greatbarrierreef

Situated 15 kilometers northeast of Port Douglas, the Low Isles comprise a four-acre coral cay surrounded by 55 acres of reef. The reefs are very close to the island, which makes snorkeling an easy and enjoyable experience. The two small islands are separate but share a common reef. The larger of the two, Woody Island, is uninhabited except for a large bird population. It is a vital habitat for many species. The smaller of the Low Isles is a coral cay with a lighthouse that has been operating since 1878. Weather data has been gathered from the island since 1887, and scientific associations date back to 1928 when it was the base for a year-long scientific survey that examined the structure and ecology of the surrounding reef. This was the first scientific study of a coral reef anywhere in the world, and many current theories of coral reef ecology are based on the findings of this expedition. There are 150 different species of hard corals in the waters surrounding the Low Isles, although these are dominated by 15 species of soft corals. If you look closely, the feathery tentacles of soft corals can often be seen collecting tiny food particles from the water around them. Living amongst the corals is a large variety of fish, mollusks, sea cucumbers, and other animals. Colorful blue, green and purple parrotfish are a common sight as well as angelfish, damselfish, anemonefish or clownfish, trevally, rabbitfish, sweetlips, moon wrasse, and fusiliers, just to name a few! Plus, you might run into the resident turtles. The light station (controlled by Queensland Parks and Wildlife) on the flat low lying western island, was completed and exhibited in 1878. The 18-meter tower was originally constructed on a timber frame with a galvanized sheath in the typical Queensland fashion, however, Low Isles was the first to have porthole windows. Source; www.queensland.com/au/en/places-to-see/destination-inform...

Hayman Island is the most northerly of the Whitsunday Islands, off the coast of Central Queensland, Australia.[1][2] It is a private island open to the public, most famous for its luxury resort which was built in the 1950s by Ansett Transport Industries. The island is a significant drawing point for tourism in Queensland. The island is small at just an area of 294 hectares (726 acres). In 1947, Ansett Transport Industries acquired the island.[7] Work began on the Royal Hayman Hotel, which was opened in 1950 by Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Fadden in anticipation of a royal visit to Australia, for which Hayman was granted a Royal Charter. Arrival on Hayman was by Catalina and Sandringham flying boat. In July 1985, a two-year, $300 million project commenced transforming the island into a luxury resort.[8] The works were carried out by Thiess Contractors[9] and in 1987 Hayman was invited to join The Leading Hotels of the World. In May 1998, Hayman Island was sold to the BT Hotel Group.[7] The resort undertook another significant renovation in 2001 and received many of its modern five-star luxury amenities. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayman_Island

Great Palm Island, usually known as Palm Island, is the largest island in the Palm Islands group off Northern Queensland, Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal community, the legacy of an Aboriginal reserve, the Palm Island Aboriginal Settlement (also known as "the Mission"). The original inhabitants of the island (and others in the group) were the Manbarra people, also known as the Wulgurukaba, who were removed to the mainland by the Queensland Government in the 1890s. The island is also sometimes referred to as Bwgcolman, which is the name given to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from disparate groups who were deported from many areas of Queensland to the reserve in 1918, and their descendants. The island has an area of 55 km2 (21 sq mi). The official area figure of 70.9 square kilometres (27.4 sq mi) refers to the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island, which includes nine smaller islands. It is off the east coast of Northern Queensland, situated 65 kilometres (40 mi) northwest of Townsville, and 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It consists of small bays, sandy beaches and steep forested mountains rising to a peak of 548 metres (1,798 ft). The ocean surrounding the island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, where extraction and fishing are regulated. Great Palm Island's rich volcanic soil supports tropical flora such as mangroves, eucalypt forest, rainforests, hoop pine, mango, banana, pawpaw (papaya) and wild plum trees.[5][29] The surrounding bays have diverse marine fauna, including coral trout, crayfish and coral reefs.[5] However the island has been affected by human settlement and introduced species. There are hundreds of brumbies (feral horses) on the island, considered to be owned by the community. In 2003 there were reports of horses having been tortured and beaten by local teenagers. The problem of the feral animals had been brought to the attention of the Palm Island authorities as well as the Queensland Government, but to no avail. An RSPCA representative said that they needed to involve the children in helping to solve the problem.[71] Since then, the Shire Council and the RSPCA have acted to care for the horses and educate residents,[72] and children are now engaged in helping to round up troublesome animals.[73] Feral dogs are also a problem on the island.[73] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Palm_Island#Environment