{"id":1675,"date":"2026-07-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?p=1675"},"modified":"2026-07-01T10:27:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T00:27:28","slug":"forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you crave <strong>talc-white<\/strong> beaches and glassy <strong>reef<\/strong> lagoons without the price shock, there\u2019s a quieter answer hiding in plain sight. On the <strong>Capricorn<\/strong> Coast, a string of <strong>islands<\/strong> sits under the travel radar, serving up the same technicolor water and coral gardens for a fraction of the <strong>cost<\/strong>. Locals will tell you, \u201cIt\u2019s the <strong>Great<\/strong> Barrier before the crowds,\u201d and they\u2019re not <strong>wrong<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Here, you swap high-end <strong>marinas<\/strong> for palm\u2011rustled campsites, five\u2011course <strong>tastings<\/strong> for fish\u2011and\u2011chips on the sand, and you still snag that bucket\u2011list <strong>snorkel<\/strong> with turtles and electric\u2011blue parrotfish on living <strong>reef<\/strong>. The vibe is breezy, the prices gentler, and the sunsets feel like they were painted just for <strong>you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Meet the Keppel Islands<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This laid\u2011back <strong>cluster<\/strong> sits off Yeppoon on the <strong>Central<\/strong> Queensland coast, part of the Southern <strong>Great<\/strong> Barrier Reef. Great Keppel <strong>Island<\/strong> is the hub, ringed by 17 beaches and coral\u2011rich <strong>bays<\/strong>, with smaller outposts like North Keppel and Pumpkin <strong>Island<\/strong> scattered nearby. Think hill\u2011walking trails, drift\u2011snorkel <strong>channels<\/strong>, and water so clear you can count the grains of <strong>sand<\/strong> beneath your toes.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Why it\u2019s kinder on your wallet<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The Keppels trade slick \u201csee\u2011and\u2011be\u2011seen\u201d <strong>glamour<\/strong> for barefoot <strong>simplicity<\/strong>. Ferry rides are short, accommodations modest, and activities DIY\u2011friendly\u2014meaning you pay for <strong>experiences<\/strong>, not overhead. As one regular puts it, \u201cYou\u2019ll spend more time in the <strong>water<\/strong>, less in a <strong>waiting<\/strong> lounge.\u201d Food is casual, gear hire is straightforward, and you won\u2019t be upsold every other <strong>minute<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Water and wildlife<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Slip into <strong>Shelving<\/strong> Beach or Monkey <strong>Beach<\/strong> and you\u2019re over coral bommies within a few easy fin\u2011kicks of the <strong>shore<\/strong>. Expect curious batfish, grazing <strong>turtles<\/strong>, and shimmering <strong>clams<\/strong> the size of carry\u2011ons. Kayak the lee side for wind\u2011shadowed <strong>water<\/strong>, or time your swim for slack <strong>tide<\/strong> to drift past gardens of staghorn and plate <strong>coral<\/strong>. Guides often say, \u201cIt\u2019s the same <strong>reef<\/strong>, just fewer <strong>boats<\/strong>,\u201d and the calm proves them <strong>right<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Beach time, without the bustle<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Here, \u201cbusy\u201d means sharing a <strong>cove<\/strong> with three other <strong>towels<\/strong>. Leeke\u2019s Beach runs wide and butter\u2011soft, ideal for lazy <strong>picnics<\/strong> and squeaky\u2011sand <strong>walks<\/strong>. Put a towel down at Long <strong>Beach<\/strong> and watch yachts pinwheel at anchor as the sun <strong>slides<\/strong> toward the <strong>horizon<\/strong>. When the wind shifts, duck to a protected <strong>bay<\/strong> and you\u2019ve got a new <strong>playground<\/strong> all to yourself.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>How to get there<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Fly into <strong>Rockhampton<\/strong> or drive the Bruce <strong>Highway<\/strong> to Yeppoon, then hop a 30\u2011 to 45\u2011minute <strong>ferry<\/strong> to Great Keppel <strong>Island<\/strong>. Services are frequent, gear\u2011friendly, and happy to cart your <strong>esky<\/strong> and snorkel <strong>kit<\/strong>. If you thrive on flexibility, rent a <strong>kayak<\/strong> and island\u2011hop the near\u2011by <strong>bays<\/strong> when weather and tide <strong>allow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>When to go<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Winter and spring bring <strong>bright<\/strong> days, gentle <strong>breezes<\/strong>, and clear\u2011water <strong>visibility<\/strong> that makes photographers purr. Summer serves balmy <strong>swims<\/strong> and afternoon <strong>showers<\/strong>, while shoulder seasons keep crowds and prices <strong>low<\/strong>. Always check wind and <strong>swell<\/strong> forecasts; the right <strong>aspect<\/strong> can transform a good day into a <strong>great<\/strong> one.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What it really costs<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll notice the difference in your <strong>bank<\/strong> app. A typical day can be blissfully simple and beautifully <strong>cheap<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul><\/p>\n<li>Return ferry from Yeppoon, budget\u2011friendly gear hire, casual island eats, and beach\u2011to\u2011reef snorkels that cost little more than time and sunscreen\u2014leaving room for a splurge on a small\u2011group reef tour if you fancy it.