In the 1980s and 90s, Keppel was famous for the "Get Wrecked on Keppel" backpacker resort, a famously messy good time. The big resort closed in 2008 and the island has been quietly reinventing itself ever since: smaller operators, low-key beach houses, and 17 named beaches that are routinely empty even in peak season. The fringing reef starts metres off the sand.
- State
- Queensland
- State capital
- Brisbane (650 km south)
- Indigenous name
- Woppa
- Traditional Owners
- Woppaburra people
- Size
- 14.5 km², 8 km long
- Population
- ~50 permanent
- Best time to visit
- April to Nov
How to get there
Fly to Rockhampton (about an hour's flight from Brisbane), then drive 40 minutes east to Rosslyn Bay on the Capricorn Coast. Keppel Konnections runs the ferry, about 30 minutes across to Fisherman's Beach, several departures daily.
Day trips work but you'll only see Fisherman's and maybe one walk. Two or three nights gives you time to walk between the bays.
There's a small airstrip on the island for charter flights from Rockhampton, used mostly for emergencies and fly-in boutique stays.
Approximate costs
| Item | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Ferry day return (adult) | $50 |
| Ferry overnight return | $58 |
| Beach house / unit (per night) | $160 to $320 |
| Glamping tent (per night) | $180 to $260 |
| National park camping (per night, family) | $30 |
| Snorkel kit hire (per day) | $25 |
| Kayak hire (per hour) | $30 |
| Reef cruise (half day) | $95 |
There's no large resort. Most accommodation is self-catered. The island has one small store with limited supplies, bring food.
What to do
Beach hopping
Seventeen named beaches around the island. Fisherman's Beach is the main arrival point and where most accommodation clusters. Long Beach is exactly that, 1.5 km of empty sand, 20 minutes' walk south. Monkey Beach on the eastern side has the best fringing reef and is reached by a 45-minute walking track. Svendsen's Beach requires the most effort to reach and is consequently the emptiest.
Snorkelling
The fringing reef extends from many of the beaches. Monkey Beach and the southern end of Fisherman's Beach are reliable: hard corals, parrotfish, occasionally a green turtle. Visibility varies, best on incoming tide.
Bushwalking
A network of tracks crosses the island. The walk to Mount Wyndham (the highest point) takes 2 hours return for a panoramic view back to the Capricorn Coast. The cross-island track to Long Beach and Monkey Beach is the most-used. Bring water, there are no creeks.
Slow days
That's the actual answer. Keppel rewards doing very little, a snorkel before lunch, a walk to a different beach, a swim before dinner. The lack of a big resort is the point.
When to visit
April to November is the dry season, no stinger risk inshore (always check), low humidity, calm seas. The water is at its clearest from May to October. Whales can be spotted in the channel July-September. Summer is hot, humid and wetter; the island is much quieter then but the sandflies are fierce around dusk.
What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Snorkel kit if you have one
- Reef shoes
- Hat with chinstrap (windy)
- Walking shoes for the bush tracks
- Insect repellent (sandflies)
- Esky / cooler for groceries
- Water bottle
- Cash for the small kiosk
- Plenty of food, store is small
A bit of history
The island is the country of the Woppaburra people, who knew it as Woppa. The Woppaburra were a small population whose continuous occupation extended back thousands of years, until 1902, when colonial authorities forcibly removed the surviving Woppaburra to a mission on Fraser Island. The displacement is a profound and recent injustice, and one of the more documented examples of forced removal of Aboriginal people from coastal islands. Native Title for the Woppaburra was determined in 2002 and traditional owner involvement in island management is steadily increasing.
Captain Cook named the island in 1770, after British politician Augustus Keppel. The first European pastoral lease ran sheep and goats from 1866. The famous "Great Keppel Island Resort" opened in 1986, hit hard times after 2000, and finally closed in 2008. Plans for redevelopment have come and gone repeatedly.
Where this is on the map
Off the Capricorn Coast, north of Rockhampton.
Other islands you might pair with this
Heron Island is just south, the coral cay version. Magnetic Island further north has a similar budget-friendly, low-key feel.