( Swimming with the turtles, Heron Island ) 

I planned a few days away for Carmel’s birthday and chose Heron Island, a stunning coral cay in Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef. From Brisbane we flew to Gladstone and then boarded the ferry to the island, where we spent four nights surrounded by incredible natural beauty. Our time there was a mix of relaxing, exploring and snorkelling in the crystal-clear water. The best part was celebrating Carmel’s birthday in such a breathtaking and unforgettable place.

DAY 1 – Tuesday 04.11.25

( Night at: Gladstone reef motel hotel ) 

I woke up at 5:45 am, cleaned the house, packed everything and headed to the airport. I grabbed breakfast at McDonald’s before catching the 8:50 am flight to the Gold Coast, where Carmel came to pick me up. We went home, finished packing, had a quick lunch and then drove up to Brisbane. After leaving the car in the car park, we stopped at McDonald’s again and then boarded the 4:40 pm flight from Brisbane to Gladstone, landing at 5:55 pm.

Once we arrived, we ordered an Uber, checked into our room and then went out for dinner at the Yacht Club. It felt surprisingly nice to be in such a small, quiet city. After dinner, we headed back and went to sleep early.

DAY 2 – Wednesday 05.11.25

( Night at: Heron island resort )

( Sunset in the island over the shipwreck ) 

I woke up at 7 am, got ready and walked to the marina, where we checked in at 8 am. We grabbed breakfast at the bar before boarding the 9:30 am ferry to Heron Island. We arrived at 11:30 am and joined the island presentation, then stopped by the information centre to sign up for a few activities. After that, we visited the marine centre to book the rest of our activities for the coming days. Around 1 pm we had lunch, then checked into our room. We went for a walk around the island, had a quick swim and relaxed on the beach while waiting for the sunset at 6 pm. After taking a few photos, we headed to the restaurant for dinner, shared a pizza and went to sleep early.

DAY 3 – Thursday 06.11.25

( Night at: Heron island resort ) 

( Kayak with Carmel, Heron island ) 

We woke up at 7:30 am to celebrate Carmel’s birthday. I wished her a happy birthday and gave her a card before we went for breakfast. At 8:45 am, we headed to the marina to go kayaking, which was amazing. We kayaked around the entire island and completely loved it. Afterward, we went snorkeling and then had lunch. Feeling a bit tired, we took a short nap before I booked a sunset cruise. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side, and the activity was cancelled. Instead, we relaxed at the bar, sipped a glass of wine and watched the sunset. Later, we had dinner at the restaurant and went to bed early, ending Carmel’s special day in a calm and beautiful way.

DAY 4 – Friday 07.11.25

( Night at: Heron island resort ) 

( The beautiful white beach in the island ) 

We woke up at 6:30 am went to the beach to take few pics and then we went for breakfast around 8 am and then we decided to do snorkeling around the shore of the island which it was very beautiful. After we took a shower and we went to the beach to take more pics and chill and then for lunch we did take away so we eat fish and chips in the balcony of our cabin. Then we nap a bit and at 4:30 pm we did snorkeling in the channel and then for sunset we did a pic nic on the beach ordering take away pizzas while we watched the sunset. Then at 7:30 pm we did the star gazing activity which it was very interested totally enjoyed it. 

DAY 5 – Saturday 08.11.25

( Night at: Heron island resort ) 

( Sunset cruise, Heron island ) 

We woke up at 5:30 am and went for a walk to check on the turtles on the island, where we spotted three of them. Later, we went snorkeling in the channel, which was by far the best snorkeling experience we had on the island. The water was incredible, and we saw turtles, manta rays, and even sharks. After snorkeling, we had breakfast and then headed to the beach to relax, take photos, and enjoy the sun. We treated ourselves to ice cream before returning to the beach to nap and unwind. In the late afternoon, we got ready for the sunset cruise at 5:15 pm. The cruise was lovely, though the sunset was a bit cloudy and didn’t fully live up to expectations. Later, we went on a turtle walk, but unfortunately didn’t see any turtles coming ashore to nest. To end the day, we grabbed takeout from the restaurant and enjoyed a quick dinner in bed before going to sleep early around 9 pm.

DAY 6 – Sunday 09.11.25 

( Buffet breakfast in the resort ) 

We woke up at 7:30 am, had breakfast, and packed our things. At 9:30 am, the luggage was collected, and we headed to the beach to relax. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great, so we mostly ended up resting. At 12:15 pm, we took the ferry back to Gladstone, a ride of about two hours. Once in Gladstone, we ordered an Uber to the airport and waited for our 6:45 pm flight to Brisbane with Virgin Airlines. We landed in Brisbane at 7:30 pm, picked up the car from the car park, and stopped at McDonald’s for a quick dinner. After that, we headed straight home and went to bed, exhausted but happy after an incredible trip.