'Untouched' island paradise with affordable accommodation only 30 minutes off Queensland coast
It looks like something from a holiday brochure, and it's dubbed "stress free" and "untouched" by tourism bosses.
But Great Keppel Island goes under the radar despite being just a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Queensland.
It has no fewer than 17 beaches plus wildlife including turtles and humpback whales at the right time of year.
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Long Beach on Great Keppel Island in Queensland. Getty
There's also a lighthouse you can hike to and tropical reef to snorkel on - it's on the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Here's everything you need to know about visiting the island off the Capricorn Coast.
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How to get to Great Keppel Island
The nearest airport is Rockhampton, and you can fly there with QantasLink and Virgin Australia.
You'll then need to catch a ferry to the island.
Freedom FastCat departs from Rosslyn Bay which is to the south of the town of Yeppoon.
Ferries run daily and cost $60 for adults, $38 for children, and kids aged three and under are free. There's one or two ferries each way every day with an online timetable.
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You can reach Great Keppel Island from Yeppoon in Queensland. Getty
Or you can use Keppel Konnections which has services at 7.30am, 9am, and 3pm also from Yeppoon.
Funtastic Cruises offers options such as a Great Keppel Island tour which allows you to explore secret beaches, sea caves and surf. It departs directly from Yeppoon.
Or take a sunset cruise out to the island from the mainland.
The island is car free, so you'll need to walk or use the walking tracks or boats once you arrive.
What is there to do on Great Keppel Island?
Beaches are abundant, quiet and unspoiled.
Discover the aptly named Long Beach, visit the turquoise-fringe Monkey Beach, or head to Butterfish Bay.
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Ferries run daily to Great Keppel Island. Getty Images/iStockphoto
You can hire a kayak or paddleboard and take to the clear turquoise waters yourself. in the sheltered coves such as Butterfish Bay.
If you want something more organised, you can join a snorkelling or diving tour or even do a PADI course.
Fishing trips are also an option with anglers catching red emperor, goldband snapper, large mouth nannygai, coral trout and other reef species.
Fishing trips are also an option on Great Keppel Island. Getty
Hiking the wild island is also popular, and wildlife such as brush tailed possums, blue tongue lizards, goannas, echidnas can be seen. Mount Wyndham is a popular hike.
You can also see remains from the times when the Indigenous Woppaburra lived there, such as ancient middens.
Great Keppel Island accommodation
You can stay in the tropical hideaway of your dreams on the island.
Forget luxurious resorts though, here you'll find more rustic houses, cute cabins and motel-style rooms are on offer, making it perfect for families on a budget.
Great Keppel Island Hideaway. Supplied
Or you can stay on the mainland in Yeppoon, which has many options including a Discovery Park.
Things to do in Yeppoon
The coastal town of Yeppoon is a laid-back spot in tropical Queensland.
Kids will love Yeppoon Lagoon, a free pool right on the waterfront.
It's patrolled and also has a lap pool, free water park, the kraken, bar and cafe.
Yeppoon also has some insta-worth street art including in Pie Alley, a mural-filled laneway by father-and-son duo Bill and Luke Gannon symbolising community spirit and resilience after 2015's Cyclone Marcia.
Kids will love Yeppoon Lagoon, a free pool right on the waterfront. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Multiple beaches are on offer, including Yeppoon Main Beach with calm water and 4WD friendly Farnborough Beach.
Markets include Yeppoon Community Market every Saturday and Fig Tree Markets on the first Sunday of each month.
You can also meet wildlife at Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary and Koorana Crocodile Farm.
A 40 minute drive gets you to Capricorn Caves, an ancient network of caves with the most famous, Cathedral Cave, accessible to wheelchairs.
