The Keppels

View of Great Keppel Island

Spent the next few days (6-8th August 2012) exploring around all the Keppel Isles, and we are blown away at how beautiful it is here, neither of us realised that it was such a nice area, we weren’t expecting to see this kind of clear water until we hit the Whitsundays.  There really are no words to describe the beauty of being on the water, anchored at 6 meters and being able to see the bottom.  Its great to fish and watch them in the water being enticed by your bait and steal it off the hooks.

Sunset at The Keppels

The Old Resort on GKI

We had a good walk around Great Keppel Island and its really sad to see such a lovely place desolute.  The old resort that is here is so run down with wire fences surrounding a good part of it, the swimming pools empty and green and weeds growing everywhere.  With such a great view and perfect spot to holiday in, its sad to know its not being enjoyed to its fullest.  There does seem to still be day tripper's visiting the island though. 

Chris enjoying the sunshine

Andrew blowing kisses

We were hoping that there would be showers on the island that we could use, but found that the actual taps had been removed, so were not working, there were only toilets in use.  Later that evening, we took our two 10 litre water containers to the island and as Andrew watched outside so we didn’t get caught, Christie filled them up from the bathroom taps.  That night we had a well deserved shower on the back of the boat.    We really spent the most fantastic few days around The Keppels and think we explored pretty much every island we could get to by tinnie.

Hitchikers we picked up on the way

Andrew in the tree fishnet hammock

Andrew and Buoy Tree

On one of the little islands, known as Svendesen's Beach we found a tree that had different coloured marine buoys hanging from just about every branch, so seemed as though it was decorated like a Christmas tree.    A few meters along the beach there was green fishnet that someone had hung a good 7 meters in the tree, so Andrew climbs the tree as Christie watches from below and has a nice relaxing lie down in the net for 10 minutes at the top, beautiful views of the islands from up there.  The things you find in these areas.

The Leekes Inlet aka "Sandfly Haven"

Andrew snorkelling

  We did find a lovely little spot which we have named Sand fly Haven but it is really known as Leekes Creek/Beach.  This area consisted of a very narrow river type area coming from a large bay into its own inlet with crystal green waters and an abundance of sea life below, including a number of stingrays which were so clear to see under the water.  Andrew decided he wanted to have a snorkel so in 16 degree water he dives in and freezes for the 15 Min's he was swimming around in what felt like -5 degree water.   

Stingray seen from 4 meters in boat

Andrew at "Camp David"

We motored in and out of each little passage and found an old shed that looked like someone had set up to live in at one stage.  We also came across a place called “Camp David”, which was a spot set up by an unknown person, who had a bonfire area, hammock, tinny motor, little tinnie, whipper snipper and generator all hidden under nets in the mangroves in a make shift hut. There was a little herb garden, coconut trees and paw paw trees planted.    It was quite exciting to come across this.  As we were walking around we also came face to face with a herd of wild goats with enormous horns, yeah we were out of there pretty quickly then.

Long Horned "Scary" Goats

Unimpressed Chris with hundreds of sandfly bites

 We spent a good few hours in here and didn’t realise at the time that we were being bitten by sand flies.  That night Christie came up in welts all over her body, from neck to toe, she spent the following few nights scratching, that ll teach her for forgetting the “Bushmans”.  (Notice the calomine lotion Christie has over her welts). 

XXXX Island (Pumpkin Island)

Up early the next morning to a rocking boat from the winds picking up from the South East, we headed over to North Keppel Island.  Amongst the north is a little island called Pumpkin Island, which is in the shape of what looks like the letter X and is now famously known as XXXX Island due to the beer company doing a competition for mates to win a stay on the island.  So of course we had to investigate and wind whoever up by leaving a can of VB…   As we motored around the island we noticed a number of  cabins and after googling it, found out you could hire the whole island for $1900 a night and here we were on its door step in our boat for nothing. 

We then motor the tinny onto a few another isles with a couple of old shacks with the most amazing views and settings and decide its time to leave our carbon footprints for them.

Our Footprints

We get off to have a look at North Keppel (which we thought was a resort) only to see a big notice saying no entry to public this is an education centre.  As we get back into the tinny a man calls out to us, and asks if we want to have a look around, so of course we accept.  North Keppel island is no longer a resort and is now used for schools to sent pupils to for a week stay at a time for a biology week education where they stay on the island, great spot and great opportunity for kids.

Entering a cave

We then jump back in the tinny and motor around to the eastern side of the North Keppel which is in the ocean side and the swell is a bit rougher, we decide to head back to the boat this way and a good hour later in 2 meter swell in our 3 meter tinny, it was a bit of a white knuckle trip, but on the way we found a cave so of course had to explore.  We motored the tinny in quarter of the way, until Christie heard the might roar of what seemed like a wave coming and scared as hell told Andrew to get out of there.  So he slowly motored forward a bit more until he got an earful to get out.    Once out, Andrew told Christie it was the bats above making the noise.  No no other caves were explored along the coastline for the rest of the trip back, I'm sorry to say.    Back to the boat for the night to see what tomorrow brings.

Coming into Rosslyn Bay, Yeppoon

Tomorrow brought us motoring into Rosslyn Bay where we fuelled up and moored for the night at Keppel Bay marina, just south of Yeppoon.  We have found so far that the few marinas we have stayed in have been reasonably priced at $38 a night which includes your moorings, electricity and water usage and the use of the showers and toilets.  There are also other facilities in these marinas including launderettes which are usually $4 a load to wash and another $4 to dry, cafes and chandlers. 

Chris with view inside Keppels Marina

We both particularly liked Rosslyn Bay, you come into the marina here and there is a large rock cliff in front of you, its quite an entrance really and a very nice setting.  The place just had a really good feeling about it and only being a 45 minute motor over to The Keppels, it’s a very handy spot with some nice views out to sea. We can see why people live in these places to escape the Brisbane rat race.     We have pretty much run out of fresh food now so needed to replenish our supplies, so caught the local bus (not sure how long its been for either of us since we last caught a bus) into Yeppoon Central and did a big food shop, ahhh fresh fruit, veggies and bread again.  We then had an eventful trip back on the bus which took an hour as we had unknowingly gotten onto the school bus.  Anyway we had a good chat to the bus driver who didn’t seem to take a breath (well only to yell at the kids who weren’t sitting down and who were eating chewing gum), but he spent the hour ride telling us all about his family and their money problems…….. we sure do meet them.    Back to the marina and did three loads of washing, we now know why its cheaper to own your own machine.  Then had a lovely shower with such good water pressure, especially compared to our out the back duck board shower.

Very Happy Couple

A wine and beer and walk around the marina and into bed ready for the following day.

The Keppels are a group of islands that lie 15 km from the coast of Yeppoon along The Capricorn Coast, Central Qld.  There are 17 white sandy beaches with some of the highest cover of hard coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef.  The islands were home to the Woppaburra and Ganumi people before European settlement.

Rosslyn Bay is situated behind an enormous volcanic outcrop just 10km south of Yeppoon that was formed over 70 million years ago.  The Keppel Bay marina has over 400 berths and is North Qld's largest marina.