Sunshine Coast hinterland eco-resort yours for $8m, plus more around Australia
With demand for nature-based luxury experiences “at an all-time high”, these handpicked eco-resort opportunities across Australia could be your ticket to profitable days ahead, from high-end luxury to boutique stays of your dreams.
A high-end rainforest retreat in the tiny village of Flaxton, located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland 90 minutes’ drive from Brisbane, has hit the market for $8 million for the first time since it opened a decade ago.
Escape from the world at Kondalilla Eco Resort, on the edge of Kondalilla National Park, featuring one of the Blackall Range’s most spectacular waterfalls.
It’s where lush rainforest tranquillity meets crackling fireplaces, and crisp linens across 24 accommodation offerings, from cabins to treehouses, studios, and even a rainforest residence, all set across 8.5 hectares of lush natural landscape.
An award-winning 80-seat restaurant and bar, which feeds a worm farm and compost from food scraps, bolsters the investment as a wedding, wellness or corporate events space – not to mention the 80-square-metre events space, with a magnesium pool, spa and yoga studio to capture the “huge market for eco-luxury and wellness venues”.
To reduce its carbon footprint, the current owners of the resort make a point of investing in local, sustainable businesses, undertaking eco-friendly cleaning practices, capturing rainwater, using LED lights, maximising recycling, and eliminating single-use plastics, among other initiatives.
“Kondalilla Eco Resort is ready and waiting for an experienced operator to capitalise on a guest market that is there for the taking,” says ResortBrokers Queensland broker David Faiers.
“Demand for nature-based luxury experiences is at an all-time high. The resort provides a ready-made accommodation product to tap into this huge demand.”
“It has been designed to offer an immersive guest experience that takes full advantage of its rainforest setting. And the resort’s restaurant and conference room allow it to cater for boutique weddings, yoga retreats, therapy retreats, private rehabilitation and the like.”
The rise and rise of eco-tourism
The eco-tourism sector is experiencing significantly faster growth, thought to be three times faster, than the broader tourism industry, both globally and within Australia.
According to the latest figures from 2023, the global tourism industry was valued at $US11.39 trillion, with growth expected to push it to $US18.44 trillion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5 per cent, according to Zion Market Research.
In contrast, the global ecotourism market – valued at $US216.49 billion in 2023 – is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.31 per cent between 2024 to 2032, Fortune Business Insights revealed.
Growth in the sector is being driven by an increasing number of people seeking immersive travel experiences focused on nature, space, and sustainability, combined with rising environmental awareness and government support for ecotourism.
Daintree rainforest eco-tourism
If you’re keen on the rainforest vibe, but adventure is more your thing, consider a life filled with exploration at Cape Tribulation in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.
For $5.25 million, investors can take the reins and reap the rewards from years of hard work at this well-established, family-owned and operated, award-winning ecotourism business, comprising three separate operations: Ocean Safari, Safari Lodge and Turtle Rock Cafe.
The three separate operations include an eco-lodge, a cafe and snorkelling ocean tours taking in “an extraordinary array of marine life and coral species”, with experienced and well-trained staff keen to stay on, just 90 minutes from Port Douglas.
The “eat, play, and stay eco-tourism experience” is also “extremely profitable”, with annual cash flow in excess of $1.1 million, according to the listing.
With Cape Tribulation off the grid in terms of power and water supply, the team is “highly attuned when it comes to considering our environmental impacts”, its website reads.
“Ocean Safari’s long-term commitment to ecotourism, environmental sustainability, protection, research and education is reflected through holding Advanced Ecotourism Australia Accreditation for over ten years as Green Travel Leader.”
Build your own NT luxury eco-resort
Transform this $3 million-plus parcel of land dubbed The Grand Plateau in Robin Falls, a hidden gem in the Northern Territory, into a luxury eco-resort.
Boasting panoramic horizon views “in all directions”, the stunning and picturesque landmass, about a 90-minute drive south from Darwin, spans across a massive 5570 hectares.
Tourists in the know are drawn to the stunning waterfall and hikers’ trail at Robin Falls, located near Litchfield National Park, which is brimming with even more waterfalls.
This opportunity presents a blank canvas at this stage, with significant development potential, thanks to approval for a 30-lot subdivision, and a primary production business is also possible.
“The lower terrain, characterised by a well-grassed, open-timbered landscape and semi-permanent water holes, is conducive to livestock production,” the listing reads.
Riverfront eco-lodge of your dreams
If you want something a little less remote, here’s another opportunity to capitalise on the demand for eco tourism.
Build an eight-room eco-lodge or retreat amid natural rural landscapes on a Rainbow Reach peninsula, some 367 kilometres north-east of Sydney.
This parcel of tranquillity is perfectly positioned for the best of river life and coastal heaven, situated on the Macleay River close to pristine beaches and scenic Arakoon National Park.
Owning a boat will be key to unlocking your riverfront life at 512 Rainbow Reach Road, where a 31-hectare blank canvas boasts “360 water frontage” in an “oyster-growing precinct”.
For $1.2 million, agents describe the area as a “vibrant tourism hotspot, offering immense growth potential in the thriving local tourism market”, the ResortBrokers listing reads.
Boutique stays on the Mallacoota Inlet
Nestled on 1.4-hectares of unspoiled wilderness, Gipsy Point Lakeside is a boutique retreat featuring 10 luxury apartments, each offering breathtaking views over the stunning Mallacoota Inlet in East Gippsland, Victoria.
Just a 15-minute detour from the Princes Highway – the iconic coastal route linking Melbourne and Sydney – Gipsy Point Lakeside is an ideal escape for residents of both cities or a memorable stopover along the journey and yours for around $3.3 million.
The resort, along with the charming town of Gipsy Point, lies within the spectacular Croajingolong National Park, am 88-hectare UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve since 1977.
To realise the resort’s full eco-tourism potential, development is possible, subject to council approval, to increase the amount of Gipsy Point Lakeside’s apartments.
Features already include a jetty and boat ramp, providing direct access to the Mallacoota Inlet, a 186-person licensed restaurant, a tourist shop, and a solar-heated swimming pool, along with a manager’s residence and staff accommodation.
Taking this property to the next level will yield significant benefits, as tourism in East Gippsland is poised for growth.
In 2023, visitation broke historical records, eclipsing pre-pandemic levels. Pair that with the rise of eco-tourism, and you have your seat at the table.
