Your ultimate guide to Great Keppel Island

With 17 white sandy beaches, abundant wildlife and clear tropical waters over sprawling coral reefs, Great Keppel Island is one of Queensland’s most under-rated island getaways.

A plethora of activities await on the low-key, barefoot paradise of Great Keppel Island . Hang with a crowd or get away from it all to peaceful coves and sheltered bays surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

As one of the one the most affordable islands to visit on the Great Barrier Reef, you can swim, snorkel, dive and more in what are arguably some of Australia’s best beaches. It’s not all ocean-based fun though, with incredible bushwalks and birdwatching available on land.

Second Beach, Great Keppel Island — Enjoy the view from land or sea. (Image: TEQ)

Great Keppel (Wop-pa in the language of the Kanomi-Woppaburra people) is a diverse and diverting place to stay for all ages, a truly beautiful escape from the rest of the world.

How to get to Great Keppel Island

Fly into the region with direct flights from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Cairns, and Townsville to Rockhampton Airport. Then it’s just a shuttle bus to Yeppoon where ferries depart regularly from Keppel Bay Marina and Pier One at Rosslyn Bay.

Within 30 minutes, you’ll feel the sand between your toes on Great Keppel Island and instantly relax. Go barefoot – there’s no jetty on the island, so your first step off the ferry will be onto the sand (don’t worry, there are helping hands to help you disembark). Day tours also run from Rosslyn Bay for those who are short of time.

snoekelling on Great Keppel Island — Getting to Great Keppel Island is easy, getting around once you’ve arrived is even easier.

Great Keppel Island accommodation

There’s no problem finding somewhere to stay on Great Keppel, with accommodation to suit all budgets and tastes. Pitch a tent, or stay in a cabin, a motel-style room or a private beach house.

There are two major accommodation providers, Great Keppel Island Holiday Village and Great Keppel Island Hideaway . Both are low-key, relaxed and close to the beach. Great Keppel Island Holiday Village is self-catering, but Great Keppel Island Hideaway has a bar and bistro, sometimes with live music or other entertainment.

Things to do on Great Keppel Island

Walk off the beach and snorkel the reef. It’s that easy on Great Keppel. And you’ve got 17 beaches to choose from. Among the best snorkelling spots are Shelving Beach, Monkey Beach and Clam Bay, where you’ll be amazed at the rich array of turtles, corals and other marine life. You might even spot a dolphin or dugong.

As well as an array of water sports offered by Keppel Dive & Snorkel (think stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and more), there is a network of hiking trails to explore. Keen fishermen can cast a line straight off the beach (but be aware there are no-fishing zones, so check your location first).

Or, of course, you could do nothing at all. Great Keppel’s that kind of place too. Hammock, anyone?

Great Keppel Island tours

Getting onto the water is easy on Great Keppel Island. Full-day and half-day cruises depart from Yeppoon, or try a sailing adventure. If you’re looking for tranquillity, take a guided kayak tour along Leekes Creek or hire one and go it alone.

Diving and snorkelling tours – or drop-offs to explore the reef on your own (for certified divers) – open up the underwater wonders of the southern Great Barrier Reef. Introductory dives are also available.

For those who don’t want to get wet, Freedom Fast Cats runs glass-bottom boat tours as well as a range of other cruises. Whale-watching tours are offered in season (July – September) when you can see the majestic Humpback whales on their migratory path along the Queensland coast.

snorkeling tour with Keppel Explorer — Go snorkelling or diving with providers like Keppel Explorer and Keppel Dive and Snorkel . (Image: TEQ)

Great Keppel Island history

When British explorer Captain James Cook sailed past the island in 1770, the islands of Keppel Bay had been home to the Kanomi-Woppaburra people of the Darumbal nation for around 5000 years. Ancient shell middens can still be found on the island, a reminder of the abundant seafood they harvested from the ocean.

