Haggerstone Island Offers Remote Private Island Getaway

Surrounded by lagoons, coral inlets and the open ocean of the Great Barrier Reef, Haggerstone Island has remained much the same since husband and wife owners Roy and Anna Turner arrived on the uninhabited island back in 1985.

Roy and Anna spent their first six years on the island completely alone, living in a tent for their first 12 months and carrying fresh water to and fro in a bucket for two years following that.

Over 20 years later, the island is an idyllic resort where visitors can relax, experience the breathtaking natural beauty of the island and enjoy a real sense of adventure as they explore the pristine beauty of the north Queensland coast.

Recently the island took the number one position on a list of 30 ‘Things To Try Before You Die' in Australia, compiled by a travel program of the same name on Australia's Channel 9 television network, beating the legendary Aboriginal sacred site Uluru (Ayers Rock) into second place.

Getting to Haggerstone Island is all part of the adventure! Guests fly to Cairns where a twin engine, six seat private charter will take them to neighboring Hicks Island. Transfers to Haggerstone are then by boat which takes approximately twenty minutes. The island holds up to 12 visitors and can be hired as a whole for private bookings – at a fraction of the cost of other exclusive islands.

Once there, guests have a choice of four rustic timber lodges to stay in including The Lagoon Hut - a roundhouse lodge situated on the islands’ lagoon boasting an expansive deck from which guests can soak up the water views; The Kwila Hut - an open-plan lodge set under a forest canopy with timber shutters to let in the cool sea breeze and The Beach Hut – as the name suggests this lodge is situated right down on the beach away from the main resort and boasts an open shower and wash room to allow guests to really get back to nature.

For added luxury, the newly built Mawu house offers the ultimate in seclusion; located away from the other accommodation on the island, guests have complete privacy with spectacular views out across the ocean. With three bedrooms, a magnificent outside dining area and luxurious furnishings & fittings, Mawu house is the ultimate island hideaway.

Meals are enjoyed in The Main Pavillion or beside an open fire out on the jetty with food caught by Roy or by guests themselves. While the sand cay is the ultimate private romantic dining area with candle-lit tables and the sun setting in the background.

Fresh fish and lobster are in abundance at Haggerstone Island, as is fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Keeping busy isn't a problem, with plenty of activities available for guests to enjoy including fishing to snorkeling, bird watching to beach combing.

Having grown-up in the Australian countryside as a young boy and developing a keen love of hunting, fishing and general outdoors activities throughout his life – he's today's answer to Crocodile Dundee - Roy loves helping guests perfect their fishing technique and has the local contacts to organise skin diving or sand boarding expeditions or even a helicopter trip to explore the heritage listed forests on the mainland.

For those who prefer their pace a little slower, the beaches are perfect for relaxing and taking in a little reading or sunbathing in the warm Australian sunshine.

Previous guests to Haggerstone include heir to the Murdoch media empire Lachlan, his wife Sarah and their two young sons and Australian ex-Prime Minister, Bob Hawke and because of the island’s idyllic surroundings Haggerstone is often the location for photo shoots with designer bikini brand Seafolly the latest to shoot its catalogue there.