Heart Reef flights: How to get to Heart Island, Great Barrier Reef
Heart Island on the Great Barrier Reef – also known as Heart Reef – is hard to get to. Either take an exclusive helicopter tour from Hamilton Island, or a scenic flight from the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine.
There are a few iconic images of Australia that get shown around the world time and time again. There’s the sunset shot of Uluru, the now-unclimbable big red rock in the Northern Territory. There’s Sydney Harbour, flanked by the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. And there’s the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, standing lonely out at sea.
But there’s one place that gets many, many more photographs than visitors. That’s Heart Reef, or Heart Island, on the Great Barrier Reef.
To book a Heart Reef scenic flight, click HERE.
Heart Reef: The icon of the Great Barrier Reef
There are many famous images of the Great Barrier Reef, many of which involve snorkelling and diving shots underwater. But the aerial shot that comes up time and time again is of Heart Reef.
The name comes from the shape – it looks like a heart. But actually visiting Heart Reef is a much trickier task. This is partly because it’s so small – the coral bommie ambitiously called Heart Island is just 17 metres from end to end.
Where is Heart Island?
There are also access issues. Heart Reef is in the Whitsundays region, and is part of the Hardy Reef. This is found to the north-east of the Whitsunday Islands. Heart Reef’s protected status has stopped tour operators from visiting for snorkelling and diving trips. This changed somewhat in 2019, when Hamilton Island, one of the best islands in Australia for visitors, started offering exclusive Heart Island experiences.
These include a 60 minute scenic helicopter flights to Heart Island over top Whitsundays sights such as Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and Hook Island Passage. The helicopter then lands at the Heart Island Pontoon, near Heart Reef. There’s 90 minutes on board the lagoon, with all snorkelling equipment, and the opportunity to snorkel within the lagoon or take a glass-bottomed boat tour.
This Heart Island experience is violently expensive, however. It costs $1,100 per person.
Find your ideal Great Barrier Reef tours by location
Great Barrier Reef tours run from numerous destinations along the Queensland coast. Different tours cater to different tastes – some make sure they go to the best snorkelling spots, others build in beach time and some throw in extra such as underwater observatories and glass bottom boat tours.
Use the following links to start picking the best Great Barrier Reef tour options where you’re going on holiday.
- The best Great Barrier Reef tours in… 1770 | Airlie Beach | Bundaberg | Cairns | Cape Tribulation | Mackay | Magnetic Island | Mission Beach | Palm Cove | Port Douglas | Townsville.
Heart Reef scenic flights in the Whitsundays
You’re probably better off taking a scenic flight to Heart Island. GSL Aviation operates scenic flights over the Whitsundays section of the Great Barrier Reef. These scenic flights depart from the Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine, near the Queensland town of Airlie Beach. Free transfers are available from Airlie Beach, if you don’t want the faff of hiring a car in Proserpine, and window seats are guaranteed. The Heart Reef flights cost $279, and can be booked online.
More scenic flights in Australia
Seaplane flights over Sydney Harbour.
Microlight flights over the Ningaloo Reef from Exmouth in Western Australia.
Flying with jetpacks in Western Sydney.
The Outback Floatplanes tour from Darwin, Northern Territory.
Hot air ballooning over Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.