Captain Cook named the bay for his boss, Rear Admiral Augustus Keppel, but it was not until the 1860s that European settlers moved onto the island.

On the northern side of the island, you can walk to the 1920s homestead occupied by the Leeke family still stands. Now heritage-listed, the tin house overlooks the tidal mangroves and Leeke’s Beach. If you’re particularly energetic and have a day to spare, hike the 15km round-trip to the island’s lighthouse at Bald Rock Point.

Great Keppel Island Walk — Explore the islands walking trails.

Great Keppel Island’s natural wonders

For an introduction to what you might see in the waters surrounding Great Keppel, follow the short GKI Sea Way Trail which starts on the lawns overlooking The Spit at Fisherman’s Beach.

The boardwalk winds through Great Keppel Island Hideaway’s grounds and features 15 colourful information panels, each one in the shape of a marine animal. The trail is an initiative of the Keppel Turtle Fund , a local charity focused on education, appreciation, protection, and rehabilitation of the marine environment.

Great Keppel Island Cocktails — Take in the sunset on an island walk.

Sea turtles breed and feed around the island. From November to March, you might be lucky enough to spot a nesting turtle or hatchlings heading to the sea to start their life’s journey.

On land, you won’t wait long to encounter some of the island’s incredible wildlife, including echidnas, goannas, blue-tongue lizards, possums and a rich array of birdlife. More than 100 species of birds live here, including kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, sea eagles, curlews, honeyeaters and more.

echidna on Great Keppel Island — Go hiking or just stay still and let the wildlife come to you. (Image: TEQ)

Hit the road to Gladstone, in Central Queensland, to discover local beaches, brews and a city changing its tune.

I haven’t been to Gladstone since I was about 11, one of four kids crammed in the back of a VW kombi van. My dad, an English subject master, encouraged us to make up a sing-song of the place names as we bounced along the Bruce Highway to Brisbane. It was both a game and geography lesson.

Rockhampton, Marlborough, St Laurence too
Carmila, Clairview, skies so blue
Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through
Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you

The staccato tune has stayed with me ever since. And returning to Gladstone, Traditional Lands of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda peoples, after all these years made me nostalgic for those carefree east coast road trips of my childhood.

Gladstone’s glow-up: a new era for Central Queensland

an aerial view of the pool at Peppers Gladstone — The property has a heated pool.

Gladdie, as the town is affectionately known, is again on my radar thanks to the Peppers Gladstone property that opened here in February 2025. Peppers Gladstone shares its footprint with Mantra Gladstone and marks the first new-build hotel to open in the region in more than a decade. It is, says general manager Craig Conley, a clear sign that Central Queensland is evolving as a place to linger.

the bathroom at Peppers Gladstone — Earthy interiors at Peppers Gladstone. (Image: Toby Scott)

“Peppers Gladstone has helped put the town on the map,” says Craig. “And, being a dual-branded property, it offers guests a choice between the familiar comforts of Mantra and the elevated experience of Peppers,” he says. Craig says Accor, in collaboration with Yaralla Sports Club, launched the five-star hotel to provide a five-star accommodation option for visitors in town on both business or leisure.

pool bar at Peppers Gladstone — The Pool Bar at Peppers Gladstone.

The property speaks to its locale. There is the indoor-outdoor space near the pool and terrace designed for all seasons. And each room is themed – Outback, Coastal, City, Rainforest – reflecting the diversity of the surrounding landscape. We’re in an Outback room, which is all earthy tones and textured wallpaper, and a reminder that we’re deep in the agro-industrial Queensland countryside.

