Basil Bay, Keswick Island.

The sun sets on St Bees and Scawfell islands. This majestic view can be seen from Keswick Island’s Langton Point.

The coral reefs and mangroves of the Egremont Passage are home to an array of marine species.

A starry sky above St Bees Island, seen from the Egremont Passage.

Keswick Island’s Singapore Bay is a protected area and home to abundant marine life.

Singapore Bay, Keswick Island.

The Egremont Passage separates St Bees and Keswick Island.

An 1100ha island, St Bees is 30km north-east of Mackay, on the Queensland coast.

Koalas were relocated to St Bees from Proserpine, 125km north of Mackay, in the 1930s. Today there is an abundant population on the island.

See a video on the koalas of St Bees Island

More than 40 butterfly species have been recorded on the South Cumberland islands.

The scattered remnants of shipwrecks can be explored on the islands and in the waters surrounding them.

Bees were first transported to Keswick Island in 1985 to ensure the survival of healthy new generations.

See a video on the bees of Keswick Island

Arthur Bay, on the south-western edge of Keswick Island.

A cockatoo picks at a grass-tree on Keswick Island, more than 80 per cent of which is designated national park.

Secluded Connie Bay on Keswick Island provides views of the northern Whitsunday Islands.

Down the coast from the Whitsundays, the South Cumberland Islands group consists of nine islands – including St Bees and Keswick – which were once connected to the mainland.

Basil Bay, on the western side of Keswick Island, is a popular swimming beach.

Keswick Island has a small permanent population, while St Bees is home to just two residents.

Despite their obvious appeal, the South Cumberland Islands are little visited – fewer than 100 people frequent the campsites each year.

Reach Keswick by plane (the journey takes 12 minutes) or boat (one hour).

Connie Bay, Keswick Island.

Popular walks on Keswick Island include hikes to Langton Point headland, Connie Bay, Arthur Bay or the beehives.

St Bees isolation and pristine nature have made it popular for a range of scientific work.

A swamp wallaby.