Its a Coral Cay. Dating some 6000 years ago. They named it Heron because of the resident bird they saw there but actually they are Eastern Reef Egrets. It lies 43 nautical miles away from mainland Oz.
Its about a kilometre and a bit in size and you can walk around it at low tide.
It has an interesting history which briefly is that it was discovered some 150 years ago and started out as a turtle canning factory to make turtle soup. They decimated the turtle population in those short years. It then became a resort with people having turtle rides – can you believe it. It became a national park in 1943 and a research station in 1951 and today it is a Green Zone which means a NO TAKE NO TOUCH zone. It continues to be a University of Queensland research site and a small resort.
With the sediments that were deposited and the bird poo, the cay built up to its present day height, and it has a fresh water reservoir in its centre which sustains its forest of mainly Pisonia trees, but as you come closer to the coast line more salt friendly bushes start appearing. Birds Beak, the Lantern Bush, the Octopus bush, and the Salt bush as well as the sandpiper fig and the Casuarina.
The Cay is a haven for birds, it is surrounded by a reef and turtles love nesting here. It is a very special place and one which we enjoyed over a few days – and while out there, 43 nautical miles off the mainland there is no TV or internet and life is a lot different. Stepping away from our phone and from social media was a bit of a detox.
There was a lot to talk about, the reef, the turtles, the rays and the fish and of course the birds not to mention the lovely people we met. More of all of them in later blogs.
We looked for the turtle hatchlings but they had all gone as this is late in the season. We loved the beach walks even so and enjoyed the intense sunsets and evening hues.
And so to the art of conversation once more …
If you want to read more about Heron here is an excellent ABC reportage
Mezze Moments 
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