FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All of your questions answered for your exclusive island accommodation experience on Pumpkin Island.
If you've still got questions and queries, head to our Contact Us page.
Pumpkin Island requires a 25% deposit to be paid upon making a booking. Unfortunately we cannot hold bookings without a deposit.
The outstanding balance is to be paid 30 days prior to arrival.
Ferry transfers to Pumpkin Island leave from Yeppoon’s Keppel Bay Marina, which is located at 1 Waterline Way, Yeppoon. The trip takes between 30 and 40 minutes to Pumpkin Island.
This ferry service operates on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at a cost of $65/adult one-way ($130/adult return) and $45/child one-way ($90/child return) for one return trip per booking.
Please note if any extra transfers are required above the one return trip per booking, you will need to contact management to discuss alternative options and associated costs.
Our ferry can travel on any chosen day for whole island bookings, however they are still dependent on the tides.
Pumpkin Xpress is a 12 meter long, 4.4 meter wide aluminium catamaran with seating for up to 34 guests.
Guests are more than welcome to bring their own boats or helicopters too. For further detailed information visit the Getting Here page.
Check in is from 3pm and check out is at 9am.
For guests' convenience we have a Ferry Schedule where guests can check departure times. Please follow the links on the website.
We kindly ask that guests arrive 45 minutes prior to departure to start loading luggage in order not to delay the ferries departure.
Due to tidal conditions and limited access onto the island, as well as guests returning from the island, the ferry has to depart promptly at the scheduled departure time and will not be delayed.
For single cottage bookings the ferry departs on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday.
The ferry is flexible to depart any day of the week for whole island bookings and does one return trip per booking.
Due to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's regulations we are not allowed to carry dangerous goods, such as petrol (jerry cans) and gas, onboard our vessel with passengers.
If you require fuel to be taken over to Pumpkin please arrange a private charter where no passengers will be onboard. The cost for a private charter is $1,700/trip.
For further information please feel free to contact our friendly staff.
A maximum weight limit of up to 20kg per item is enforced to ensure the safety of our staff and crew.
Please make sure you pack according to our weight restrictions or we may not be able to transport excessively heavy luggage over to the island.
Baggage weight limits are restricted to a total carriage weight limit as we need to ensure the safety of our crew and staff when handling heavy items.
We encourage guests to bring everything they feel they might need for a self catering holiday experience. There are no limits on quantity, we again kindly ask you to adhere to our weight restrictions of no more than 20kg's for an individual item.
Please let us know if you plan on bringing any oversized items or equipment as we will need to inform the ferry crew and ensure there is ample space for all guests on board.
Unfortunately the cottages can not power eskies, CPAP machines, Thermomixes, toasters, hair straighteners, hair dryers or coffee machines, so these items can be left at home.
No, Pumpkin Island has no jetty facility and is kept in a natural state.
Our ferry departure times do depend on the tides, as Pumpkin Island is only accessible during a mid-high tide.
Please refer to our Ferry Schedule for departure times.
Between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the weather.
No, Pumpkin has no shop or restaurant and is a self catering island.
Guests will need to bring all clothes, food and drinks for the duration of their stay.
Please remember if you're unsure, rather pack it :)
The island has a licensed bar in the Sunset Lounge where guests can enjoy a drink upon request.
The award winning Waterline Restaurant on the mainland, has a menu available and can provide self-catering packs for guests wishing to have catering. These pre-ordered catering packs need to be ordered through Keppel Bay Marina up to 48 hours before departure from the mainland.
Guests collect the catering packs from the Waterline Restaurant before boarding the ferry. You can view the menu on our catering page.
No, we do not stock any condiments and request guests bring everything along as there are no shops on the island.
All the cottages' kitchens are fully equipped with fridge/freezers and gas stoves with ovens, grills and 4 gas cook-tops. Each cottage has a stove top whistling kettle.
Fridges are 225 litres. This is like an average household size fridge with a freezer compartment on top.
We find that the fridges are large enough to stock a week's food and supplies for a family. Sometimes drinks will need to be kept cold in eskies with ice if large amounts of drinks are needed every day.
The bungalows kitchen has two 225 litre fridges, one for each bungalow and a gas stove with oven, grill and 4 gas cook-tops.
Guests are welcome to use the pizza oven located in the Lookout building for roasts, pizzas or for baking bread.
Each cottage has its own gas BBQ on a private deck.
The bungalows kitchen has a BBQ grill and plate available.
No, the kitchens are fully stocked with cooking utensils.
Yes please, where possible please use septic friendly (eco friendly) toilet paper.
As there are no shops on the island we would hate for anyone to run out of toilet paper please.
