Walking into my magical beachfront cottage I was pleasantly surprised by just how homely it felt. This particular cottage is set looking out over the main beach and is aptly named ‘Tropical Tides’. With a comfy lounge inside and a spacious balcony at the front, the hardest decision I had to make was whether I wanted to kick back and enjoy the views from inside or sit out on the deck listening to the waves lap up on the beach. I went with the latter option and sat out on my deck for a couple of hours unwinding in absolute paradise.
Completely relaxed and rejuvenated, it was then time to get out and explore the island and surrounding reefs. As it’s a small island, the walk is relatively short around it. Don’t let the size fool you though, there’s plenty to take in. Pumpkin doesn’t have the typical flat landscape like a lot of other islands off the Queensland coast. There are three beaches and a number of hills and rocky outcrops which have fantastic lookouts including my favourite spot- with an amazing 360-degree view of the island and surrounding areas. From these lookouts, it was easy to spot the fringing reefs and I was now very keen to get in the water and snorkel.