Haggerstone Island

Even amid the magnificent island resorts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Haggerstone is an extraordinary island experience offering the ultimate in intimacy and privacy. Accessible only by air to a neighbouring island, it is an incredibly remote and unspoilt Robinson Crusoe retreat approximately 600 kilometres north from Cairns, and a few miles from a wild stretch of the northern Great Barrier Reef mainland coast.

Haggerstone is a truly unique and wonderful place - a small complex of tropical timber buildings, gardens, orchard and dams; set amidst true wilderness country, teeming with fish and bird life and surrounded by some of the most magnificent pristine coral gardens in the world. Catering for a small numbers of guests (6-8) you will live well, eat well and as one guest put it "survive in style", Haggerstone provides a unique base from which to ramble or explore, or... just to be.

The marine life on Haggerstone is simply unbelievable.... shipwrecks, beach combing for WW2 artifacts, snorkelling, and the fishing... and complemented by a superb yet simple mouth watering cuisine featuring all fresh natural foods. The incredible remoteness of Haggerstone ensures an experience very rare on this planet. If you value absolute simplicity above all else - no maids, TV, mobile phones, computers, mirrors or egos, this is it.

Anna and Roy Turner came to Haggerstone in April 1985 with a 70 tonne barge loaded with poles, timber, fruit trees, chickens and an old tractor. The island was jungle covered, uninhabited and hundreds of miles from what we know as civilisation. They were not to know they were to spend nearly six years alone on the island, as they set out to create a Robinson Crusoe style abode in the wild. Haggerstone Island is their home and an Island Guesthouse, where they welcome you to this island paradise on your North Queensland getaway.

Accommodation

Haggerstone Island has three hand crafted private guesthouses that look out upon the sea. Two of the huts are self-contained and one is a more rustic hut with outside shower and toilet. Each guest house can accommodate up to six people. They cater for just 6-8 guests at any one time.

All Rooms Feature: Bathroom Kitchenette Sundeck Room Service Daily Laundry Service

Lagoon Hut: Is located toward the East side of the island nestled amid a grove of Coral Trees overlooking the Coral sea. An open plan hand crafted timber pole hut, raised above ground level so as to afford spectacular ocean views across the lagoon. Polished floors and glass doors, timber shutters open on all sides to allow a cool sea breeze.Bedding is 1 Queen Bed + 2 Single Beds. Maximum room capacity is 4 people.

Kwilla Hut: Is an open plan, hand crafted timber dwelling, nestled near the water, shaded under a canopy of Coral trees throughout the day. Glass doors, polished floors and benches made from deep chocolate Daintree teak. Furnished with New Guinea artifacts from Roy's past. Timber shutters on all sides to allow a cool sea breeze. Sundeck with the view past the Coral Trees to the surrounding reef. Bedding is 1 Queen Bed + 2 Single Beds. Maximum room capacity is 6 people.

Beach Hut: An open plan, aesthetic drift wood beach hut. Situated right on the beach and some distance from the main complex. A boardwalk leads down to the open shower and wash room standing among a coconut forest. Large canvas shutters open directly onto the beach where the sun sets over the open fire place. Bedding is 1 Queen Bed + 2 Single Beds. Maximum room capacity is 4 people.

Dining

When Roy and Anna arrived on the island 15 years ago they were a little concerned with what they would eat. The sea was bountiful and they would grow vegetables aplenty. They struck at the jungle with enthusiasm and planted the seeds. Very little grew. Most of what they had brought was not suitable for the island. Roy had little trouble capturing lobsters and fish but without fresh herbs and vegetables their diet became monotonous.

Today the garden is a pleasure to walk through. Passionfruit compete with guado and snake beans. The vines of tropical butternut and squashes have to be coaxed away from beds of rocket salad and bokchoy. Basil, coriander and parsley compete for space with lemongrass and ginger. Kaffir lime, mango and curry trees grow randomly along the paths.

