Image: David Glasheen and Quassi © Brian Cassey http://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/
David Glasheen lost his Queensland Supreme Court case which was bought by the majority shareholder of the company that owns the head lease of Restoration island. He has the right to appeal the judgement, and is seeking pro bono legal advice.
Dave's only chance to stop being evicted from his island paradise is to find a buyer who can pay out the majority shareholder of the company that owns the head lease, which would allow Dave to remain on the island as a caretaker. The current lease ends in 2039, but Dave has excellent and long-standing contact with the Kuku Yau People, the traditional owners of the island, who would support a new 99 year lease. They would welcome and support the development of a resort on the island, which would bring much needed employment and investment to the area.
THE ISLAND
Restoration Island or “Resto” as she is called by the locals sits just off the east coast of Cape Weymouth, on the tip of Australia’s Cape York. The island is located at Latitude: 12° 37' 0 S, Longitude: 143° 26' 60 E, 1928 km northwest of Brisbane and a few hundred metres from Cape Weymouth and the Iron Range National Park, on Queensland’s Cape York. Restoration Island is fringed by reef and beaches and has unique and safe anchorages for vessels from both the south easterly and north westerly winds.
This picturesque and historic island with its tall palm trees swaying in the wind above sugar-white beaches, and surrounded by pristine coral reefs is the epitome of a tropical island paradise. Aptly named “Restoration” Island it naturally conjures up castaway dreams on a tropical isle, the ultimate get-away for rejuvenation of the body and soul. This tiny green oasis floating in the South Pacific is cooled by the winds, and surrounded by wild windswept beaches shaded by swaying coconut palms. The sea, sunshine, the sound of the surf and the cries of the sea birds are your only company.
The island has a great deal of history attached, being named by the famed Captain Bligh of the mutiny on the Bounty. On 29 May 1789, after the mutiny on the Bounty, Captain Bligh and the men who remained loyal to him arrived on the island in the ship's boat. This was the first island they came to, and he named it Restoration Island because the food they found (oysters and native fruits) greatly restored their spirits and because that date was the anniversary of the restoration of King Charles II (in 1660). For more details of the island’s fascinating history CLICK HERE
The island has also been visited by other celebrities such as Errol Flynn, and Russell Crowe visited the island on his honeymoon. To read the full story CLICK HERE
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
There is an existing development approval in place, and the local Lockhart River community has given its full support to the development of a resort on the island. The island would be ideal for a variety of purposes:
- Private retreat
- Boutique Eco-Resort
- Private Residences Club
- Diving/Fishing Resort
- Health Spa (the name is ideal)
Upon receipt of written expressions of interest (full name, address and contact details). Bona Fide investors will be supplied with a detailed report on the island and the surrounding area, as well as a report on comparable private island developments world-wide.
PRIVATE ISLANDS
The dictionary defines island as “land surrounded by water”, but no island-lover would ever allow such a commonplace description to detract from the romantic sound of the word and all that it conveys to the imagination. Islands, like emerald yachts on a powdered sapphire sea, are places of magic, for there is something unpredictable about an island. Owning your own island is the dream of many people looking to get away from it all. Surrounded by water the wind, sand, and the occasional sounds of nature, you can sit back and relax without worrying about the everyday problems of land people. If you choose the right island, you can escape the madness of modern society for no more than you'd pay for a really nice big (really-really nice and really-really big!) house on the mainland.
There is nothing more exclusive and sought after in the world than having your own private island, it becomes effectively you own little kingdom. From Riccardo Montalban's Fantasy Island to Dr. No's Crab Key, private islands are exactly that - private. Most individuals buy islands for their personal retreat, and dozens of celebrities own their own private islands.
An island offers absolute privacy because it is surrounded by water, and in a recent case in Britain Elle McPherson won a judgment against a magazine for invading her privacy because she was on the 'private' island of Mustique in the Caribbean.
On the 7th day God stopped making Islands! It’s true though, islands are a limited commodity, and offer an incredible investment as they appreciate rapidly. Demand is a so an important factor. Indeed, the supply-demand balance is perhaps much more significant than for other real estate as one cannot just create another island. Good islands don't come cheap. Islands are like diamonds and are a unique one-of-a-kind investment. Over the last 10 years the price of islands in the Caribbean has increased by up to 300%, that’s over 30% per year, a great investment in any terms.
