Prominent Queensland developer Shaun Juniper has entered into a contract to acquire Lindeman Island for an undisclosed sum. The parties are currently working through the relevant State Government approvals and are hopeful of completing in the first quarter of 2023.
The sale of the former Club Med Resort site was brokered by CBRE Hotels’ national director Wayne Bunz and associate director Hayley Manvell.
Shaun and his wife Sam say they will work closely with the Queensland Government to ensure Lindeman continues to showcase the Sunshine State, and its tourism jewel The Great Barrier Reef.
Lindeman is located within the Whitsunday archipelago, approximately 15-kilometres from Hamilton Island, and can be accessed by a 20-minute boat trip from Hamilton Island Airport, 40-minutes by boat from Airlie Beach, or via small charter aircraft and helicopters to the island’s airstrip.
Lindeman Island is an expansive 637-hectare national park area with seven private beaches. It comprises 136-hectares of perpetual leasehold and four term leases on the southern end of the island, inclusive of the closed resort, golf course and air strip, on an absolute beachfront location with sweeping views of fringing coral reefs.
Shaun Juniper is the founder of the Juniper Group, one of Australia’s most successful privately owned property development companies with more than $2 billion in completed projects including North Queensland’s iconic Sea Temple resorts.
Queensland’s Islands have experienced a resurgence in investor interest in the past two years highlighted by the recent $24 million sale of Dunk Island to Mike and Annie Cannon-Brookes, the sale of Lizard Island to Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s private investment group Tattarang, Oscar Hotels’ purchase of Long Island and the sale of Hook Island to Meridian Australia, all brokered by CBRE.
CBRE Hotels national director Wayne Bunz said it was an excellent outcome for Shaun and Sam Juniper to have purchased the magnificent Lindeman Island asset.
“Shaun Juniper is an absolute visionary in the industry responsible for some of Queensland’s best resorts including Sea Temple Palm Cove and Port Douglas and we are excited to see the transformation of this iconic tourism asset,’’ Mr Bunz said.
Associate Director Hayley Manvell said Australian investors were reclaiming some of the nation’s most treasured destinations. “We are in the midst of an exciting Queensland tourism growth with an underserved accommodation market catering to an incredible resurgence in domestic tourism, as well as the long-heralded return of international travellers.”
Shaun Juniper said he saw tremendous up-side in Lindeman as the Queensland Islands rode a wave of interest since the announcement of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. “The Whitsundays have proven to be one of the most resilient markets through the pandemic and still rates as one of the world’s most loved tourism destinations,’’ he said.
