Day 91: Great Keppel Island

While New Zealand is rightfully known for its mountains and interior, Australia is known for having lots of crazy people living in a desert...er...I mean...is known for its coasts.  Compared to NZ, with it's dynamic and striking topography, Australia is essentially flat.  But the coasts are amazing, and the area in Northeast Oz, with the Great Barrier Reef nearby, is no exception.

Our plan for the day was to ride a ferry to the Great Keppel Island, a bit of sand and rock 5 miles or so off the coast.  So first, a bus ride to the marina.

Molly is excited about the boat ride.  I am, too.

A calm start, behind the breakwater, but when we get outside the wall, and pick up speed.

This woman's face says it all.  It was deliciously bumpy, and a great ride.

Looking back at Yeppoon, and the mainland.

After half an hour of cruising, this is the view from behind the boat.

And this is the beach we were approaching.

With a small harbor, filled with yachts and other private vessels.

Upon arrival, Molly's comment was, "I didn't think places like this existed.

That is, places like this where ordinary people, just like you and me, can go visit.  There was an island resort here, but like many expensive places, in went belly up in 2008.  Now there is just the empty buildings, plus a few other places to stay.

We had called Geoff at the Keppel Holiday Village.  It was a cluster of a few small buildings, some cabins, and some larger tents set up under covered roofs.   We had reserved a tent, and decided to try slightly fancier camping than we normally had.  The tent even came with its own Possum.

So yeah, it was a bit of a tropical paradise.  And Molly loves the beach.  The water, as you can see, is crystal clear blue.  Quite lovely.  We settled in for a long, hard stay on a beautiful beach.  More pictures soon.