Ex-Club Med sold, set for six-star revamp
Developer Shaun Juniper and his wife, Samantha, have purchased Lindeman Island – in the southernmost group of Whitsundays islands – with plans for a six star health retreat.
The 627 hectare property – just over a fifth (136ha) on a perpetual leasehold – is speculated to be costing $20 million.
White Horse Group, directed by Chinese media executive William Han, was the seller.
It paid $12m in 2012 – just after Club Med quit operating there – and never reopened it.
Four years ago, the vendor created a masterplan for a c$585m resort with four to six star accommodation, all up offering 325 suites, an ecotourism centre, food and dining precinct, conference centre, arrival centre and staff village – a proposal which didn’t proceed post-COVID.
CBRE’s Wayne Bunz and Hayley Manvell listed the property in July.
Lindeman Island
One of 24 Queensland islands permitted to operate as a resort, Lindeman Island includes a golf course, air strip and seven private beaches.
It can also be accessed by boat from Hamilton Island, 15 kilometres away, or Airlie Beach, which will take twice as long.
“The Whitsunday region has become one of the most resilient markets through the pandemic and was recently recognised as the world’s second most loved tourist destination,” Mr Bunz said in July.
“Lindeman Island provides…the opportunity to redevelop the asset in line with other nearby successful luxury resorts, such as qualia Hamilton Island, to capitalise on strong domestic tourism demand and a resurgence in the international inbound market,” he added (story continues below).
“This asset is essentially a blank canvas,” according to the executive – who also marketed it for its potential to make way for a smaller resort than what White Horse Group proposed.
Another Queensland island sale
The Queensland island deal is the latest in a string post-COVID.
In July, Annie Cannon-Brookes, the wife of Atlassian co-founder, Mike, outlaid $23.7m for Dunk Island, also with plans for a wellness focused resort.
That seller was Linc Energy founder Peter Bond.
Six months ago, Laguna Island Adventures sold Hook Island to a syndicate led by Sydney developer Glenn Piper for a speculated $10-$12m.
Last year, Andrew Forrest snapped up Lizard Island, for $42m, from Hong Kong’s SEA Group, while brothers Bill and Mario Gravanis’ Oscars Hotels snared Long Island for close to $20m from Sydney businessman David Kingston.
The Elysian Retreat Long Island was also offloaded – to Shayne Smith, who founded Perle Ventures and Cover-More insurance.
However, Wop-pa-Great Keppel Island didn’t sell after a c$50m deal last year from Terry Agnew’s Tower Holdings to Gina Rinehart fell through in May.
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