It looks like Great Keppel got wrecked!

I last visited Great Keppel Island 26 years ago. I only stayed about a week, and don't remember much, but I do remember a pretty and busy island. At the time the tourism slogan ran something along the lines of 'Get wrecked on Great Keppel Island' (one of the beaches is called wreck beach, so I guess it came about through that?)!! Obviously it was before the age of responsible drinking, and I was under-age at the time anyway, so I have no information on how successful that campaign was, but it appears times have changed in more ways than one.

Yesterday we packed our day packs, slathered ourselves in sunscreen, braved the short dinghy ride ashore (travelling into the wind, but miraculously managing to stay dry {thanks to Nick :-}), and set off on an adventure to the other side of the island (in search of an ice-cream and maybe lunch).

We left Leeke's Beach and took the walking track to the nearby lookout. The view from the top was not great, the vegetation blocking most of the view out over Leeke's Beach, but we had managed to get a nice shot from a smaller lookout the previous day, so we weren't too disappointed.

We passed a couple of signs in various states of repair, but all pointing the way to the resort (our carrot on a stick if you will ;-)...so we bravely trekked on!

A little over an hour later (remembering we did have three small children in tow...so it actually felt like a six day foot safari through the Sahara), we came upon the first signs of habitation. Habitation is a term I use loosely! The resort part of the island was a ghost-town!! If I'd seen a big ol' Dharma Initiative emblem painted on the side of the wire enclosed compound...I would not have blinked an eye. I was fully expecting Matthew Fox to come bolting out of the bush with a Polar Bear in hot pursuit...it had that kind of feel about it...very eerie.

I don't know what the story is there, but I am confident in my conclusion that the Great Keppel Island resort on Fisherman's Beach is not currently taking guests, not of the human-kind at any rate. The in-house guests we came across included fruit bats (a colony of which appear to have taken up residence in a big old fig tree on the grounds), and a variety of other skittery, crittery types (and quite possibly Polar Bears ;-).

We eventually found an operational cabin/tent accommodation area at the other end of the beach, and more important to us...a gift shop (which also sold ice cream...HOORAY), and a small bistro serving lunch (double HOORAY). So our island trek had not been in vain. It seems a shame that what was obviously a significant part of the island has been shut down now, but the kids had a lovely time rolling around in the beautiful, fine sand on Fisherman's Beach regardless...

This morning we motor-sailed away from our rather rolly anchorage, arriving at the Keppel Bay Marina in Rosslyn Bay around midday. We are starting to recognise quite a few boats and crews as we move from place to place which is nice, especially when they can offer advice on places to go, things to see, stuff to avoid etc, etc. Some of these people have done this trip several times, and are a fabulous wealth of knowledge, and seem more than happy to answer all my questions too.

I am going to leave you with a picture I just found in my iPhoto catalogue. It is one Nick took while he was out snorkelling with the kids on Lady Musgrave Island. I tell you what, if I'd seen this one before we left, we'd still be there right now! One day they went off in the dinghy to some far-flung corner of the reef, well away from the island proper, and found a beautiful, protected, oasis of aquatic life. This picture looks like it was taken in a crystal-clear aquarium...not on the edge of a reef with a 15 knot sou'easter blowing! I can't wait to get back there!!

Bed time now.

Night-night.