Great Keppel Island

Great Keppel Island sits 13 kilometres offshore from Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast, about 50 kilometres east of Rockhampton. The island covers 14.5 square kilometres and has seventeen distinct beaches spread around its coastline, most of them deserted on any given day. The island was known as Wop-pa by the Woppaburra people, the traditional owners who lived on the island for thousands of years before European settlement.

The main beach, Fisherman's Beach, is where the ferry arrives and where the bulk of the island's basic facilities are located. From there, walking tracks lead to quieter beaches around the island. Long Beach is the longest stretch of sand and faces the prevailing south-easterly winds, making it popular for body surfing. Monkey Beach is a sheltered cove that is the best snorkelling spot on the island, with coral starting a few metres from shore and regular sightings of turtles, rays and reef fish.

The island was once home to a large Contiki-style resort that made it a party destination in the 1980s and 1990s. That resort closed in 2008 and the island has since returned to a much quieter, more natural state. Current accommodation is limited to small-scale holiday houses, a backpacker lodge and beachfront glamping tents. This lower-key approach suits the island well and gives it a character more like a Whitsunday fringe island than a developed resort.

The fringing reefs around Great Keppel are in good condition and are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and bushwalking across the island's interior are all popular activities. The walking track from Fisherman's Beach to the lighthouse on the island's northern tip takes about two hours each way and passes through eucalypt woodland with views across the Keppel island group.

The ferry from Yeppoon takes about 30 minutes and runs daily. The island is a year-round destination but is most popular from April to November when the weather is dry and warm without the summer humidity. Stinger nets are not available on the island, so stinger suits are recommended from October to May.