Most Australian private islands are on a 99-year lease. Freehold islands are quite rare, especially in the state of Queensland, because as far back as the 1930’s the Queensland Government recognized the value of the Great Barrier Reef Islands and allowed only a handful to be converted to freehold status. Private islands are extremely rare in Australia, and Queensland in particular, and prices reflect this.
ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility is all important on an island, and Restoration Island would have to be one of the most accessible private islands on the Great Barrier Reef. There are daily flights to Lockhart River, and from there a picturesque 40km drive takes you to Cape Weymouth where it is less than 1 kilometre by boat to the island. The island has an all weather anchorage, sheltered during most weather, and accessible at high or low tide. Access to the island from Lockhart River can also be 20 kilometres by boat.
ATTRACTIONS
The island has immediate proximity to some of the best tourism sites in the world, most notably The Great Barrier Reef. Here is a small sample of the nearby attractions accessible from the island.
Portland Roads: The jetty at Portland Roads was built in about 1938/39 to service the gold mining activities at Batavia Goldfield (later called Wenlock) and the Iron Range area. It was 810 feet long to reach the deep water. A tramline ran out to the wharf (60 ft x 30 ft) at the end of the jetty. There was a shed located on the wharf. During WWII this small town was a hive of activity as the Americans used it as a forward base to fight the Japanese. In 1942 the US Army built two 7,000 feet runways and 13 miles of sealed taxiways within 3 months, this is where the existing Lockhart River Airport now stands. Gun turrets and bunkers can still be seen, enshrouded by vegetation in the hills of the town. There are only 8 houses at Portland Roads and another 3 at nearby Cape Weymouth.
Chilli Beach: Chilli Beach is wide and long and fringed with palms – a truly magical spot overlooking Restoration Island, ideal for fishing, camping or beachcombing. 4km of dazzling white sand fringed by towering coconut palms right down to the high-water mark, tropical perfection With a fishing hotspot estuary at one end, you can drive it at high tide.
Lockhart River: A great trip to this remote aboriginal community famous for its art, a chance to buy art direct from the artists.
Diving: Thanks to its remote location and brief dive season, Queensland's Far North, off Cape York Peninsula, is an experience only a few lucky divers get to have with untouched and pristine sections of the Great Barrier Reef, offering unparalleled dive sites.. With water temperatures around a pleasant 23°C to 30°C (73°F to 86°F) snorkelling, swimming and diving are ideal year round. Enjoy crystal clear water and visibility that in parts reaches 70m (230ft) making the snorkelling in untouched coral gardens and diving spectacular for viewing shipwrecks and underwater canyons, coral reefs and a stunning variety of reef fish.
Nearby Restoration Island is the Southern Detached Reef which has been voted one of the Top Ten dive sites in the world. This gorgeous reef crowns the remnants of an undersea mountain that has its genesis on the seafloor more than 3,000 feet below, and silver-tip sharks and dogtooth tuna cruise the deep blue. At shallower depths, you'll find giant clams and pufferfishes. Divers will see turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays, pelagic fish and occasional manta rays cruising the walls which encircle Southern Small Detached Reef. These walls, which drop to beyond 100m, are festooned with a spectacular array of corals, large gorgonians, long sea whips, spike soft coral trees and sponges, which provide shelter for hosts of multicoloured reef fish. Gorgonian sea fans bedeck the walls and overhangs. In the relative shallow areas they may grow to over 2 metres in size. Down deep on the ridges at 40 to 50 metres they are like gigantic gardens, arcing out into the currents. They fade away into the shadowy the depths as far as the eye can see. Visibility averages a reliable 60 to 100 feet and often soars to more than 150 feet.
Sailing: The island would make an ideal base for sail or motor boats to explore the untouched wilderness of Cape York and the remote and pristine islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Fishing: Game-fishing charters from the island would be ideal with world-class Marlin, Tuna and Swordfish. Or you can join the locals along a deserted beach and enjoy a good book with a long line!
Kayaking: The surrounding area with its clear, calm and sheltered waters, many islands and spectacular scenery could become a haven for kayaking, and guests could visit remote uninhabited islands with white sand beaches such as the nearby Forbes Islands.
