PUMPKIN ISLAND IS BACK!
Posted on March 30th, 2016
If booking out your own private island for you and 33 of your closest family and friends, and hiring a private chef is your idea of local luxury, then look no further than Pumpkin Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, a short boat ride (or helicopter) from Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast.
Pumpkin Island is open, having welcomed its first guests over Easter!
If three nights (or more) on a sub-tropical island with just one or a few is your preference, you can individually book one of the five cottages (Oyster Box, Coco Pine, Tropical Tides, Coral Cove, Pebble Point) or two beach bungalows (Ocean Breeze, Island View), and you can either self cater or have your gourmet meals of fresh local produce pre-ordered from the award winning “Waterline Restaurant” at Keppel Bay Marina.
For single cottage bookings, for a modest additional cost, the “Ocean Tribe” boat transfer departs the Keppel Bay Marina on Monday, Friday and Saturday which is organised when you book your accommodation with Pumpkin Island. If you book the entire island for three nights or more, boat transfers can be arranged any day around your stay.
Owners Wayne and Laureth Rumble have been working tirelessly over the past few months to reveal freshly renovated cottages, with new kitchens and bathrooms, featuring local beach pebbles in the bathroom splashbacks. They are keen to promote that “mostly Pumpkin is about enjoying nature, relaxation and making memories” and they are rightfully proud that Pumpkin Island, powered by wind and sun, offsets its carbon emissions, having awarded them “the first and only carbon positive (inhabited) island in Australia” authorised by Cleaner Climate Ltd.
The Sunset Lounge on the main beach has also undergone some renovation, with an extended top deck and thatch roof to blend in with the eco certified status of the island. Once a liquor license is finalised, functions, weddings, events and cocktail hours in the sunset lounge will be truly spectacular.
A new boardwalk from Pebble Point to the bottom of the hill behind Coral Cove is sure to delight visitors with the intention of extending it past all the cottages so they are connected, whilst helping the plant growth flourish and adding protection from beach erosion.
A completely see-through kayak is available for rent, with all other water activities provided at no charge and included in your holiday booking. Activities on the island include snorkelling, fishing, marine animal watching (dolphins, turtles, whales in season), bird watching, paddle boating, stand up paddle boards and sea kayaking, a library and boardgames corner. Scuba diving will be available for an additional fee.
Yoga retreats on the island are planned for the months of May, August and November as well as a few more exciting announcements yet to be revealed.
With Pumpkin Island already showing very strong bookings to June this year, my advice is to book early to experience your own memories on this little island paradise.
Fun Fact:
Pumpkin Island was ‘won’ by Roger and Merle Mason in 1961 over a game of poker with a friend (and owner of the island), Snigger Findley, when Roger finally convinced Snigger to sell the island to the Mason’s for a grand total of £60.
The Mason’s established the Island as a tourist destination in 1964, before selling the island to its current owners in 2003.
Until next time
Mary Carroll
CEO – Capricorn Enterprise
