Destination: Yepoon, Queensland

Jewel of the Capricorn Coast

The delightful holiday resort of Yeppoon lies just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, overlooking the glittering waters of Keppel Bay. It is the principal town and service centre of the Capricorn Coast, 700km north of Brisbane and 25 minutes by car from Rockhampton. The town centre comprises a mix of restaurants, tourist accommodation, shops and galleries along a picturesque waterfront esplanade developed with parkland, recreation spaces and a Bali-style swimming pool complex. 

The Capricorn Coast

These two towns are joined by the 26km Scenic Highway, which hugs a coastline dotted with dramatic headlands, the remnants of long-extinct volcanoes, contained within small pockets of the Capricorn Coast National Park. Four of these enclaves are open to the public with pleasant walks to lookouts that provide panoramic views up and down the coast and to the Keppel Islands offshore. The reserves also protect a wide range of plant communities including heath lands, open eucalypt forest, vine thickets and open tussock grasslands. 

Double Head is named for its twin formations: an imposing 82m dome on the western side that towers over Rosslyn Bay Harbour; and an eastern peak that plunges 70m to a rocky tidal platform with features known as The Blowhole and Fan Rock. Bordering the harbour to the south and spanning the isthmus between Statute Bay and Kemp Beach, the Rosslyn Head reserve encloses a 60m peak rising from eucalypt forests and sand dunes.

At the southern end of Kemp Beach, Bluff Point comprises the largest trachyte plug on the Capricorn Coast, marked by vertical 100m cliffs fringed by a rock platform exposed at low tide. A 2.3km walking track circles the headland through coastal vegetation ranging from mangroves and heathlands to open eucalypt forests and tussock grasslands. Along the route, two lookouts provide magnificent views of Keppel Bay and the hinterland.

Though not as remarkable a landform as its southern counterparts, Wreck Point takes good advantage of its elevated location between Rosslyn Bay and Yeppoon with impressive views of the bay and the long sweep of Lammermoor Beach to the south.

Due to its location in the southern tropics, the Capricorn Coast basks in hot summers without the oppressive humidity of Far North Queensland, and mild winters that rarely fall to single-digit temperatures. This year-round temperate climate lends itself well to the relaxed outdoor lifestyle enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. But just as Paradise had its serpent, so Yeppoon has experienced the occasional cyclone. On 20 February 2015, category 5 tropical cyclone Marcia crossed the Capricorn Coast near Shoalwater Bay, just north of the town. As it progressed southwards, the storm was downgraded but nevertheless destroyed 150 houses, left more than 13,500 residents without power, and seriously damaged businesses and crops.

The Human Landscape

The Capricorn Coast and the area comprising most of the Rockhampton region is the traditional country of the Darumbal Aboriginal people. Many coastal areas were used by them as food collection sites and centuries-old middens may be seen at Rosslyn Head. Offshore, the Keppel Bay Islands were the home of the Kanomi-Woppaburra people for at least 5000 years and archaeological evidence of their occupation includes midden sites, burial sites, a bora ring, stone artefacts and campsites. 

During the mid-1840s, Ludwig Leichhardt and Thomas Mitchell explored the hinterland around the Fitzroy River and reported favourably on its grazing potential. In 1853, the Archer brothers established a pastoral run at Gracemere, and within five years, settlement began in earnest with the proclamation of the town of Rockhampton. In 1865, the Ross family took up large landholdings along the Capricorn Coast, including the Taranganba pastoral run near present-day Yeppoon. 

The region’s rich volcanic soils also attracted farmers and agriculture became the mainstay of the local economy for the next 100 years. A short, but intense, period of sugar cane growing began in 1883 with the establishment of the Yeppoon Sugar Company, but ceased in 1903 due to unseasonal rains and a lack of investors who placed their money in more profitable ventures further north.

With improved road and rail links with Rockhampton, Yeppoon’s nascent popularity as a seaside destination blossomed, attracting tourists and investors from interstate and overseas. Encouraged by the Bjelke-Petersen government in the 1970s, a Japanese syndicate headed by Yohachiro Iwasaki completed a controversial resort project at Farnborough, just north of Yeppoon, in 1980. After passing through several ownerships, the resort closed in 2016, except for one of its golf courses. Regardless, the local industry thrives today on the back of eco-tourism in the Keppel Islands.

Keppel Bay and the Islands

Keppel Bay is a coastal indent with a 30km shoreline from Emu Park to the northern tip of Curtis Island. After flowing through Rockhampton, the Fitzroy River debouches in the south-west corner of the bay.

James Cook was the first European to explore the bay, between 25–27 May 1770, and recorded difficulty evading shoals west of the main islands before standing off to deeper water. He was somewhat unimpressed with the islands, describing them as “having an appearance rather of barrenness than fertility”, and did not land on any of them. He named the bay and its group of islands after Admiral August Keppel, First Lord of the Admiralty.

34 years later, Matthew Flinders spent a month exploring the shallow bays and islands, followed in 1820 by Phillip Parker King who encountered difficulties when his ship, the Mermaid, ran aground. In 1843, the coast was extensively surveyed by Francis Blackwood on HMS Fly, accompanied by Charles Yule on HMS Bramble. The first recorded visit to Great Keppel Island was in 1847 by John MacGillivray, the naturalist aboard HMS Rattlesnake.

Keppel Bay forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and encloses 27 ‘continental islands’ that were once part of the mainland before rising sea levels isolated them offshore. 18 of the islands comprise the Keppel Group, located in the shallow basin in the north of the bay, 18km seaward of Yeppoon. The two largest are Great Keppel (1454ha) and North Keppel (627ha). 

