Keppel Bay Marina – Sailing to Yeppoon’s Premier Berth Destination

Keppel Bay Marina – Sailing to Yeppoon’s Premier Berth Destination

If you’re planning a sailing journey along Queensland’s coast, Keppel Bay Marina (often referred to as Yeppoon Marina) is a must-visit destination. Located within 100 miles of the Great Barrier Reef, it offers one of the most scenic spots to secure a berth for rent on the Southern Reef. With surrounding hills and small mountains, plus direct access to coral islands, it’s no surprise this marina attracts both long-term berth holders and cruising sailors.

From Bundaberg Marina to Lady Elliot Island

We began our trip from Bundaberg Marina and made our first stop at Lady Elliot Island. This private coral cay has a single public mooring buoy where yachts can stay up to 24 hours. Visitors are welcome between 9 am and 4 pm, but you’ll need to notify the island in advance via radio channel 68, or by phone if you have Starlink or mobile service.

We enjoyed the island’s buffet lunch for $30 per person (August 2025) — an excellent stopover before continuing north to Yeppoon.

Lady Musgrave Island – Lagoon Berths in Nature

Our next anchorage was the stunning Lady Musgrave Island, famous for its protective lagoon. Surrounded by reef, the lagoon offers calm waters and about 5–7 public moorings. Navigating the narrow channel can be tricky, so we recommend timing your entrance at high tide. Once inside, the quiet beauty and turquoise waters make this one of the most picturesque natural “marinas” on the reef.

Heron Island – Diving Paradise

Before reaching Yeppoon, we stopped at Heron Island, a diver’s paradise. We didn’t book ahead but simply beached our dinghy beside the jetty while ferries used the main dock. Swimming among turtles, rays, and reef sharks reminded us why this coastline is world-famous.

Berthing at Keppel Bay Marina (Yeppoon Marina)

Arriving at Keppel Bay Marina in Yeppoon, we found a quiet harbor with plenty of berths for rent. For our 46-foot catamaran, we paid $99 per night. Wide fairways between jetties made docking simple — plenty of space to spin the boat 360 degrees and reverse smoothly into our berth.

Dining at the Marina

One of the highlights was the Asian fusion restaurant right at the marina. I ordered the tiger steak, which had Vietnamese-Thai flavors — rich, herbal, and perfectly balanced between sweet and salty. The steak was tender enough to rival any five-star hotel dish. The karaage chicken salad was equally gourmet, showing just how high the standards are at this marina restaurant.

Facilities & Booking Experience

While docking was easy, the marina booking process felt outdated. Unlike Marina Match, where finding a berth for rent is seamless with live maps and instant confirmation, Keppel Bay Marina required multiple emails to confirm price, payment, and insurance uploads. On a windy day, filling out paper forms wasn’t exactly sailor-friendly.

Facilities were mixed. Showers and toilets were available in good numbers, but the laundry area was old and partially out of order. Security was also lacking — with no jetty gates, we noticed locals fishing off the pontoons late at night.

Getting to Yeppoon Town

Another challenge is transport. With no Uber service available, provisioning requires booking a taxi. The marina does have a courtesy car, but it was fully booked during our stay.

Why Choose Keppel Bay Marina?

Despite its dated booking system and limited amenities, Keppel Bay Marina (Yeppoon Marina) remains a peaceful and scenic stopover for sailors looking for a secure berth close to the Great Barrier Reef. The gourmet restaurant, spacious docking, and proximity to coral islands make it a worthy destination on any cruising itinerary.

For marina operators, this is also a reminder of how platforms like Marina Match can revolutionize the way berths for rent are managed — offering boaters real-time booking, security, and convenience.