WHITSUNDAYS

EMILY PETTAFOR

An island to treasure

It’s no fantasy: you can buy your own luxury resort or an entire tropical island

Everyone dreams of running away to live on a tropical island, right? Megan and Paul Sullivan have lived that dream since 2015, at the gateway to the famed Whitsunday region. The pair, originally from New South Wales, had been living in Bali and were looking for a tropical adventure when they inspected Victor Island, off the coast of Mackay.

“Coming in by helicopter, I was already thinking: ‘The magic is working; I really love this place’,” Megan remembers. And her five years in paradise really did live up to the hype. Megan jokes that she and Paul are the Swiss Family Sullivan, “but with NBN, Netflix and airconditioning”.”

“It’s a very laid-back, stress-free, easy life,” she says. Every day is different: whether it is high tide or a full moon, the beach changes all the time.” They often see turtles swim past as they drink their morning coffee, and catch fish or crack oysters off the rocks. “And the stars do shine that little bit brighter out here.”

One of the main clinchers for the Sullivans was their island’s

Below left: Elysian Retreat can be yours for $8.75 million Below: Pumpkin Island, on the market for the second time since 1961 Bottom: The owners of Victor Island are seeking $4.95 million

proximity to the mainland, with Mackay just two kilometres away. “For me, there’s got to be something on the horizon,” Megan says. They also loved the thought of owning an entire island. “Part of the appeal was the privacy and the security; there aren’t too many islands out there that can be all yours,” she says.

The couple have worked to make the island self-sufficient, with a desalination plant, a solar farm, a backup generator and rainwater storage. Megan also keeps chickens and has fruit trees, including spectacular tropical mangoes.

While they have adored their time in paradise, the couple are relocating to New South Wales to be closer to family. They have Victor Island on the market through Barbara Wolveridge and Lynn Malone at Sotheby’s International Realty’s Tropical North Queensland base, seeking $4.95 million.

“We are very blessed and we’ve lived a good life here,” Megan says. “The only question is: where do we go from here? We couldn’t possibly beat this.”

Victor Island is not the only tropical escape seeking a new custodian. Wolveridge and Malone also have Whitsunday resorts Elysian Retreat and Pumpkin Island on the market, for $8.75 million and $20 million respectively.

Malone says the inquiry level for tropical property has “increased exponentially” since COVID-19 swept the world.

“So many people are looking for safety and security,” she says. “If you live on a tropical island, the only time someone will come to visit you is if you invite them.”

Pumpkin Island, on the market for only the second time since 1961, is a private six-hectare island with seven guest cottages. It is part of the Keppel chain of islands, 14km offshore from Yeppoon. The island’s business has stayed remarkably intact throughout national and international border closures. The resort has been running at 90 per cent occupancy and the next available opportunity to book the entire island – popular for family reunions or corporate getaways – is 2023, Malone says.

Elysian Retreat is an oceanfront resort located on Long Island that features 10 king villas and a day spa. This business has also boomed throughout COVID, with occupancy levels through April 2021 of 93 per cent, Malone says.

If you prefer your island experience slightly more populated, both Hamilton and Hayman islands in the Whitsundays have also seen some luxurious homes change hands recently, and others are on offer. Hamilton Island Real Estate recently put a four-bedroom apartment overlooking the island’s marina under offer. The agency had been seeking $8.45 million for the Airport Drive property.

In January, the agency sold 22 Melaleuca Drive for $6 million.

On exclusive Hayman Island, Sotheby’s Carol Carter is marketing a four-bedroom holiday residence, part of the new Hayman Villas development, for $7.7 million, and a threebedroom residence for $4.7 million.

The properties have glorious views across the Coral Sea and private pools on their balconies. Owners can access the services of the nearby InterContinental Hotel Hayman Island Resort and have the option to put their homes into the hotel’s accommodation pool when not in residence.