I seem to say this about almost every place I’ve visited, but Heron Island is one of my favourite places in the world. Unlike the more famous Whitsundays and other islands on the Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island is a coral cay – formed from the collection of sand, seeds and ultimately vegetation on a shallow coral reef. This means that Heron Island is surrounded by reef. As soon as you step off the beach, you’re snorkelling over coral, sharing the water with a variety of animals including tropical fish, reef sharks, turtles and giant clams.