"I got wrecked on Great Keppel Island"

Indigenous Name

The Indigenous name for Great Keppel Island is Wop-pa.

And the Woppaburra people lived on the Keppel Islands. 

Flashback to the 1980s

In 1980, I flew from Melbourne to Rockhampton in Queensland.

On route by another small airplane flight from Rockhampton to Great Keppel Island.

We called the island GKI. And, GKI is off the coast from Yeppoon.

1980 Photography

Here is a picture representation of what it was like on the island back then. They show some old photos of the Great Keppel Island Resort.

And yet, I can visualize in my mind some of what it used to look like.

Photography was quite different due to the cameras. And they were not digital. Photo taking was much less in quantity due to the expense of developing film.

And, the photos with me in them, were not taken by me. As selfies weren't really a thing back then. The post-production for this post was created by me.

Great Keppel Island Resort

When I holidayed at GKI. It was a resort-like accommodation with everything included.

I remember, every day you received the GKI newsletter. It listed organized activities that you could participate in.

At these events, you met other people who holidayed on the island.

There were walks. The swimming pool races included eating a cold pie and drinking a warm beer. And, there was Hawaiin night.

You took cruises on the boats to the Great Barrier Reef. And, played on the boom nets, sailed to other beaches on the island, and watched the sunsets.

On one of these walking group activities, I met Sue. And even though we live in different states. We are still friends today,

My favorite dish was the Moreton Bay Bugs.

Great Keppel Island Now

GKI today is very different from when I went about 40 years ago. About two years ago, most of the resort was demolished after standing derelict for around a decade.

Now, the accommodation is mainly cabins.

And, you catch a ferry from the mainland to GKI.

The entrance to the Great Keppel Island Resort

The beach in front of  the GKI resort

What's a Boom Net Experience Like Now!

See what a boom net experience is like now at Huskisson in Jervis Bay, New South Wales.

Island Holiday at Great Keppel Island Resort in the 1980s

Have you been on an island holiday? If so, what's your favorite island?

Great Keppel Island is quite different from what it was like in the 1980s.

I read that there is interest in the island being bought by a new owner.

I wonder if things will change. And, it'll come back to its days of fun.

Did you get wrecked on Great Keppel Island Resort?

There're many islands to visit in Queensland. Here is a couple:

• Daydream Island near Airlie Beach
• Green Island  near Cairns