Industry meets evolution in Gladstone

the Boyne River estuary, Tannum Sands — Boyne River estuary meets the ocean at Tannum Sands. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

You can’t tell the story of Gladstone without acknowledging its role as a major export hub for billions of dollars’ worth of coal and liquid natural gas. It’s a town that was built around heavy industry. And this Accor property is designed to accommodate some of the executives who are visiting Gladstone, one of the largest bulk commodity ports on the planet. And while the Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour is one of the most popular tours in town, visitors to the region should also widen that circle to include its abundance of pristine beaches – Tannum Sands, Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy – untouched islands and subtropical hinterland.

an aerial view of the coastal town of Seventeen Seventy, Gladstone — The coastal town of Seventeen Seventy. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Jesse Lindemann)

Craig is somewhat of an evangelist for the area’s attractions and says the Peppers property is a great example of the area’s evolution. “The Peppers experience is about community and connection. It feels like a hub for the local community,” Craig says.

The best place in town for a pint

food and drinks at Ward’s Brewery, Gladstone — Ward’s Brewery is the city’s only brewpub.

Ward’s Brewery is also a top spot to test the barometer of this true-blue borough. Today, there are young families gathered to celebrate a baby shower around a table decorated with balloons. A group of FIFO bros clad in high-vis vests sinking schooners to mark the end of a stint in the mines. And a couple of grey nomads glued to the pub’s big-screen promotion of Lady Musgrave Island and the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

After living and working in London for 23 years, owner Michael Comley returned to his hometown of Gladstone pre-Covid. He says the pandemic gave him time to ponder his next move: to open the city’s only brewpub in the old soft-drink and cordial factory owned by his family.

Ward’s Brewery Founder, Michael Comley — Founder of Ward’s Brewery, Michael Comley.

“I grew up in the house next door,” smiles Michael, in between pulling pints and delivering food around the brewpub, decked out with local artwork, historic photographs and memorabilia. “My family owned the soft drink business from 1974 and the property was sitting empty when I returned, so I felt it was my duty to revitalise it,” he says.

The hum of friendly chatter says a lot about Gladstone and the brewpub’s place and position in the community. Ward’s has a rotating list of seven craft beers on tap and a menu of pub grub such as chicken wings burnished orange with spice. And lamb kofta served on tortillas slathered with hummus and stuffed with salad.

“I’ve lived all over the world, and I’m proud to be from Gladdie,” Michael says. “The surrounding areas are all on the map for visitors and now it’s finally Gladstone’s turn.”

While the region is best known for nearby boom towns Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy, it is now time to raise a pint of Ward’s award-winning pale ale – it clinched gold at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards – to exploring the country’s lesser-known contours. Cue the chorus… Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through, Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you…

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Gladstone is about a six-hour drive north of Brisbane. Qantas offers direct flights from Brisbane to Gladstone with a flight time of about one hour and 10 minutes.

Staying there

Stay at Peppers Gladstone, where you can dine at Encore and watch your favourite team on the big screen at the adjacent Yaralla Sports Club.

Eating there

two women clinking their cocktail glasses at Gladstone Marina — Raise a glass at the waterfront marina.

Sample local beers at Ward’s Brewery , housed in a century-old cordial factory and serving craft beers and a menu of small bites and bigger plates. Enjoy pub grub and water views at Auckland House , which is open for breakfast and serves an all-day menu from 11am.

Playing there

a family heading to Gladstone Marina in the East Shores precinct — Gladstone Marina in the East Shores precinct. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

Join a Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour or visit the Gladstone Maritime Museum to learn about the city’s importance as a port and maritime history.

Gladstone Marina from above — Gladstone Marina offers access to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Mark Fitz)

Take a stroll in the city’s open spaces, along the Millennium Esplanade at Tannum Sands, which has a playground and barbecues, and East Shores Parklands, which includes Gladstone Marina and has a waterfront boardwalk, green space, barbecues and a water play area.

the Tondoon Botanic Gardens, Gladstone — Tondoon Botanic Gardens celebrates biodiverse regional plant species.

Visit the 83-hectare Tondoon Botanic Gardens, which has 3000 plant varieties, a Japanese tea garden, sculptures, a herbarium and a lake. Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are also worth the detour.