Pumpkin Island is a small, tropical paradise located in the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s Keppel Group of islands.

It sits approximately 14 km off the coast of Yeppoon.  

With an area of only six hectares, the island is a small, tranquil place with accommodation for guests in self-catering wind-powered units.

Accommodation – Info

The accommodation on Pumpkin Island is very environmentally friendly and sustainable, with self-containing units that are fully wind-powered.

The island offers a small variety of accommodation options.

The entire island only has accommodation for 34 guests in seven different units.

There are five cottages and two bungalows on the island, all of which are very comfortably equipped.  Each cottage and bungalow has a special name and unique décor.

All units have spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and are self-contained and powered by wind and sun.  The accommodation options on the island are as follows.

1)   Pebble Point: The luxury cottage on the island is called Pebble Point.  It is located on the northernmost point of Pumpkin Island and accommodates up to four guests in two bedrooms.  It comes with a private deck pool that overlooks the ocean.

2)   Coral Cove: This unit gets its name from its location, which is near the coral reefs and the coral lagoon on the island.  This unit, which sleeps five, offers fantastic views over the reef during low tide.

3)   Tropical Tides: Tropical Tides is a five person unit located on the main beach on the island.  It offers views of Yeppoon from across the water.

4)   Coco Pine: Situated up in the Norfolk Pine and Coconut trees on the island, this secluded sanctuary sleeps up to six guests.

5)   Oyster Box: The Oyster Box is located on the main beach and offers views of the mainland.  This unit also sleeps up to six guests.

6)   Island View: Situated on the northwestern beach side of the island, this unit caters to a more laid back guest.  It has shared bathroom facilities and a spacious outdoor kitchen.

 The central amenities building is only a short walk away from the unit.  This unit sleeps up to four in two bunk beds.

7)   Ocean Breeze: The Ocean Breeze property is located near the Island View bungalow.  It has the same layout and shares bathroom facilities with the Island View.

Whether you are looking for a luxurious retreat, or a more budget friendly and simpler accommodation option, there is something for you on Pumpkin Island.

Due to the limited number of guests on the island, you are ensured that no matter what you pick, you will get the tranquility and peace you are looking for.

What to Do Info

Pumpkin Island and its surrounding resources and natural areas offer a variety of activities to its visitors.

If you are just looking to relax, swimming and beach lounging is a great idea.

The beach on the western side of the island is perfect for swimming or for just relaxing and laying in the sand.

It is also the location of the activities hut, where guests can rent kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and life jackets.

As you might expect from an island paradise, snorkeling and scuba diving are also popular acitivities.

The clear water and abundance of colorful, tropical fish and underwater plant life makes Pumpkin Island a fascinating place to snorkel for both novice and experienced snorkelers.

Additionally, the five-star PADI Dive Center, Capricorn Reef Diving, will collect visitors to Pumpkin Island and take them for a day of diving, returning them to the island at the end of the day.

Dive charters can also be arranged depending on the weather and availability.

Given all the sea life in the waters around the island, it should also come as no surprise that there are abundant fishing opportunities around Pumpkin Island.

Whether you are looking for shoreline or deep sea fishing, the diverse coral reefs, rocky headlands, sheltered bays, and open seas surrounding the island make for excellent fishing.

Fishing charters can also be arranged depending on the weather and availability.

Depending on the season, dolphins, sea turtles, and whale sightings can be expected around the island. Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these creatures should consult the Pumpkin Island Nature Calendar to see when they will be in the area.

Visitors can also go on a variety of walks around the island to various lookout points, beaches, or other points of interest. The island is small and is thus very easy to explore for visitors.

During low tide, visitors can walk out to Little Pumpkin Island over the land bridge.

However, be sure to pay attention to the tides as the bridge will be submerged during high tide!  While walking the island, guests can see and experience some of the wildlife on the island.

The Nankeen Kestrel, Ospreys, Sooty and Pied Oyster Catchers, and Stone Curlews are among the impressive species of bird that call Pumpkin Island home.

Visitors can also visit the nearby North Keppel Island, which is accessible from Pumpkin Island.

There are three different hikes that visitors can take on the island that will allow them to experience the diverse wildlife on the island, as well as take in the spectacular views of Keppel Bay and the surrounding islands.

The hikes all begin from the Considine Beach camping area.

If you want to get back to the water after all that hiking, there are a variety of water sports available at Pumpkin Island.  

The aforementioned activities hut offers kayak, stand up paddle boards, paddle boats, and life jackets for guests, free of charge.

This is a great way to get out and see the island from a different perspective and to enjoy the sea life from above the surface.

The western side of the island is also a great place for kite surfing and wind surfing.

However, equipment for this is not available on the island.  Guests will have to bring their own.

Finally, if you get the time to spend a few days in Yeppoon, the access point to Pumpkin Island on the mainland, you should surely take advantage.

There, you will find excellent amenities for tourists, including fantastic coastal scenery, walking, climbing, horse riding, fishing, sailing, beaches, golf, bird watching, whale watching, kayaking, canoeing, spas, an emu farm, and award winning restaurants and pubs.

How to Get There

Yeppoon is about 650 km north of Brisbane, and 1,100 km south of Cairns.  If you plan to fly to Pumpkin Island, the closest airport is Rockhampton, which is 45 minutes away by car.  

Commercial flights to Rockhampton are available from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

From the airport, you can either take the bus (Youngs Bus Service) right from the airport to the Keppel Bay Marina, or use the Emu’s Beach Resort transfer service.

Once visitors arrive to the Keppel Bay Marina, they can take the island’s own launch service, which will take visitors to the island in 45 minutes.  The boat seats up to 40 passengers.

If you are willing to spend the additional money, charter boat service is also available to the island from the Keppel Bay Marina.