Great Keppel Island (Queensland, Australia)

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Great Keppel Island Information

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Great Keppel Island is also called Wappaburra which means 'resting place'. There are some fantastic fringing coral on the island as well as some amazing beaches. You can stay on the island or visit the island for a day trip.

From snorkelling, diving and an array of water sports to bushwalking and camel treks, Great Keppel Island has something for everyone.

Visitors of any age can enjoy a day trip to the island or you have a choice of various styles of accommodation. Keppel Haven provides cabins and safari tents, a licensed bar and also the YHA facility. Great Keppel Island Holiday Village offers cabin, tent and dormitory style accommodation. Keppel Lodge offers house style accommodation with each bedroom having its own ensuite.

The Great Keppel Island Resort managed by the Accor Hotel Chain in association with Contiki Holidays offer an exclusive 18 to 35 experience. Newly refurbished rooms, nightclub, resort pools, brunches and dinners included in your package plus over 40 activities available at the resort including golf, archery, windsurfing, parasailing, yoga and tennis. Take a tropical plunge and give in to the time of your life!

There are two ferry companies operating out of Rosslyn Bay Harbour who service the island for day and overnight guests. A ferry transfer to the island takes approximately half an hour and visitors have the option of leaving their vehicle in the Great Keppel Island Security Carpark or Rosslyn Bay Inn Security Carpark. You also have the option of flying to the island from Rockhampton Airport.

The ferry companies also offer a variety of cruises, which include lunch, snorkelling, boomnetting, glass bottom boat and the underwater observatory off Middle Island.

From Great Keppel Island you can also visit several of the other 18 islands that surround the Great Keppel Island. Islands include Halfway Island and its fabulous fringing coral, Humpy Island and Middle Island which hosts an underwater observatory looking out onto a fishing wreck. You can camp on the parks although will need to take all your own supplies and buy a permit first.

Locality:

Great Keppel Island is just north of the Tropic of Capricorn and is the biggest member of the Keppel Island Family. Most of the island is natural bushland and is surrounded by 17 pristine white sandy beaches, coves and pockets of fringing reef.

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There are plenty of places to eat at the resort with takeaways including Keppel Cafe and Island Pizza and restaurants including Anchorage Char Grill, and Keppel Haven Bar and Bistro. There is also a lively bar on the island, called the Wreck Bar.

From Great Keppel Island you can also visit several of the other 18 islands that surround the Great Keppel Island. Islands include Halfway Island and its fabulous fringing coral, Humpy Island and Middle Island which hosts an underwater observatory looking out onto a fishing wreck. You can camp on the parks although will need to take all your own supplies and buy a permit first.

There are plenty of walking trails to choose from. Two walks include the rather strenuous Bald Rock Point Walk, which is worth the effort, and the Mt Windham Walk which offers great scenery.

If you want to explore the waters on your own then there are numerous places around the island from where you can see coral. One great place however, is at Monkey Beach which is 30 minutes south of the resort. Another option is to join the daily trip to a pontoon at the northern tip of the island.

The best beaches on the island include Fishermans Beach, Long Beach and Putney Beach, all on the eastern side of the island. There are plenty of water activities that you can take part in, including snorkeling, parasailing, water skiing and just hiring out a boat and exploring the area. You can hire out the necessary gear from Keppel Watersports on Fishermans Beach.

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Population: 20.090.400
Languages: English 79%, native and other languages
Currency: Australian dollar
Currency code: AUD
Local Times:
Australia - Australian Capital Territory - Canberra

Australia - New South Wales - Sydney

Australia - Tasmania - Hobart

Australia - Western Australia - Perth

Country Dialling Code: +61
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Australia, officially called the Commonweath of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the smallest of the World\'s continents).

The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.

It may be one of the world's most ancient lands with its mystical red centre and brooding rock formations, but Australia is also characterised by its youthful energy, its freshness and its \'no worries\' philosophy.

Most of the population lives within a few miles of the beach and with the working day beginning and ending early, it\'s not uncommon to see city slickers out of their suits and into the surf come 4.30pm.

In high summer many families will enjoy a simple backyard barbecue several times a week.

The 22-hour journey means most European people visit for at least a couple of weeks, allowing time for all that the country has to offer, including its chic cities, terracotta desert, lush bush and magical ocean reefs.

But the sheer size of Australia means that one visit is unlikely to be enough.

The most popular attractions are undoubtedly Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, but there are now more subtle incentives for a visit.

The wonderful fusion cuisine, the café society, the burgeoning art, culture and fashion scene, and the very real possibility of being the only person for miles around all conspire to make it a wholly alluring experience.

Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote \'Outback\', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.

Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent\'s unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world\'s oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.

The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers.