WITH the travel industry hardly on the road to recovery one of Queensland's small island eco-tourism gems is on the market

The award-winning boutique Pumpkin Island has a potential $25m price tag and is expected to attract Australian and offshore interest.

The 6ha island in the Southern Great Barrier Reef's Keppel Group of Islands is being sold by Sojourn Properties which bought the rolling lease in 2003.

It is just the second time the island has been on the market since 1961.

It has not always been known as Pumpkin Island. It was leased by Castlemaine Perkins between 2012 and 2015 and was renamed XXXX Island as a promotional campaign, with 3000 people visiting the island over those three years.

Enjoying the scenery at Pumpkin Island.

Knight Frank's Deborah Cullen, who is co-running the sale campaign, said the buyer will be purchasing an entire island on a rolling lease current until 2046.

"It's an opportunity that only presents itself once in a blue moon," she said.

Pumpkin Island first opened to guests in 1964 and is a private whole island escape for couples, families or groups.

The award-winning eco resort offers stunning views of the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

One of Queensland's most sustainable boutique tourist destinations the island offers eco-friendly accommodation for up to 34 guests in five fully self-contained oceanfront guest cottages and two bungalows with an open-air kitchen and bathroom facilities.

The island is completely off grid and powered by solar, wind and with plenty of rain water storage.

Ms Cullen said the island - just 14km from Yeppoon - offered privacy, seclusion and exclusivity.

"We expect it will be even more attractive in the current climate post COVID-19 for someone who wishes to use it as a safe haven during any possible future pandemics," she said.

"During this pandemic life continued on the island as normal."

The exclusive island only has room for 34 guests. Picture: Supplied

The property also contains staff quarters, a large work shed, a double-storey lookout building, a bar lounge area, a manager's cottage, a children's playground, two registered moorings, a helicopter land pad and a custom built 36-passenger catamaran.

An oyster lease also belongs to the owner and can be sold with the island allowing guests to shuck their own oysters off the rocks.

A tourist wading in water at Pumpkin Island off the coast at Yeppoon.

Pumpkin Island was named Australia's most sustainable hotel in Australasia in 2018 at the World Boutique Hotel Awards, and was the first beyond carbon neutral island in Australia, offsetting 150 per cent of its annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Originally published as Exclusive XXXX island hideaway on the market

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Exclusive XXXX island hideaway on the market - Queensland Times