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07/07/2008: "NORTH REEF LIGHTHOUSE ..... Turtles once hunted here"
Many years ago there were turtle canning factories at Nor' West Island and Heron Island. It's a story that seems to have been lost with the passing times, along with tourist promotion photo's of a swimsuit beauty queen sitting on a turtle on the beach.
Heron Island had huts which became the first accommodation when flying boats ferried tourists to the island leased by the Poulson family.
A good story that has become lost in time. I've not seen a picture of the seaplanes (or flying boats) associated with the island. Six were purchased with five used for spare parts.
The may be still a timber hut from the turtle canning era on Nor' West Island.
The lighthouse in this group of islands is at North Reef.
The shipwreck Cooma is underwater of this reef. (A picture of the Cooma propeller is in our ARCHIVES).
The Capricorn and Bunker Islands are offshore between Yeppoon, south to Gladstone and Bundaberg.
