Destroyed by cyclones, impacted by climate change and neglected by foreign owners – these abandoned island resorts are now an eyesore
The Department of Resources will attempt to strip Hong Kong based billionaire Benny Wu of Double Island’s lease. ()
A pool lined with green sludge, rotting roofs and termite infested buildings – this derelict island resort has become a sad tourist attraction for all the wrong reasons, and it’s not an isolated case.
At least half a dozen resorts along the Queensland coast have fallen to a similar fate.
In the heart of tropical Far North Queensland, the picturesque Double Island was once a thriving hub for holiday-makers including former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
The island resort, 30 minutes north of Cairns, even built a gym for actor Keanu Reeves, so frequent were his stays.
But the resort has long been in a state of disrepair with rotting roofs punctured by falling coconuts and green sludge lining the bottom of the once sparkling pool.
Brad Madgwick offers guided kayaking tours to the island, and recently incorporated the island’s decay into his regular marine-life spotting adventures.
“We’ve always walked the shorelines looking for wildlife, but in the last few years, we have been given permission to go through the resort,” Mr Madgwick said.
“The coconuts have taken a toll and the termites are having a good feed, it’s sad really because it used to be a very glamorous resort back in the day.”
The derelict state of the resort — safari-style tents covered in mould are dotted throughout — is shaping up to be one of the biggest legal battles ever held over an island in Australia.
The Queensland Government’s Department of Resources will attempt to strip Hong Kong based billionaire Benny Wu of the island’s lease in the Land Court in Cairns within weeks.
Mr Wu’s Fortune Island Holding’s is accused of non-compliance for failing to bring the facilities up to scratch and open the island to the public.
The day can’t come soon enough for some local Palm Cove business owners, although opinions vary about what should happen with the island, if the state government is successful in its proceedings.
“When it was taken over in 2012, it was a thriving business,” said local businessman Tony Richards, who would like to see a resort rebuilt.
“Nothing has been done to it since then. It’s a complete bulldoze job.”
The ABC has contacted Mr Wu for comment.
Paradise lost
Across the Great Barrier Reef, cyclones and neglect have left half a dozen island resorts shuttered and abandoned, with ruined infrastructure and damaged environments.
Brampton Island Resort, off Mackay, was a jewel in Queensland’s tourism crown until it was bought by United Petroleum in 2010 for $5.9 million, its ocean side pool now filled with sand.
Lindeman Island in the Whitsundays, once famed for being the first Club Med in Australia, has sat in ruins since it was pummelled by Cyclone Yasi in 2011.
The Singaporean company, Well Start, has since bought the island and pledged to restore it.
Resorts on South Molle and Hook Island have also been closed for years.
The 1980s party paradise, Great Keppel (Woppa) Island off the central Queensland coast, has been laying in ruin for 15 years, with the Queensland government recently announcing a $30 million master plan including provisions for an eco-resort, new sewage system and conservation areas.
Meanwhile, the beleaguered Dunk Island resort off the coast of Far North Queensland, was also destroyed by Cyclone Yasi in 2011.
There are plans to open “glamping” style accommodation on the island within months, following billionaire Annie Cannon-Brook’s purchase in 2022.
Professor Daniel Gschwind, from Griffith University’s Institute for Tourism, said abandoned and closed resorts not only had an impact on the Great Barrier Reef’s reputation, but Australia’s broader tourism brand.
“Globally, the Great Barrier Reef is recognised as an outstanding asset, it’s World Heritage listed, which in itself draws a lot of attention,” Professor Gshwind said.
“The way Australia manages that asset and presents the asset to visitors is absolutely, critically important for our global reputation.”
He said island resorts helped to bring in billions of tourism dollars each year and there needed to be an “expectation that lease holders fulfil their obligations”.
However, he said the high cost of maintaining as well as accessing the resorts by plane or barge was impacting on owners to turn a profit, as well as skyrocketing insurance premiums.
“So there are great obstacles to overcome, but the benefit and the value of those islands as a tourism destination really can’t be overstated.”
Parliamentary inquiry into Queensland islands
Queensland’s Transport and Resources Committee held a parliamentary inquiry examining the economic and regulatory frameworks for Queensland’s island resorts, tabling a report just over a year ago.
Eighteen recommendations were made to the state government, including cancelling the leases of developers who let the resorts fall to rack and ruin.
Several of the submissions raised concerns about foreign ownership, as well as the impact of climate change, including intense cyclones, on resort infrastructure.
Professor Tim Harcourt, chief economist at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney said buying up tropical islands could be seen by some international companies as an attractive proposition.
“They’ve got to get their money out and they’re going to put it somewhere, and buying land is the easiest thing to do,” Professor Harcourt said.
He also noted the longevity and success stories of the Hamilton and Hayman Island resorts in the Whitsundays.
The Andrew Forrest-owned Lizard Island, off Cooktown in Far North Queensland has been rebuilt twice due to successive cyclones, and is enjoying strong occupancy numbers.
Orpheus Island and Pelorus Island north of Townsville have also undergone extensive renovations.
Back on Double Island, Mr Madgwick said he would like to see the island returned to its natural splendour.
“I would love to see the island turned into a national park, with a communal kitchen, maybe a caretaker on the island, and to open it up to camping,” Mr Madgwick said.
“It’s a beautiful island and it should belong to the people.”
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