For breakfast, papaya or banana are picked fresh off a tree and served with lime juice. The homemade muesli has the dominant flavour of fresh toasted coconut. The rich yellow yolks of our eggs are from free roaming fowls fed largely on coconut, fish and garden surplus.

A lunch of oysters steamed in the shell with sliced ginger and lemon grass, squid, simmered quickly in sea water and then placed on a bed of rocket and drizzled with lime juice, olive oil and crushed garlic. A whole lobster thrown in the coals and served with lime and crushed pepper follows. For dinner, fresh slices of coral trout, marinated in lime and then cast into a bowl of freshly squeezed coconut cream; a red emperor is steamed with sesame oil, soy, ginger and garlic. The meal wouldn't be complete without suitable wine. We pride ourselves in our small but careful selection. Our love of food and a commitment to freshness and simplicity have guided our cuisine.

The sand cay is the ultimate dining area.....Candle lit table, setting sun and the calming swish of a darkening sea.

Facilities

The main building is a spacious, native style open house. Its design is raw but functional. Sun bleached poles and open sides take advantage of cooling island breezes. Drift wood, collected on nearby shores, is used to support heavy polished benches and an array of relics, from the husk of a canoe from Papua New Guinea to an ancient wooden dinner gong and Balinese bed adds to the atmosphere. There is a main kitchen, two bathrooms, dining area and open fire on the front decks. There is no television, just relaxation, and the pleasure of reading in the library. The beach hut is a rustic driftwood construction with outside shower and toilet. The two round hand crafted huts, similar in style to the main building feature a sundeck. All have a kitchenette equipped with a solar fridge.

A nine-metre diesel jet boat allows access to shallow reef areas and mangrove rivers. Fresh cooked meals of seafood can be prepared in minutes on the boat. A six and seven metre long boat each powered by fifty horsepower Yamaha engines, are ideal for exploration. The fishing equipment includes a complete range of rods, reels and hand lines to suit both river and open sea. Masks, snorkels, and assorted diving gear are also available.

Activities

Fishing and Spear Fishing: Fishing and Spear Fishing are good at all levels - rod, reel, or fly-fishing, reef, ocean or river. As there is no human habitation for nearly one hundred miles, the grounds around Haggerstone are rarely disturbed. Bait is caught off the island beach. Spear fishing is an every day method of food gathering. Reef fish and tropical crayfish are easily caught on nearby reefs.

Skin Diving and Snorkeling: Skin Diving and Snorkeling are at their best and safe all year round. Two clear water lagoons just off Haggerstone's beach put beautiful coral gardens right on your doorstep. Vast surrounding reef areas are easily accessible from Haggerstone for skin diving and snorkeling. Also close by we have discovered an 1840s shipwreck in a shallow reef garden. Its giant anchors, winching blocks and bronze keel bolts are all visible from surface snorkeling.

Bird Watching: Haggerstone Island harbors a dense and varied bird population. Sunbirds, honeyeaters, coloured pigeons, eagles, kingfishers, finches, jungle fowls, pittas and many others have made it their home. Dawn is a kaleidoscope of sounds dominated by the soft coos of the bar shouldered doves

Getting There

To come to Haggerstone you must first fly to Cairns, North Queensland. From there we organise a twin engine, six seat private charter to the neighboring Hicks Island where there is an airstrip. The two-hour flight travels up the largely uninhabited coastline and terrain of Cape York and winds up over the northern Great Barrier Reef. Transfer to Haggerstone by boat from Hicks Island is approximately 20 minutes.

The charter departs early in the morning so it is advisable to stay in Cairns the evening before. This will allow the plane to return with departing guests in time to reach afternoon flight connections. We would appreciate that guests restrict luggage to 15kgs. Transfer prices start from $420 per person one way. These will be confirmed at time of reservation.

Additional Information

• Instant Quote: Provides rates in Australian Dollars including GST
• Wet Season: Closed from 21st December 2008 - 31st March 2009
• Address: Haggerstone Island, North Queensland