Haggerstone Island
Tropical North, Queensland

Pristine, peaceful and incredibly beautiful, Haggerstone is the jewel in the crown of island adventures. Situated 600kilometres from Cairns, accessible only by chartered aircraft and a boat ride, or by seaplane, this island paradise is unsurpassed for the ultimate island escape. Haggerstone Island is 42 hectares, covered by lush jungle, with white-sand beaches and blue lagoons. Bird life is prolific and the fishing, by rod, reel or fly, is amazing because of the abundance and variety.

Haggerstone Island has a maximum of 6-8 guests at any one time, and there are 3 guesthouses, each with shower, toilet, snack bar and fridge. Whether fishing the teeming waters, snorkelling the crystal clear lagoons or lazing under a palm tree, life on Haggerstone is peaceful, private and completely restorative.

Your hosts Roy and Anna Turner arrived at the uninhabited island in 1985, on a 70-tonne barge loaded with poles, timber, fruit trees, chickens and an old tractor. At that time, they did not realise that it would be 8 years before they would be ready to share their paradise with some very special guests. Roy has constructed the buildings in Thai-style from soft-edged wood, with open sides, wide verandahs and shuttered windows to take advantage of cooling breezes and uninterrupted views.

Cooking is done on an open fireplace, using freshly caught fish, vegetables and fruit from the garden, their own chickens and coconuts from an old plantation. Cooking in the French-provincial style, Anna creates meals of sublime freshness and taste. Served on the sand cay at the end of the island, the 'dining room' provides a 360-degree ocean view and the restaurant closes with the rising of the tide.

Bring- as little as possible-a light sweater for night, comfortable shoes for reef and bush walking, shorts, light long pants and shirts, hat and sunscreen. Casual wear and bare feet are the norm on the island. As Anna says 'it's the kind of place you take off your shoes and watch when you arrive and don't put them back on again until you leave'.

Accommodation: Haggerstone Island has 3 guesthouses each with its own view of the sea. Each includes a bathroom and sundeck. Each guesthouse can accommodate a twin/double. Haggerstone caters for just 6-8 guests at any one time. There is room and laundry service. "With conical roof, shutters for walls, a big bed made up with cotton sheets that smell of the sun, a slate floored bathroom with one glass wall and a bleached deck with a view of the turquoise lagoon, the sea and uninhabited islands in the horizon.

Special Activities:

- For some people, as little as possible,
- For the more active the lodge has 3 boats, there is equipment for fishing, spearfishing, snorkelling and diving.
- Fishing is bountiful because of the islands' isolation from other habitation. A full time fishing guide is on hand should you be an enthusiast a great place to try a salt water fly.
- Close by are coral gardens in clear lagoons, and divers and snorkellers can go exploring an 1840's shipwreck.