Great Keppel Island
Perfect Family Destination!
Where you can find your own deserted stretch of pristine beach and snorkel for hours.
Where if you go for a walk you might run into some wild goats and echidna.
Where you can swim stark naked and not get arrested. (Disclaimer: Don’t try this on just any beach, there is a specific beach for it).
Where you can experience the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef!
Visiting Great Keppel Island With Kids Turned out to be Awesome!
“We work on an unusual system here”, said Geoff, the long term owner and manager of Great Keppel Island Holiday Village. “Its called an honesty system”.
With a cheerful smile, he explained how to purchase items from his small shop at reception. Basically, I just pick what I want and put the money into the small metal tool box on the shelf.
If I don’t have the cash, apparently it’s alright to fix him up before we leave.
How Awesome is Geoff?
Geoff is also a genius when it comes to accommodation for families. The cabin we stayed in, as well as some of the glamping tents are set around a giant sand pit.
There are three hammocks, a small tree for climbing and a ball tied to the tree with some plastic cricket bats lying around for wacking it.
He even supplies sand toys for the sand pits. You just have to grab them from the honesty shop and return them when finished.
This means that you can sit on striped wooden chairs on the cabin verandah, whilst the kids are playing contently a few metres away.
The fully equipped shared community kitchen (should you wish to cook instead of forking out for meals at the nearby restaurant) is also right next to this sandpit which makes dinner time a breeze.
You Don’t Come to an Island to Hang Around Your Room!
There are no less than 17 beaches to choose from with lots of great hiking opportunities. It’s not hard to discover your own deserted beach.
Unfortunately, I only managed to visit five due to time. Don’t worry, hiking is not a necessity! Motorised canoes and paddleboards are available; or you can even ask Jeff to take you on a tour.
Great Keppel Island is part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef which basically means that the snorkeling here is awesome. It’s also within easy reach, as in right off the beach.
The sea life is abundant and includes sea turtles, clown fish and giant clams.
Great Keppel Island Ferry
Getting to Great Keppel Island involves a short ferry trip across the water from Rosslyn Harbour in Yeppoon, Queensland.
We went over on Freedom Fast Cats and had no problems. Transfer are also available with Keppel Konnections.
Costs of Visiting Great Keppel Island
Both Keppel Island Ferry’s charge around AU $135 per family return. Check out the websites listed above in the Great Keppel Island Ferry section for more information.
Accommodation at Great Keppel Island Holiday Village was under $200 per night for the four of us (off-peak). They offer a range of accommodation types.
Activities were free as we didn’t hire any equipment. We spent our time hiking into the different beaches in the morning and relaxing in the afternoons around the sandpit.
We visited the Great Keppel Island Hideaway Cafe and Bistro for one meal, and whilst it’s in a lovely location it was a bit pricey at just over AU $50 for chips and gravy, beef nachos and a few drinks.
This is to be expected as that we are on an island. All other meals were cooked in the communal kitchen at Great Keppel Island Holiday Village and we brought our own food over.
Resources for booking your family getaway to Central Queensland
Tickets
- Transfers to Great Keppel Island can be booked >>HERE<<
- Get your Capricorn Cave Tour Tickets >>HERE<<
- Jump on board your Keppel Island Sailing Cruise >>HERE<<
- Book your Keppel Island Snorkel Tour >>HERE<<
Accommodation
- The NRMA Yeppoon Holiday Park is amazing, particularly for those with kids as it features an outdoor movies theatre, giant water slide, jumping pillows, other fun stuff. If camping the bathrooms are clean and if not, the bungalows are wonderful!
- If you want to stay right near the Capricorn Caves, I recommend the Capricorn Caves Bungalows.
- For Rockhampton, I recommend the Empire Apartment Hotel or the Rockhampton Discovery Parks.
- If staying on Great Keppel Island, I recommend the Great Keppel Island Holiday Village.
- Byfield National Park camping information can be found here.
Getting to Central Queensland
Car Hire
Compare car prices across major brands >>here<<
Flights
Search for the best deal using I Want That Flight or Trip.com
Public Transport
Public transport to Rockhampton is limited to Trains and Buses from major capital cities. Research and book your options >>HERE<<
Want to discover more awesome places?
For more information on visiting Central Queensland, check out our Central Queensland page for family travel.
For inspiration on more destinations, head on back to the home page!
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