Great Keppel Island Travel Guide

 
by misakitaguchi
 
  •   Great Keppel Island
    by misakitaguchi
  • The view of the main beach (Fisherman's Beach)
      The view of the main beach (Fisherman's...
    by lachydragon
  • Directly below the Sunset Bar
      Directly below the Sunset Bar
    by lachydragon
  • Aerial shot of Great Keppel Is
      Aerial shot of Great Keppel Is
    by Jez79
  • Ferry Vessel
      Ferry Vessel
    by Lkeen07
 

Explore Great Keppel Island

Things to Do  

Friendly Birds

Friendly Birds, Great Keppel Island

 misakitaguchi Says:  When you eating, many birds will frock into you.They are cute and friendly! But feeding isnt good idea in this Island. You will have to protect them from bad food.Rainbow lorrikeet is one of the beatiful tropical bird in Australia. They are pretty noisy but you will get used... 

Walk to Shelving Beach

Walk to Shelving Beach, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  A very nice walk and one of the shortest ones you can do from the resort is up and over the Shelving Beach, the next one around from Fisherman's Beach. Go to the activities centre and grab yourself an Island map and then head back out to the beach, turn left and continue to... 

Things to do? Or not!

Things to do? Or not!, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  Exchange your towel token at the Activities Centre, grab some sunscreen and a good book and make your way down to Fisherman's Beach. Along most of the beach in front of the Beachfront Rooms is a wonderful lawn with a row of palm trees at the front. Towel down, sunnies on,... 

Svensen's Beach

Svensen's Beach, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  If you're looking to get away from the main beaches on Great Keppel, a good choice is to walk around to Svensen's beach, to the north of the homestead. The walk takes about 2.5 hours (return), with some interesting scenery along the way. Second beach, just around from... 

Hiking

Hiking, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  Great Keppel has a number of different walks you can do, ranging from simple to moderately advanced. I have included pictures and a map in my travelogue that you can check out. We did a few of hikes, one from Fisherman's beach to the homestead and then around to Butterfish... 

island hopping

island hopping, Great Keppel Island

 aedan Says:  after youve explored the main island go and see the rest. dotted around great keppel are a number of smaller but just as beatifull islands. they are completely uninhabited and well within reach. best to ask at the backpackers (geffs place), pub or anyone else on the island... 

Hotels  

Great Keppel Island Holiday Village

 1 Review and 18 Opinions  This place was just great. Full of atmosphere, just off the main beaches of GKI, cheap and really... 

Restaurants  

Eat lot's of seafood... its yummy

Eat lot's of seafood... its yummy, Great Keppel Island

 Carrise Says:  The food was great really good dinner range, though the service was not all that great it took awhile for us to get our drinks when they were orded, but besides that its a great place. dont have one 

Keppel: Lunch Only

Keppel: Lunch Only, Great Keppel Island

 fastskybus Says:  If your staying at the resort, the buffet lunch is good value and varies from day to day. The restaurant itself has a good beach view especially from the balcony. If eating on the balcony, don't leave food unattended, the birds will take it if given a chance. 

Keppels Restaurant: Not quite so much variety as the brochures suggest

Keppels Restaurant: Not quite so much variety as the brochures suggest, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  A look at the brochures for teh resort suggests that there is a range of dining options to suit any taste and price range. Unfortunately when we went we found this not to be the case. I muct note that we did not visit the island in the middle of winter, mid-week or anything... 

Nightlife  

Sunset Bar: No longer "Get Wrecked"

Sunset Bar: No longer "Get Wrecked", Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  If you still think that Great Keppel Island is the big place to head for wild parties on the beach and throngs of young people, you had maybe better re-think your choice of island! The 'Salt' nightclub was decidedly closed for the duration of our stay with no mention of it... 

Transportation  

Freedom Fast Cats

Freedom Fast Cats, Great Keppel Island

 Lkeen07 Says:  Hi There Just to avoid confusion with below times and prices. Freedom Fast Cats doesn't have all the below services due to the main resort being closed, however still places to stay like Keppel Haven and Keppel Logde to name a couple. Ferries run; Depart Pier One Depart... 

Charter flights to the Island from Rockhampton

Charter flights to the Island from Rockhampton, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  Great Keppel has a small airstrip and there are a few operators who run charter flights from Rockhampton if travelling in the catamaran from Rosslyn Bay is not your thing (or you really want to maximise your time on the island).The resort actually advertises a schedule of... 

