Tuesday, June 16th, Great Keppel Island.
Bob: Our catamaran left the dock at Rosslyn Bay at 10:30 a.m., and we had a smooth, uneventful crossing over to Great Keppel Island of about 40 minutes. I was surprised that our guide/Captain simply ran our catamaran up on the sandy shore and then folded out a gangplank so we could hit the beach. Once there, those of us who had booked the glass-bottomed boat ride transferred to a much smaller boat with large sheets of plate glass or acrylic set into the bottom of the hull. That boat used an small electric motor for propulsion, probably because it was less disturbing to the fish, and it took us a few minutes to cross over to a smaller island about 1/4 mile distant. |
Monika: Leaving our hotel, we took pictures of another strange Australian bird, but when we arrived in Rosslyn Bay in plenty of time for the ferry we enjoyed watching familiar birds, a pair of pelicans. The trip to Great Keppel Island took about 40 minutes. Once there, we just came close enough to the beach and to put the gangway right onto the beach. The people who had just booked a return trip went off onto the beach while the people who had also booked the glass bottom boat tour embarked on the glass bottom boat. |
Bob: Once we reached the reef surrounding the smaller island, we spent about an hour criss-crossing it and watching all the different types of marine life flowing underneath our hull. The water was amazingly clear and we could easily see down 10 meters or about 33 feet. We paused at one point to feed some of the fish, especially a couple of huge gray fish named two "Sushi" and "Stir Fry". Our guide claimed that he had been feeding them on these trips for several years and that they had become so accustomed to his routine that they would line up on one side of the boat to get the fish he tossed out, and then swim immediately over to the other side to get more fish there. Monika was also fortunate enough to get a picture of a sea turtle as he glided quietly by. |
Monika: We motored over to one of the coral reef area. Once there we just drifted along and watched the coral drifting and the fish swimming under the boat. Once we even saw a turtle swim by and this time I think I did get a picture. We then motored over to an old research station, where our guide fed some rather large fish and we could get close up and personal pictures. |
Bob: After we returned to Great Keppel Island, we had lunch on the catamaran and then had about an hour to explore the island itself. Since a medium-sized resort on Keppel Island closed a year or two back, there were only a couple of smaller places to stay and just a couple of shops left on the island. However, that made it seem very quiet and restful, and we both decided it would be a wonderful place to come back and spend a few days, especially if we wanted to unwind. There are 12 beaches on Great Keppel Island and from what we could tell they are all basically deserted, partly because we were there off-season and partly because of the demise of the resort, I would guess. The brilliant white sand contrasted beautifully with the blue sky above and the turquoise green color of the sea below. The sea right above the coral reefs that fringed the island shaded into a much darker, deeper green. All together, it was a very inviting place to go swimming and we only wish we had had more time to do so. |
Monika: We motored back to the island and had some a nice lunch of sandwiches. After that we had some time to explore the island. The main resort had closed but there were some smaller places and shops. I was on a hunt for a beach towel of Australia but could not find one here. So, after having seen the accommodations - we thought it may be fun to spend a couple of day here and unwind - we went walking along the beach. |
Bob: After taking the catamaran back to Rosslyn Bay, we drove back to Yeppoon to do some shopping and then returned to our hotel. Monika wanted to take one final walk on the beach, and we did that as the sun was setting. Some local folks were watching their two boys and a dog paddle around in the surf fairly close to shore, so Monika jumped in to do the same while I stayed in the shallower water and held all our stuff to keep it high and dry (especially my camera!). After dinner I just conked out but Monika managed to stay awake until 8:00 p.m. before she also turned in for the night. |
Monika: After coming back to our hotel, we decided to do a last beach walk. Of course, the water looked too tempting, and I had to go in and enjoy the warm, gentle waves. Bob worried that I shouldn't go out too far in order to avoid sharks, saltwater crocodiles, stinger jelly fiss, poisonous snakes, poisonous shells and other unpleasant creatures in the sea. But it was not their season [optimist!] and I just enjoyed the water. |
| Index |
| Prolog | Map of Australian Walkabout | Epilog |
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