All linen is supplied, including beach towels.
Yes, but only 12-volt solar power which is enough to power the water pump, fans, lights and fridge. We are proud of the clean, quiet power provided by nature.
Each cottage has a USB port for charging mobile phones and smaller devices. There is no 240 volt power available in any of the cottages.
Unfortunately the cottages cannot power Eskies, CPAP Machines, Thermomixes, toasters, hair straighteners, hair dryers or coffee machines and we kindly ask guests to be conservative with solar energy usage.
Yes, each cottage will have 2 wheelie bins. One is for general refuse and the other for mixed recycling, we ask guests to bag all rubbish.
We also have a cardboard recycling bin, compost bins and two blue 10c recycling bins on the island.
Unfortunately Pumpkin Island has no laundry facilities or washing machines available for guests to use. There is a laundry tub available at the Lookout where guests can hand wash any necessary items during their stay.
All the cottages have clothes airers to dry towels, clothes or swimming gear.
Guests are welcome to use the kayaks, stand up paddleboards and snorkelling equipment. The snorkel equipment is however limited. We kindly ask guests to return the equipment (undamaged and to return it to its allocated spot) which is well above the high water mark so nothing gets swallowed by the tides.
For more information, head to our Activities page.
Yes, we love watching the sunsets from our designated fire pit. We do recommend guests bring a packet of yummy marshmallows for your kids. Firewood is for sale on the island at $30 per bag.
Please note that the only fires allowed on the island are at the designated fire pit and Wood-fired Pizza Oven.
No other fires are allowed to be lit on the island.
We sell bags of firewood at $30/bag, or you can bring your own firewood (termite free) if you'd prefer. Don't forget to pack all your ingredients, including your pizza dough/bases and yummy toppings. There are no shops, so you'll need to bring everything :)
Yes, there is full Telstra, Optus and Vodafone reception and therefore access to the internet.
Pumpkin Island does not have WiFi. There is full mobile reception available on the island though, so guests will be able to access the internet from their mobile devices.
Pumpkin is located just above the Tropic of Capricorn and therefore has a sub-tropical climate, which unfortunately means we may have some days where the wind blows and it’s rainy (fortunately providing fresh drinking water and time to relax too).
We have the Sunset Lounge right on the main beach facing Yeppoon, which has a small library and some board games.
Inclement weather might mean more time relaxing...
Pumpkin is a very small island, only 150 meters wide and 450 meters long.
The cottages and bungalows are approximately 20 – 30 metres from the closest beach and all have beautiful sea views.
Stingers may be present from November - May along the Capricorn Coast.
We have never had any incidents around Pumpkin Island since opening in 1964.
For those concerned we highly recommend packing and wearing stinger/sun suits during stinger season (November - May).
In case of a life threatening emergency, we ask guests to please dial '000' straight away and then ensure management is informed immediately.
The managers have advanced first aid training and will liaise with Emergency crew if an emergency helicopter or boat is required.
The Sunset Lounge also has a defibrillator.
We ask all guests to travel with travel insurance please.
Yes, each of the cottages have a ceramic bench top filter that needs to be topped up as they are used, allowing pure filtered rain water for drinking.
We kindly suggest guests bring refillable drink water bottles to help reduce the plastic waste produced on the island.
Water is a very precious resource on the island.
Fishing can be done from the island – you don’t require a boat.
Don't forget to bring your own fishing gear and lures.
(Always ensure your catch is within the QLD Fisheries size limits before keeping, fines for keeping undersized fish will apply)
Yes, we have some beautiful snorkelling spots, but they are dependent on the marine conditions and weather.
At Pumpkin Island, we pride ourselves on providing a serene and relaxed atmosphere, encouraging guests to unwind and enjoy the beauty of our tropical paradise. Whether you prefer lounging in a hammock or engaging in exciting activities, Pumpkin Island offers something for everyone.
For those looking to be a bit more active, we offer a variety of on-island activities such as stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP), kayaking, and snorkeling. These activities allow you to explore the stunning surroundings and vibrant marine life right off the island.
There are also other off island activities available through other tour operators. We recommend booking off-island activities well in advance to ensure availability;
Mackerel, Trevally, Queen Fish, Rock Cod, Coral Trout, Amberjack, Red Emperor, Squid and many more…we've even hooked a sailfish off the eastern rocks.
For more information, have a look at our Nature Calendar.
Please head to our Accommodation Page for current pricing.
Guests can leave their vehicles at Keppel Bay Marina car park if they wish.
There is also the Great Keppel Island Security Car Park, which offers secure undercover
parking.
For more information please contact Great Keppel Island Security Car Park on 0488 004 785.