About the work
We are looking for volunteers, preferably couples over the age of 25, to work in our solar powered eco friendly holiday village. We typically have 4 to 6 volunteers at any one time.
The work consists mainly of housekeeping, cleaning of bathrooms, toilets, showers and kitchen. You may be asked to do some gardening such as raking, weeding or watering. Applicants must be responsible, clean, tidy, trustworthy, hard working and go about their work in a professional manner. It’s also important to be happy and smiley as you are working and living in a holiday place. There are also odd jobs around the village, so if you have some special practical skills, please let us know. You should have covered shoes, a hat and sunscreen for gardening. A shirt must be worn in working hours. We ask that you do not have headphones or music on during these three hours so you can interact with us, and our guests.
Work is from 9am to 12pm seven days a week in return for accommodation. Occasionally we are finished early, but you should count on three hours work every day. About once a week you will also be rostered to do an evening clean. This usually takes a half to a whole hour depending on guest numbers. The rest of the day is yours to explore the island.
At the Holiday Village we are a smoke-free low alcohol environment. There is no smoking or vaping anywhere on the premises. We promote quiet restful holidays to our guests, and we expect our staff to respect this. We therefore have quiet time after 9:30pm. If you wish to have music on or have a party, you should find a beach away from the village.
We do not supply food, but we have a fully equipped communal kitchen and outdoor barbecue, with all the cooking equipment you require. There are no supermarkets on the island, so it is best to shop for your entire stay, or at least two weeks, before you come to the island. It is possible to get groceries delivered to the ferries from Coles or Woolworths in Yeppoon, but delivery will cost on the ferries. Sometimes our volunteers will chip in together to get a delivery, or elect someone to go back to the mainland to pick it up.
Getting here
Finding your way to Great Keppel Island will always take you through Rockhampton, the capital of Central Queensland which is located 40 kilometres or approximately 45 minutes drive to Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast. Transport to Rockhampton, Queensland by private car, Qantas or Virgin Australia, Greyhound or Premier Buses and Queensland Rail.
Transport from Rockhampton to Yeppoon then Rosslyn Bay Harbour: 1. Private car 2. Little Johnny’s tours and rentals – phone 0414 793 637 or littlejohnnystours@bigpond.com 3. Young’s Buses – phone 07 4922 3810 or info@youngsbusservice.com.au
Turning into Rosslyn Bay Harbour, 10 minutes drive east of Yeppoon, you will find Great Keppel Island Security Carpark – phone 07 4933 6670. There is free parking at the marina with security cameras, but this is of course at your own risk.
Transport to Great Keppel Island: 1. Keppel Konnections (phone 0484 241 505); 2. Freedom Fast Cat (phone 07 4933 6888 or email info@freedomfastcats.com). We recommend Freedom Fast Cat as they tend not to charge for extra luggage, and have sturdier boats.
Enjoying your stay
We provide you with snorkelling equipment, wetsuits and stinger suits so you can enjoy the reef. There are many walks around the island so ask us for advice on how to get around. You have probably found us as you are looking for a wonderful experience on a sub-tropical island, and we also try to provide a framework for this, but it is of course up to you to join in activities or suggest them yourself. For example we sometimes chip in and eat together at the communal facilities after sharing a perfect sunset on Fisherman’s beach.
If your situation changes and you need to cancel or alter your stay, please let us know as soon as possible so others can enjoy a placement here.
We look forward to sharing the island with you.
Geoff Mercer
Owner