13 islands (excluding Great Keppel) comprise the Keppel Bay Islands National Park, and Barren and Peak Islands form a separate conservation area for scientific research. Peak is one of the largest nesting sites for flatback turtles in eastern Australia, and is enclosed within a Preservation Zone that excludes recreational activities.

The islands also provide habitats for abundant birdlife. Raptors are often seen patrolling the skies and some nest on the islands; terns and cormorants hunt fish in shallow waters, while waders such as pied oystercatchers and stone-curlews forage among the beaches and estuaries. Many land birds including honeyeaters, rainbow bee-eaters, pheasant coucals and friarbirds are permanent residents of the islands’ woodlands and heaths.

Many of the islands are surrounded by fringing reefs with an unusually high cover (60–70 per cent) of fast-growing coral species, whose diversity matches that of the Whitsundays. Sadly, these coral communities are vulnerable to environmental stresses such as bleaching from elevated sea temperature, degraded water quality associated with flood events, and physical damage caused by cyclones, storms and boat anchors. 

The Keppel Islands are popular with tourists from the mainland and recreational sailors, attracted by the sheltered bays, secluded sandy beaches and the opportunity to fish, dive and snorkel in the bay’s crystal-clear waters. (Be aware that potentially deadly marine stingers may be present in these tropical waters, especially between November and March, although stinger suits can provide some degree of protection.) Boat launch facilities and charters are available from Rosslyn Bay Harbour, and a daily ferry service connects with Great Keppel’s main beach.

The one-time resort on that island has been closed for some time and is being demolished, pending sale of the 162ha leasehold for redevelopment. However, a range of budget, beachside accommodation is still available at the Great Keppel Island Hideaway and Holiday Village, suitable for singles, couples and families. The national parks also provide camping and day-use on many other islands, with toilets and picnic tables. Camping permits are required and fees apply. 

Cruising the Keppels

Keppel Bay can be approached from the south through the Curtis Channel around Cape Capricorn or The Narrows inside Curtis Island, from the east by the Capricorn Channel between Swain Reefs and the Capricorn and Bunker Groups, and from the north via the main channel inside the Great Barrier Reef. All approaches are mostly hazard-free, apart from some isolated rocky outcrops identified on charts and large commercial tankers in the sea lanes off Gladstone. Deep keel boats need to time their run through The Narrows to cross the sandbanks of Cattle Crossing, about half-way along, at the top of the tide. After passing Man and Wife Rocks, the approach to Rosslyn Bay Harbour is on a line due west between Great Keppel and North Keppel Islands.

The bay is quite open, and the islands are exposed to winds from most directions. Limited shelter from south-east trades is possible in open anchorages directly off Yeppoon, in Cooee Bay west of the Rosslyn Bay Harbour, and to the south in Shoal Bay off Kinka Beach.

Around Great Keppel, Leekes Beach offers the best anchorage during south-east trades, Long Beach is sheltered from northerlies and Fishermans Beach is good in east to north-east winds. Wreck Bay is a good anchorage in winds from the west quarter. North Keppel offers limited anchorages during light trades in Considine Bay and the small cove formed with nearby Pumpkin Island. Hummocky Island, 4km south of Great Keppel, has a delightful bay and beach in its northern crescent, which provides secure anchorage against south-east winds but can be very active with swells curving around the north-east corner. 

To protect their reefs, some areas around Barren, Great Keppel and Humpy Islands are designated No Anchoring Areas, defined by white pyramid-shaped buoys with blue marine park labels. You cannot anchor inshore of the line between these buoys, and they may not be used to moor vessels. There are public moorings in the waters around national park islands that suit a variety of vessel sizes and are accessed on a first-come-first-served basis. Time limits may apply during the day, but all moorings are available overnight between 3pm and 9am.

Formed by two breakwaters in the north-west lee of Double Head, Rosslyn Bay Harbour encloses the Keppel Bay Marina, with 500 berths catering for vessels up to 35m on short- and long-term rental. Opposite the marina, public facilities include a mooring area, pile berths, a jetty and fuel berth and a launching ramp with pontoons where a tender can be tied for a limited time. The harbour also accommodates the Capricorn Cruising Yacht Club, Water Police, Coastguard and the Freedom Fast-Cats ferry terminal.

Operated by the marina, the Keppel Bay Boatyard provides marine services, including general repairs and maintenance, antifouling, a 40-tonne Travelift and hardstand storage. The marina is also home to the annual Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race. Now in its 15th year, this is one of Australia’s premier coastal yacht races, which is followed by a passage to the Whitsundays for Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week.

Contacts

Capricorn Coast Information Centre

Ross Creek Roundabout, Scenic Highway, Yeppoon 

P (07) 4939 4888 or 1800 675 785

E yeppoon@capricorntourism.com.au

W capricornholidays.com.au (external link)

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

P 1800 990 177

W gbrmpa.gov.au

Qld Fisheries, Yeppoon

Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour

P (07) 4933 6404 or 13 25 23 (for fishing regulations)

W daff.qld.gov.au

Australian Volunteer Coastguard

Yeppoon Flotilla QF11

Rosslyn Bay Harbour

P (07) 4933 6600

VHF 27MHz, Ch.16

Call sign VMR 411

Keppel Bay Marina Rosslyn Bay Harbour

P (07) 4933 6244 (main office)

E info@keppelbaymarina.com.au

W keppelbaymarina.com.au

M 0438 336 244 (boat yard)

E boatyard@keppelbaymarina.com.au