Q-1B Geology of Heron Island,
Southern Great Barrier Reef

 

Post Trip Saturday 11 August to Thursday 16 August 2012 (6 days and 5 nights)
Start/Finish Starts in Gladstone Marina, Gladstone - Finishes in Gladstone Marina, Gladstone (Numbers limited to 30)
Cost Land:$2680 per person share twin/double Single Supplement:$865 Air:$200
Description Travel by launch, Reef Voyager, to Heron Island, part of the Capricorn-Bunker group located at the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The reef can be examined for reef zonation, reef-building processes during the Holocene, carbonate sediment types, their erosion and dispersal, carbonate facies distribution and early diagenetic phenomena.
Highlights Snorkelling in the tropical waters of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef with its cays, corals and stunning marine life.Resort accommodation on beautiful tropical Heron Island.
Leader Dr John Jell, The University of Queensland
Notes Specific joining instructions apply to this field trip and will be provided upon receipt and confirmation of trip booking.  All meals and snorkelling activities are included.  Optional scuba diving and helicopter flights over Great Barrier Reef are available.
 
You can still book on this tour but you will be placed on a waiting list. If a position becomes vacant you may be selected for the tour. Please select an alternate tour when you book onto the waiting list.
Booking with Flight included Booking with no Flight

This field trip can be booked with a flight from Brisbane to the start point of the field trip inclusive.

If booked with the field trip then your flight will be confirmed as part of the IGC seats allocated on flights .

If you book without the flight it will be the responsibility of the delegate to book the flight to return to the start point of the field trip from Brisbane.

These seats cannot be booked as part of the IGC allocation and you will only have the publicly available seats on the flight.

(Additional cost see above)  

* Flight bookings DO NOT include
arrangements for you from your home
port to or from the field trips and congress.

These bookings can be done as
a separate arrangement

 

Itinerary
Day 1 Brisbane to Heron Island Saturday 11th August
  Depart Brisbane on your flight to Gladstone where you will be met on arrival and transferred to the Gladstone Marina for your launch transfer to Heron Island on the Reef Voyager. The trip is approximately 2 hours. On arrival you will be met and welcomed with a short time to settle into your room before meeting for lunch followed by a logistics and safety induction and lecture on the reefs and islands of the Capricorn and Bunker Groups and their regional setting. In the late afternoon there's an initial inspection of the sand cay, beach rock and surrounding reef flat (Site1) before meeting for dinner.
  Meals: L/D Overnight: Heron Island Resort
 
Day 2 Heron Island Sunday 12th August
  After an early breakfast there's a group snorkelling induction and acquisition of equipment with time to practice in the ocean. After morning tea you will have an examination of the southern reef flat (Site 2) followed by lunch then a semi-submersible examination of reef slope (Site3). Finish the day with afternoon tea and a lecture followed by dinner.
  Meals: B/L /D Overnight: Heron Island Resort
 
Day 3 Heron Island Monday 13th August
  After breakfast take a boat to Heron lagoon to snorkel on patch reefs (Site 6), then traverse in the boat across the reef top and snorkel on windward reef slope with spur and groove structures (Site 7). After morning tea there will be an examination of the northern reef flat (Site 8) followed by lunch. In the afternoon enjoy a helicopter over-flight of Heron/Wistari reefs before afternoon tea and a lecture and examination of sediment samples. Return to you rooms with time to freshen up before dinner.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Heron Island Resort
 
Day 4 Heron Island Tuesday 14th August
  After breakfast make your way to the jetty for your boat trip to Heron lagoon to the eastern part of Heron reef and shoal area between Heron and Sykes reefs (Site 12). Return to the island for lunch followed by a trip by boat to leeward side of Heron Reef to snorkel at Blue Pools and along the reef slope (Site 5) followed by afternoon tea and an examination of the reef off Resort end of Cay. Return to you rooms with time to freshen up before dinner.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Heron Island Resort
 
Day 5 Heron Island Wednesday 15th August
  After breakfast make your way to the jetty for your boat trip to Wistari lagoon to snorkel on patch reefs (Site 9), then traverse in the boat across the reef top and snorkel on leeward sand apron (Site 10) and reef slope (Site 11) followed by morning tea, then snorkelling off Sharks Bay (Site 4). After lunch examine the Reef flat where you will enjoy afternoon tea. Return to the island for afternoon lecture and final dinner.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Heron Island Resort
 
Day 6 Heron Island to Gladstone Thursday 16th August
  After breakfast there's some time to pack and settle your hotel account before meeting for morning tea and a course wrap-up, to discuss what you have learnt during your visit. After lunch depart on the Reef Voyager to arrive into Gladstone Marina at around 3.30PM. Transfer by bus to the airport for onward travel.
  Meals: B/L  
     
Important Notes:
  1. This field trip is not suitable for children.
  2. Scuba diving is not included in this itinerary; however time will be made available for those wanting to scuba dive at their own cost.
Equipment Required:
  Participants should be prepared for hot weather. Swimsuit, sun hat, sun glasses and soft sneakers/boat shoes are essential.
 
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