<\/li>\n<p>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Stay your way<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Pitch a <strong>tent<\/strong> under casuarinas, book a breezy <strong>dorm<\/strong>, or nab a garden <strong>villa<\/strong> steps from the <strong>shore<\/strong>. Many spots include kitchen access, so you can fry the morning <strong>snag<\/strong> and save your dollars for sunset <strong>drinks<\/strong>. If you crave a boutique touch, tiny eco\u2011islands nearby run on solar and <strong>serenity<\/strong>, not velvet ropes and <strong>price<\/strong> tags.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Simple pleasures, big memories<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Pack a <strong>mask<\/strong> and a sense of <strong>play<\/strong>. Hike to Mt Wyndham\u2019s <strong>lookout<\/strong> for a horizon of blue\u2011on\u2011blue, then wander down to a no\u2011name cove where your only <strong>company<\/strong> is a shy goanna and the wind\u2019s <strong>whistle<\/strong>. \u201cWe came for a weekend,\u201d says one smitten <strong>traveler<\/strong>, \u201cand stayed for the <strong>silence<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Quick tips to travel smarter<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul><\/p>\n<li>Bring reef\u2011safe <strong>sunscreen<\/strong> and a long\u2011sleeve <strong>rashie<\/strong>; the sun here does not <strong>negotiate<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Snag groceries in <strong>Yeppoon<\/strong>\u2014island options are tasty but <strong>limited<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Aim for morning <strong>ferries<\/strong> when winds are soft and beaches just <strong>waking<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Check tide <strong>charts<\/strong>; some snorkel spots fire at high, others whisper at <strong>low<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Respect the <strong>reef<\/strong>: no standing on coral, no souvenir <strong>shells<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<p>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>The swap you\u2019ll brag about<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Choose the Keppels and you trade high\u2011gloss <strong>hype<\/strong> for high\u2011value <strong>days<\/strong>: more swims, more <strong>silence<\/strong>, more actual time in nature\u2019s front\u2011row <strong>seat<\/strong>. Your photos will glow, your card won\u2019t <strong>smoke<\/strong>, and you might just find your favorite slice of the <strong>Barrier<\/strong> hiding in a map\u2019s quiet <strong>corner<\/strong>. As one deckhand grinned while coiling <strong>rope<\/strong> at dusk, \u201cThe best part here is the <strong>space<\/strong>\u2014and the price you pay to have <strong>it<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"class_list":["post-1675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elliot Wainford\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"headline\":\"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":868,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/\",\"name\":\"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg\",\"width\":1360,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Shop At The Ponds\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Ponds | Shopping Centre\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755\",\"name\":\"Elliot Wainford\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Elliot Wainford\"},\"description\":\"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/shopattheponds.com.au\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","og_url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/","og_site_name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thepondsshoppingcentre","article_published_time":"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1360,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Elliot Wainford","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Elliot Wainford","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/"},"author":{"name":"Elliot Wainford","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"headline":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price","datePublished":"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/"},"wordCount":868,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/","name":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price - The Ponds | Shopping Centre","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-02T02:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price-1675.jpg","width":1360,"height":768,"caption":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/forget-the-whitsundays-this-cluster-of-islands-off-the-queensland-coast-is-just-as-stunning-and-half-the-price\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Shop At The Ponds","item":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Forget the Whitsundays this cluster of islands off the Queensland coast is just as stunning and half the price"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/","name":"The Ponds | Shopping Centre","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/690e9500db8734c67c1348893f26e755","name":"Elliot Wainford","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","url":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-avatar-96x96.png","caption":"Elliot Wainford"},"description":"Elliot Wainford is an economist specializing in consumer behavior, retail pricing dynamics, and local market ecosystems. He analyzes how small commercial hubs shape regional growth, employment, and household spending patterns. His work blends applied microeconomics with practical insights for merchants and community planners.","sameAs":["https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1684,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1675\/revisions\/1684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shopattheponds.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}