EVERYONE knows that with all good parties, a hangover must surely follow.

For businesses left on Great Keppel Island, once famous as the party island off the central Queensland coast, this hangover is the sort that needs more than a greasy bacon-and-egg roll.

The decision by media-shy Sydney developer Terry Agnew to mothball his 181-room resort until he can build a five-star luxury complex in its place is a heavy blow to the businesses that rode off the back of its marketing.

With its rooms now boarded up, the pools filled with sand and the sprawling resort abandoned as of March 12, the island's five businesses, including a dive shop, licensed pizza restaurant, clothing outlet and shell shop, face an uncertain future.

With resort crowds gone, it's like a private paradise

Aside from the cut in accommodation - there are now only 48 beds at a low-budget holiday village and another 70 beds in privately rented holiday homes - the island also is fighting the perception the whole of Great Keppel has closed.

Yet, the irony of the resort closure is that in many respects it creates an amazing opportunity for tourists seeking their own private island.

With Virgin Blue offering specials on flights from Adelaide to Rockhampton - the nearest airport to Yeppoon, the gateway to the islands Great Keppel now offers the possibility of a Robinson Crusoe-style getaway.

There will be, at most, 118 tourists staying on a 1400ha island renowned for 17 pristine beaches, crystal blue water and bushwalking.

Gerry Christie, who with his wife, Karen, has run Island Pizza for 15 years, is upbeat about the resort closure, seeing it as an opportunity to draw in a new style of guest.

"There's 10 or so private houses being rented here (out of 18 on the island) and some bookings did drop off initially but that's because of the misconception the island is closed," he said.

"We've also had people booking in because the resort is closed. People come here because of the beauty of the island.

"You can have a pretty exclusive holiday here now but it's just a matter of making sure people get the relevant information as to what you can and can't get here.

"It's still not a hassle to get here on the cruise boats because we're so close to the mainland." Great Keppel Resort reached almost iconic status after its successful Get Wrecked advertising campaigns of the 1980s.

But the resort has been more than a little tired for many years.

In real estate parlance, it was more detonate than renovate.

Mr Agnew bought the resort in January last year for a reputed $20 million. He then bought the islands second largest resort, Keppel Haven, in July, reportedly for $12 million.

While the resort issued releases about a possible start date of early 2009, no plans have been lodged with the council and some on the island expect it could be three or four years before the main resort, in whatever capacity, is re-opened.

Sunday Mail (SA)