Whitsundays resort development attracts offers comparable to Hamilton Island

A proposed resort and overwater gondola on a Whitsundays island is moving closer to reality, having attracted expressions of interest from several potential buyers. Stone Island, located just under 2 kilometers from the North Queensland town of Bowen, was recently put back on the market with updated development plans.

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They're happy to pay $23 million.

Richard Vanhoff, who is managing the sale of the 92-hectare property, reported receiving opening offers from five interested buyers within the past two weeks, with some willing to pay $23 million. The master plan for the new resort features 18 oceanfront homes, nearly a dozen bungalows, and an upgraded guests' lodge designed in "Dutch-Indies-style" architecture. A key proposed feature is a cable car service, pending approval, that would link a lookout on Flagstaff Hill in Bowen to the island.

Vanhoff suggested that if the cable car is adopted, the resort could become comparable to Hamilton Island, minus the airport. However, he acknowledged that interested parties might have their own visions for the resort's final design. Stone Island has been on the market since October last year, seeking new investors to replace owners including former rugby league star Jarrod McCracken.

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If they adopt that, they get a fairly decent-sized resort comparable to Hamilton [Island], I suspect, without the airport.

Local residents have expressed mixed feelings about the development. Bowen resident Zara Butler noted that access to the area has been limited over the past 20 years and believes locals should have the right to wander the island. While welcoming investment, she voiced concerns that a larger development with cable cars could detract from Bowen's small-town charm and laid-back lifestyle.

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I think there should be access for locals to be able to just go over and have a wander around on the island.

Whitsunday councillor John Finlay stated that a resort development would complement Bowen's growth but questioned the viability of a cable car compared to a ferry service, suggesting a thorough business case analysis would be necessary. Bowen, a town of about 10,000 people, is slated for council-led developments, including a new jetty and a multi-storey accommodation precinct.

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We love to have the tourists come and visit us. But then, we moved to Bowen for the laid-back lifestyle, being a small town.