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Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island is located in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, 15 kilometres off the coast of Yeppoon. It is the largest of the islands in the Keppel Group and is surrounded by 17 stunning white sandy beaches.
There is accommodation on the island, so you can stay for several days, but as it is so close to Yeppoon with regular transfers, it is the perfect island for a day trip.
On our recent day trip to Great Keppel Island with Keppel Konnections, we wandered over to stunning Long Beach and then went snorkelling at Monkey Beach. We enjoyed lunch at Hideaway Bay Bar and Bistro and relaxed on Fisherman’s Beach before returning to the mainland.
The Keppel Konnection ferry departs from the Keppel Marina, which has plenty of free parking for the day. The ferries are moored near the Waterline Restaurant, and we enjoyed a coffee and muffin while waiting for departure.
We departed the mainland at 9:00 a.m., and after a quick 30-minute ride, we walked down the ramp and onto the soft white sands of Fisherman’s Beach.
The first stop on the island was the GKI Watersports and Activities little blue hut on the corner of Fisherman’s and Putney Beach to pick up some snorkelling gear. The staff were very helpful with directions and other information about the island.
We then wandered back across Fisherman’s Beach to the walking track to Long Beach. This track is undulating and quite sandy in places; there is some shade from the native bush along the track.
Long Beach is one of Australia’s top 20 beaches and is 2 kilometres of pristine white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters. There are many trees along the beach's edge, so you can sit in the shade and enjoy the peace and tranquillity. It is also the only nudist beach on Great Keppel Island.
After enjoying Long Beach, we wandered along the shoreline to the boardwalk and over the headland to Monkey Beach. Monkey Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island because you can access the reef for snorkelling from the beach. It is also a protected green zone, which means the area is off-limits to fishing.
We enjoyed snorkelling at Monkey Beach and saw many colourful fish and a sea turtle.
Then, it was time to walk up the hilly goat track and back down to Fisherman’s Beach. There were lovely views along the way through the trees over the beaches.
The whole walk from Fisherman’s Beach to Long Beach to Monkey Beach and back to Fisherman’s Beach is about 5 kilometres, and I recommend wearing sandshoes or hiking boots.
We were ready for lunch when we reached Great Keppel Island Hideaway Bar and Bistro. Lunch was included in the package we purchased with our return Ferry Tickets. We enjoyed the Fish and Chips and a Chicken Burger and Chips with icy cold soft drinks.
After a fantastic day on Great Keppel Island, we sat back and relaxed on the ferry ride back to the mainland.
This is the Day Trip we went on in September 2023 with Keppel Konnections; it includes return ferry transfers and lunch with a drink.
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