A View From Above: Queensland's Heart Reef
Take to the skies with Flight Centre's Phil Murray for a bird's-eye view of beautiful Heart Reef...
Hamilton Island
Just a short flight from mainland Queensland, Hamilton Island has accommodation and restaurant options for all budgets, relaxing beaches, every water sport you can think of, excellent hiking trails and a world-class golf course on Dent Island. It’s hard to imagine ever wanting to leave.
Whitehaven Beach
Yet, after just a few days, I couldn’t wait to get off the island. As boarding got underway, I was beaming from ear to ear. We were, I should explain, setting off on a flight-seeing tour over the Great Barrier Reef. As a way of seeing Earth’s largest living organism, few experiences can compete, not least because you also take in Whitehaven Beach, where the swirling sands and aqua waters of Hill Inlet create a spectacular, abstract canvas from above.
Heart Reef
Pushing on across the Coral Sea, the world became overwhelmingly blue. Pristine waters merged with the heavens, making the horizon barely distinguishable. On reaching Hardy Reef, strand upon strand of coral extended north and south as far as the eye could see. Then the star of the show was upon us – Heart Reef.
Scenic views
As we circled above this charmingly shaped reef, the sheltered waters became mirror-like: coral and reflected clouds appeared side by side beneath us, resulting in an eye-watering spectacle that I couldn’t quite get my head around. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes. Both bewildering and totally bewitching, it was a euphoric feeling that would stay with me long after we landed – with pleasure – back on Hamilton Island.
Chat to one of our Travel Experts about adding a Heart Reef scenic flight to your tailor-made Queensland holiday.