds (120,000) and so poop everywhere. But it was kinda a game to see if you could get to dinner without getting shat on. I hated the non nature to the island seagulls picking up the hatchlings 😞 . Did mean we got to play the hero and save the turtles were we could.

This was my 5th trip to the island, and it is still my most favourite place on the planet. The diving and snorkelling are amazing. Sadly, the feef is bleaching more every time I visit, and there is more and more damage to the reef, but it is still stunning, especially when you head to the outer reef. There have clearly been some changes on the island since I last visited a couple of years ago. I completely understand that covid restrictions would have hit the resort hard. However, the cost cutting currently made for a less than happy stay. If it wasn't for the reef itself, I would not be returning to the island in the future. New years buffet, complete failure, meat raw and under cooked, it was not safe to eat. The cold prawns left out in the heat for hours, and again, I was not willing to risk food poisoning. Not enough seating for everyone, only cutlery was forks, no knives all being used. The moment said and bread rolls were replenish, gone instantly. For the cost of $35, I literally only ate a half-baked roll. Each mealtime was a disappointment, no butter, no fresh milk, ran out of salad on the 3rd day, no real vegetarian options, constant buffet style meals, no alacart as advertised. Everything is basic and tasting like package 6mix. Bean chilli, no sour cream, no salsa, couldn't even get chilli flakes to give food a bit of flavour. Pay for barrister coffee made with longlife milk, not overly pleasant. Staffing was at a minimum, and they were worked off their feet and being abused by other guests, which was not exceptable. The manager really needs to pull his finger out, support the staff better, and manage the food ordering more appropriately as you have paying customers stuck on an island and no decent meals, things will only continue to get worse.

Poor meal choice, food under cooked, basic and bland. Rooms not cleaned during our 5 night stay

We had a spectacular stay at Heron. The marine life is amazing, as were the birds. We saw turtles laying and hatching. Unfortunately, a lot of the coral has died due to a bleaching event about a year ago, but there are lots of beautiful fish, rays and turtles to see when snorkelling which more than made up for the loss of colour in the coral. The staff were all wonderful, all happy to share their knowledge and love of the island. We are already planning our next holiday to Heron.

If you go with realistic expectations about the accommodation and food (remembering this is a remote island), you will have a wonderful stay. The rooms were clean, comfortable and everything worked. They are showing some signs of wear and tear, but this did not affect our stay. The buffet breakfast was exceptional with plenty of hot and cold options. Lunches and dinners are more expensive than the mainland and the cost of food did add up for our family of four. The ferry to the island is over 2 hours and be prepared for the possibility of seasickness. We were there in bird season, which we loved, but we did use earplugs at night to help us sleep.

Exceptional place! Amazing marine life and birds 🦅 everywhere. It feels very untouched even though there are hundreds of people there every day. Amazing snorkeling and fish spotting. We saw sharks, rays and a lot of turtles (on land and in the sea). Very well qualified crew, interesting guided walks (included) and good snorkel trips. You can also snorkel off the beach, and see everything just there. Get up early to see sunrise and turtle nesting.

Be prepared for bird shit everywhere. There are a million birds all over, and it smells and you will probably be hit from the air as well. The food is not impressive, but still decent breakfast and dinner buffets. Not good value for money though.

This is our second stay at Heron and a few things we thought were done better this time. The food and service staff (mostly French), were helpful, knowledgeable, and courteous. They used to offer only a buffet dinner and now it’s a la carte, and the food was great! Very generous portions, and good quality. No issues with food quality for the entire 5 night stay. Breakfast is ok - buffet style - given how physical a stay at the resort is, it’s absolutely fine. Kids enjoyed the hash browns and fresh donuts! The fruit offering isn’t great, but it’s an island, so to be expected in a way. Lunch needs an overhaul. Offering a picnic lunch option for guests might be better way to go I suspect. The special burger is great though! And pizza was ok too. We often did take away, taking the opportunity for some down time in the middle of the day while it was hot. We did do a few meals at the restaurant for lunch and it was fine. Not as good as dinner though! The rooms desperately need an update but genuinely have what you need. More storage would be amazing though. They encourage you to spend more time outside exploring the island! Transfers are easy and the resort has that down pat. The pool is good! The island really is the draw card. Walking around and snorkelling off the island during high tide, we saw so much wildlife and had some special moments (like seeing a giant turtle on the beach having a rest!).

The rooms need a minor update, the hotel overall needs a clean (but is much better than it was a year ago), and some small maintenance tweaks in the rooms would go a long way. That said, people going to Heron appreciate and want to learn about the amazing environment they get to experience, so the resort part isn’t really the draw card.

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef has been a dream since childhood, but I wanted more than a crowded tourist boat day trip or two. Heron Island was that dream come true. We had a beachside suite, just a few steps from the sea, with views to die for. Pristine white sand and glistening turquoise water, teaming with wildlife.- everyday we watched as turtles, rays, epaulettes and other beautiful creatures swam past, without getting wet. The joy of seeing humpback whales leaping from the sea, on the out reef, was immeasurable. The island is all about looking after the reef, educating us how we can help ensure it's longevity, and without exception all the staff, share that passion and genuinely want you to enjoy your time there. We joined the dive boat on the outer reef several times, to really experience the world under the sea. We snorkelled with experienced staff, feeling like we were swimming in an exotic and colourful giant aquarium - utterly exhilarating! On our last night, we sat and watched as over 20 turtles collected in the shallows on the beach. An incredible sight to see. Every need is catered for from good choices for breakfast to delicious, top-class restaurant quality meals. I felt really sad to leave. We were there for a week, but it was not long enough. Thank you everyone for making our stay so incredible. Truly a dream come true.

Nothing

- Being immersed in a magical - other worldly environment - it really is nature’s wonderland ! - friendliness of the restaurant’s staff

Part of the cabins are entirely surrounded by dozens of shearwater (mutton birds) nests (all cabins have some nests around them but some cabins are entirely surrounded to the extent it feels like the birds are in the cabin). Their noise make it literally impossible to sleep at night, even with the best earplugs. It’s a green zone so this is normal but Management really shouldn’t rent out these cabins as accommodation.