We had a stay in Gladstone in a pretty average B and B but it was made more exciting by our expectations of what Herron Island would be like. In the morning we got to the airport to discover that Mum had schneakily organised for us to go to the Island by Helicopter! It was absolutly brilliant to get the ear phone things on and get the briefing about the helicopter but what was great was that i got the front seat! The best view and i got to feel important by sitting beside the pilot. Looking at the Great Barrier Reef from air was amazing and coming into Herron Island at 80km/ph and at 300feet wasnt bad either. The two days we had were brilliant and we certainly made the most of them, the first day we went snorkling and saw amazing fish on the reef. Parot fish half the size of me and at the very end we saw a turtle! We all had a great time but the best was yet to come...The morning before we left we all went scuba diving, unfortunatly we had to go at different times as Mum and Jen dont have a license. haha. However we all had a great time and saw fantatic sealife, the dive was the best iv ever done as i saw a black tip reef shark (about 2m) and two (yes two!) turtles, one of them im sure was bigger than me. A brilliant dive and a great way to end our time on the island. Our stay on Herron Island was fantastic but by far the best thing we saw was turtles hatching out of the sand, just below our room. If i wanted to be smug id say 'iv already seen baby turtles' but to see them purly by chance and in the daylight was completely different and absolutly brilliant. We saw baby turtles more often than expected as there were two hatchings that we saw and during the night Mum, Jen and I rescued lost little turtles 3 times! A great experience and theres not many places where you can do that. We slummed it and got the ferry back to the mainland and after a quick pit stop at the bakery we hired a car and drove South as Mums old friend Carolyn had said we could stay with them for a few days. Just today we had a great day out in Budaberg and had a tour round the rum factory where you got free drinks at the end! Am writing this now with a bit of a sore head... Unfortunatly the holiday had to come to an end as Mum and Jen need to go home, tomorrow we are parting ways as i go North and they go South. It will be sad to leave them but its given me more to look forward to when i get home.