Gypsy Cruising

20 June                

Great Keppel Island

We’re anchored on the northern side of Great Keppel Island, against a long expanse of sandy beach.  Great Keppel is blessed to have wonderful beaches around almost its entire perimeter.  I would have liked to have anchored on the western side, off the old resort, but stronger winds forecast for tomorrow suggest otherwise.

The anchorage at Great Keppel

Not a bad place for a few nights stay

Looking back from the bush track

I holidayed here back in about 1991.  It is something of a “lost” trip for me.  For some reason I took no photographs for its duration and I can only place it in time by trying to reference it against other events.  However my memories of it are clear.  The resort, which was very smart and considerably upgraded from the old “get wrecked” days, was shut down in 2008 with plans to build a mega complex.  Those plans are still circulating. 

Conditions are sunny and hot, and we’ll spend a second night here.  We head off for a walk across the island around mid morning.  The island seems to be crisscrossed by four wheel drive tracks, a legacy of the island having been occupied for many years.  Our track is easy to follow, up a hill and over onto the old resort side.  Along the way we come across abandoned and fenced off storage depots and other facilities, lending the whole island a derelict feeling.  The old resort is similarly fenced off.  However we find a section of fence that has fallen over.  In the absence of warning signs or a serviceable fence, how are we to know we shouldn’t go in and have a look around?

The main resort building still exists, but has been stripped and is quietly rotting away.  The accommodation blocks from the old “get wrecked” days still stand but the rooms are smashed and everything except the old beds have gone.  The newer accommodation blocks that I stayed in, which I remember as being very modern and pleasant, have been razed.  Only the concrete pads on which they stood still exist, complete with the floors of shower recesses being visible.  We found some decrepit old tennis courts, now a dumping ground for building refuse, and the old squash court building, with a folding billboard out front advertising archery activities for the long gone guests.

The main resort building with the accommodation block foundations in the foreground

Wrecked dining hall in the main building - I have many happy memories of this place

The overgrown squash courts

Perfect place for a holiday - the empty beach outside the deserted resort

Wandering around the ruined resort and along its stunning beach, now all empty, leaves me feeling quite sad for the loss of a place that was once so vibrant and happy.  Isn’t it a shame that good things are lost because of the dictates of modern financial economics.

By this stage everything we’ve seen of Great Keppel suggests abject decay.  However, walking up the beach a little way brings us to something completely unexpected – a hamburger joint that also sells beer and souvenirs.  This is like finding the bongo burger bar in the middle of the jungle in Captain Ron.  We hadn’t planned on having lunch, but we went in and couldn’t resist ordering burgers and beers.  The place, known as Tropical Vibes, is simply wonderful.  There are only a few people here and the vibe is laid back and relaxing.  Even the staff seem to spend most of their time sitting out on the garden benches, under the coconut palms, having a chat.  Seems like this is the cure for what we’d been feeling earlier.

Tropical Vibes - like an oasis in a desert

Great Keppel also has other low key accommodation just north of the old resort.  There’s a couple of small houses for rent, some smaller cabins and a camping ground.  They’re serviced by a casual restaurant, a pizza parlour and Tropical Vibe.  For a simple tropical holiday in a beautiful setting, this looks like quite a find.