Freedom Fast Cat Ferry Transfers

Freedom Fast Cat Ferry Transfers, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  Most people arriving on Great Keppel will catch a bus to Rosslyn Bay marina on the mainland - midway between Rockhampton and Yeppoon and then catch the Freedom Fast Cat over to the island. The freey is run by a private company and I believe you buy your tickets when making... 

How to get there

How to get there, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  There are two ferry companies operating from Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour to Great Keppel Island. Rosslyn Bay is about a 40 minute drive from Rockhapmton, via Yepoon. There are various buses that go to Rosslyn Bay, as well as transferrs from some of the backpacker hostels. If... 

Shopping  

Various local outlets: Shopping!

Various local outlets: Shopping!, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  Shopping isn't the main reason people come to Greak Keppel Island, which isn't surprising when you look at the amazing array of outdoor activities available. But if you are looking for some retail therapy, there are a few places to check out. The Rainbow Hut had a variety of... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

The heat!!

The heat!!, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  Great Keppel Island is beautiful all year around, but is a particularly good choice in summer because it is free of the toxic stingers found further north. But with summer comes the extreme heat and stong sun. As a Queenslander, I love this weather, but it's important to... 

What to Pack  

Less is best!

Less is best!, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  Bring as little as possible!! The get to the island you catch a ferry, which lands on the beach. The accommodation places have cars which they use to pick up luggage etc, but it has to be carried off the boat, across the sand and then from the car to your room. Clothes - In... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Great Keppel Homestead

Great Keppel Homestead, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  If you are keen for a bit of a walk and want to see some of the island head to the old homestead. You can get a walking map from the activities hut and it will show you diretions to the Homestead.The walk is a fairly short one but I would recommend setting off early and... 

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse, Great Keppel Island

 Jez79 Says:  If you're up for a challenging hike, the trek across the island to the lighthouseis a great option. The "lighthouse" is actually a box like beacon, not some grand old style relic, but the walk itself offers fantastic views and an excellent opportunity to experience the... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Free non-motorised watersports

Free non-motorised watersports, Great Keppel Island

 lachydragon Says:  For guests of the Mercure Resort there is free hire of all of the non-motorised watersports. The resort has quite a few kayaks, about 4 catamarans and a couple of windsurfers. The thing to keep in mind with this is to make a booking for them if you have a specififc time you... 

The Place

Plan a Great Keppel Island vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Great Keppel Island locals

Experience Great Keppel Island
  •   26 Tips and Reviews
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Map of Great Keppel Island
 

The People

 
Our Members Say
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 spend a day just wandering around the island and ist beaches, i did this several times and hardly bumped into a soul at times it feels like youve got the whole... 

 

Questions and Answers

brontae profile photo

Q:  how do you get to keppel island??? boat or plane??? or can you get there by both?? 

Couplesynergy profile photo

A: To get to Great Keppel you take a plane to Rockhampton (or bus or anything else) but a bus meets each plane and takes you to the ferry terminal at Yeppoon which is about... 

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Top Great Keppel Island Writers

1

Capricorn Coast - Part 1

Jez79 profile photo

 The Capricorn Region includes the area between Gladstone and Sarina on the east coast of Queensland. A few hundred kilometres north of the capital of Brisbane, the Capricorn Coast offers an array of... 

2

Great Keppel Island - December 2005

lachydragon profile photo

  The Island Itself... Great Keppel Island lies about 13 kilometers off the Queensland coast, just above the tropic of Capricorn. In the scale of Queensland Islands, it is one of the larger ones... 

3

affordable island paradise

aedan profile photo

 The keppel islands (great keppel in particular) are absolutely beatiful. the islans are just a short distance off the coast of a small queensland town called 'yeppoon'. a quick ride by boat from the... 

4

Great keppel Island

fastskybus profile photo

 Being a resort, the food and drink can be expensive. As there is no need for a great amount of clothing, devote most of your suitcase space to food that doesn't require cooking. Wine drinkers... 

5

Mangroves & Camels

northeast80 profile photo

 We booked our boat through our hostel in Emu Park (AU$35 return), the crossing took about half an hour and the boat comes right up onto the beach, a hatch opens and you walk off onto the beach. There... 

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