Great Keppel Island – Getting There
- David French
- Jun 28
- 4 min read
Whether enjoying a few days in paradise or just a day trip, Great Keppel’s white sandy beaches and fringing reefs are easily accessible from Roslyn Bay Boat Harbour, just 45kms from Rockhampton and 9km from Yeppoon.
The distance from the ferry terminal at Rosslyn Bay to Great Keppel Island is about 16 kilometres (10 miles), and on a reasonably calm day, the trip takes about 30 minutes.
The first thing you should do before planning a trip to Keppel is to look at the weather forecast. It’s not the expected sun and rain you are looking for but the wind – how strong and from which direction. Go to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (we call it the BOM) website:
Scroll down and click on “Wind” . I’ll tell you why this is important as we progress with the story and in future blogs.
Two ferry companies operate regular schedules – Keppel Connections and Freedom Fast Cats:
The waters of Keppel Bay are typically quite shallow; at low tide, only about 8 metres in some places, and the bay can chop up significantly, especially if the tide is running against the wind. Freedom Fast Cats offers the larger boats, and you should prefer this option if the forecast windspeed is over about 15 knots. While the smaller boats will handle the trip fine, they’ll be less comfortable in rougher seas. Over 25 knots and both operators will generally cancel services.
Just a tip if you are prone to sea-sickness – the larger boats offer outdoor areas, that allow you to get some wind in your face and to look at the horizon. You’re much more likely to become ill sitting inside, so make a plan to stand outside and watch the horizon before you depart the harbour. Taking a sea-sick tablet might be a good idea if you are especially prone. It will be too late once you get on the boat.
Keppel Connections offers the greatest flexibility and offers several departures each day, including an early 7:30am departure and a late 5:45pm departure on Friday evenings (but make sure you check). Scheduled departure times are consistent throughout the week. Freedom Fast Cats offers early departures only on Saturdays and on school holidays, and daily departure times vary depending on the day of the week. Bookings are generally not essential, but things can get busy, especially during school holidays, or if there is an event on.
Be aware that the ferry terminals of the competing companies are situated several hundred metres from each other. Keppel Connections operates from right of the Keppel Bay Marina building, which incidentally hosts the excellent Waterline Restaurant. Access is via Breakwater Drive and Waterline Way. About 300 metres distant, Freedom Fast Cats operates from a dedicated building located on John Howes Drive. Make sure you know which ferry operator you have booked with because that 300 metres could be the difference between a great day out and missing the ferry, especially if you are a bit tight for time.
Getting to Rosslyn Bay
Our BnB in Rockhampton hosts guests from all over Australian and around the world. Sandra and I am often amazed that guests often don’t know the wonderland offered by our regions. A key factor in getting the most from a short visit is knowing how to get around.
Rosslyn Bay by Car
By car, the trip from the centre of Rockhampton to Rosslyn Bay is about 45 minutes. From the middle of Yeppoon it is about 15 minutes’ drive, and about 20 minutes from Emu Park. Leave at least 15 minutes at the Rosslyn Bay end to allow you to get organised - boarding the ferry is an informal affair, but best to have a little time up your sleeve.
Rosslyn Bay by Bus
Translink’s route 440 bus is an inexpensive, and surprisingly convenient way to get from Rockhampton to either ferry. A few services begin at from Rockhampton Airport, but the main stops in Rockhampton are located outside the Rockhampton Police Station and at Stockland Shopping Centre. Other stops are available but while their location will most likely be clear to locals, visitors will probably want to scope them out beforehand, and perhaps arrive a bit early. All 440 route buses from Rockhampton travel through Yeppoon, from where there are additional services if your timetable accommodates a look around. At the time of writing the bus fare from either Rockhampton or Yeppoon to Rosslyn Bay is just 50 cents each way.
The 440 route timetable can be found here:
Taxi and Uber
Convenient but expensive, from Rockhampton this is probably only an option for groups and it’s not really recommended. Rockhampton’s taxi service has become very unreliable, even when booked ahead of time. Uber does not offer a pre-booked service in Rockhampton and jagging a ride depends on how many Ubers are on the road when you want to depart. The cost in a taxi depends exactly where you are picked up from, but expect to pay at least $130 each way. Ubers seem to be a bit cheaper at about $100 each way. If you are based in Yeppoon, taking a taxi or an Uber to Rosslyn Bay is probably a reasonable choice.
Transfers
More reliable than taxi or Uber are transfer services that can take you between Rockhampton and Rosslyn Bay. They might be a good option for a group. This link lists them all:
Bike or scooter from Yeppoon
It is possible to ride a bike or take a Neuron scooter from Yeppoon to Rosslyn Bay. A large portion of the journey is on a dedicated concrete bike path. There are a few roads to cross however, and in my experience public use scooters are relatively expensive for long distances. This is especially true if a few people are travelling together. Other options preferred.
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