If you’re looking for a tropical island getaway without the high price tag, Great Keppel Island is for you! This piece of paradise is nestled off the coast of Yeppoon, in central Queensland’s Capricorn Coast region. Visiting this island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef won’t break the bank, and we spent three amazing nights here on a budget.
WHAT TO BRING
The island is largely self-catering, which helps to keep costs down! We planned out our meals for our three-day visit and did a big grocery shop to stock up on supplies before heading over to the island. $150 got us enough food and drinks to keep us satisfied! You can carry your groceries over with you on the boat in bags or a small esky, and you are likely to see everyone else doing the same!
GETTING THERE
To get over to the island you need to take a ferry from the Keppel Bay Marina in Yeppoon. Keppel Konnections makes the 40-minute trip multiple times per day, and it is $50 per person return.
The boat pulls up right on Fisherman’s Beach, the visitor centre of the island, and you disembark on the sand with the water lapping your feet. As we looked along the palm lined beaches, and at the sparkly blue and green waters, we both instantly thought ‘paradise’.
WHERE TO STAY
We had organised to stay at the Great Keppel Island Holiday Village in a glamping tent, for $130 a night. The tents are set up with a bed, lights, and power. Facilities are shared, with clean bathrooms, hot showers and a fully equipped kitchen.
When we arrived on the beach, we were picked up by the staff from the Holiday Village in true island style – on the back of a ute! We cruised up the beach, checked in to our tent and were given a tour. It’s hard to find the words to describe this special place. We instantly felt at home, wandering around barefoot with the sand between our toes. Swinging in a hammock surrounded by palms and helping ourselves to a cuppa from the kitchen.
WHAT TO DO
There are 17 beaches, countless hiking trails and a whole underwater world to discover on Great Keppel Island. Best part? Most of it is completely free! Although the desire to lay down in a hammock and read a book was strong, our three days were jam packed exploring the island.
Our first adventure was snorkelling at Shelving Beach. Great Keppel Island Holiday Village provides free snorkel gear for guests (#budgetwin), so we grabbed a mask and some flippers and hit the beach! Shelving Beach is the most easily accessible snorkel site, about a 15-minute walk from the main area of the island. We had the beach to ourselves for most of the afternoon and snorkelled with colourful corals and all kinds of fish, before relaxing on the powdery white sand.
Although we had brought our food with us, we did want to have one special meal out at the Great Keppel Island Hideaway Bistro, so we headed there for dinner on our first night. The restaurant is attached to Great Keppel Island Hideaway, the other major accommodation option on the island, and is the best place to grab a bite to eat or a sunset drink. Keeping the budget in mind, we planned our visit to coincide with happy hour. At 4pm – 5pm you can grab $10 cocktails, and $5 beers or wines. There was live music on a Friday night, and we had a lovely meal for just $50. Hideaway is also the perfect vantage point to watch the sunset across the mainland.
There are numerous different hikes you can do across the island, ranging from short strolls to whole day treks. We landed on something in the middle, and decided to tackle the Mount Wyndham circuit, the highest point of the island. The hike took us about three and a half hours, with countless stops for photos and wowing at the incredible views. The trail was steep in sections but nothing too challenging for two (moderately) fit people.
Another great snorkel spot on the island is Monkey Point. This large section of reef is off Monkey Beach, which is about a 45-minute walk from the Holiday Village. If you’re lucky you can spot giant clams here, and we swum around with plenty of fish!
On our third day we decided to pack a picnic, and head to one of the more distant beaches to spend the day snorkelling, and sun baking. Keppel Dive and Snorkel offer beach drop offs in their boat, which can save you a long hike, or get you to some secluded beaches that don’t have walking access. Being an island, it’s important to always check the weather, tides and winds. When we visited, we had a south easterly wind, and the guys at Keppel Dive and Snorkel helped us choose a beach that was right for the conditions. We headed for Secret Cove for the day, adjacent to Big Peninsula which is a great spot for snorkelling. It was $80 for a return trip on the boat, and it was so fun to cruise out on the water.
Secret Cove was true to its name, and we spent about five hours there with the beach to ourselves! The snorkelling at Big Peninsula was the best we had experienced. The corals were vibrant and colourful and we even found a turtle!
Fisherman’s Beach is the main beach on the island, and it is a beautiful palm lined stretch of sand. It is big enough that you can find a spot all to yourself! We spent a few afternoons relaxing here, and it is a great spot to watch the sunset. A cheese platter is a must-bring to the island, and the best way to end your day is with a drink in hand watching the sky glow up!
THE NUMBERS
Great Keppel Island is a true tropical island paradise, and we could not believe how affordable it was! If you have been daydreaming of a beach getaway, but don’t think you can afford it – think again! We absolutely adored our time on this island, and we will be back for sure to explore it further. Words can’t describe the softness of the sand, the blues of the water and the sound of the palms swaying in the wind – so you better go and experience it for yourself!
To highlight that it really is possible to have a trip to Great Keppel without breaking the bank, here is a rundown of everything we spent on our three-night trip:
- Groceries and drinks for three days – $150
- Ferry transfers with Keppel Konnections return for two adults – $100
- Three nights in a glamping tent at Great Keppel Island Holiday Village – $390
- Dinner and cocktails at the Great Keppel Island Hideaway Bistro – $90
- Beach drop off with Keppel Dive and Snorkel – $80
GRAND TOTAL: $810
Sally Sees
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I’m Sally, and together with my fiancé Brayden and our gorgeous Golden Retriever Stanley, we form Sally Sees, a travel blog and Instagram focused on sustainable, budget travel. When we’re not backpacking around the globe, we are exploring our new home state of Queensland – on a budget!
