Whisper Bay Airlie Beach Stage One sell out

by Holly Reynolds on 26 Sep 2005 The luxury Great Barrier Reef Whitsundays development that caught the eye of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and his wife, author Blanche D’Alpuget, has announced sell-out of its first release of waterfront apartments and penthouses.

Located opposite Airlie Beach's Abel Point Marina, (considered to be the marine gateway to the Whitsundays and the home of the very successful Airlie Beach Hogs Breath Race Week Regatta), Whisper Bay has been popular with a broad selection of buyers from New South Wales, Victoria and overseas, all drawn to the tropical, oceanfront haven.

Sales worth more than $50 million have exchanged at Whisper Bay Airlie Beach since its launch in March this year. Sydney-based developer Rory F O’Brien Development Group is planning its next release at Whisper Bay within the next month.

'We’ve had a good run and now it’s time to focus on getting the next stage prepared and finalise negotiations to commence construction,' says Rory O’Brien.

Mr O’Brien says Whisper Bay had early success with predominantly southern-based buyers, many of them high-profile, snapping up the luxurious waterfront abodes. 'Our buyers see Airlie Beach as Noosa 20 years ago and have wanted to catch the wave early,' he says.

Whisper Bay, designed by architects Woodhead International, is one of the region’s only Council-approved absolute waterfront developments and will feature 98 x 3-bedroom + study villas and apartments and six x 4-bedroom Super Penthouses. The resort-style development will feature 40 private pools and two common pools, security parking, gated entry points and extensive tropical landscaping.

Increasing interest for Whisper Bay is coming from South-East Queensland and overseas. George Sala of PRDnationwide Project Marketing at Airlie Beach, says the market remains robust.

'Local investors are starting to play a larger role. They’ve seen buyers from Sydney and Melbourne discover Airlie Beach and now they want to get on the bandwagon before it’s too late,' he says.

Mr Sala says new flights offered by Virgin Blue and Qantas into Hamilton Island are making the destination more accessible. From July 1, Qantas is flying connecting flights from Los Angeles to Hamilton Island, providing easy access for the jet set.

Infrastructure projects such as Airlie Central Shopping Centre are progressing and will bring increased amenity and facilities such as cinemas to the tropical town, making it a more attractive long-term attraction for buyers seeking the ultimate seachange, he says.

'Certainly key factors that add up to good price growth are in place – access, amenity and limited development opportunity – so purchasers who do buy now are making a smart long-term decision,' he says.

Mr Sala says another high-profile development, Double Cone, has experienced 25 per cent price growth on resales in just 12 months.

'Airlie Beach is still a great option for a lifestyle investment,' says Mr Sala.