IT’S not often a literal slice of ocean paradise goes on sale. The owners of this secluded Whitsundays mansion describe it as the “best beach house in Australia”, and it’s not hard to see why.
Heaven’s Gate, an award-winning, master architect-designed, eco-friendly luxury hideaway, sits on 1450 square metres of tropical paradise in the idyllic Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef, with uninterrupted views and 385 metres of beachfront.
It has six bedrooms, master suite, cinema, gym, tennis court, two spas, infinity pool, lift, four large double garages, a two-bedroom caretaker’s cottage, helicopter hangar, workshop and amphibian aeroplane hangar.
Hayman Island and Hamilton Island are both a short flight away, and the property has a large vessel mooring and two smaller ones for visiting vessels, as well as a slipway to launch boats. The lucky buyer will also get several quadbikes and dirtbikes thrown in to explore the surrounds
Owners Ian and Missy Bishop bought the property from its original builders, a couple from Hawaii, nine years ago for just over $4 million.
Queensland law forbids sellers from quoting price guides prior to auction, but industry sources estimate the mansion could fetch about $10 million.
Mr Bishop, a mechanical engineer who describes himself as a “failed retiree”, told news.com.au their three children and four grandchildren were not happy at the decision to sell.
“They don’t like the idea of it,” he said. “We’ll be very sad to leave it because it is beautiful, but it’s a lot of work for two 70-year-olds.”
But they won’t be going far — the Bishops are planning to downsize to an adjacent property. “We’re fortunate enough to own the 75 acres next door, so we’re going to build a Canadian-style log cabin,” he said.
“We’re only moving next door, so we’ve still got the beautiful beach, sea and climate. We already live in what we believe is the prettiest part of the Whitsundays in arguably the prettiest part of the world, so why would we want to leave?”
While it’s isolated in the privacy sense, there are two luxury resorts located a short drive away if you ever want a meal, making it the “best of both worlds”.
Mr Bishop said he had done a lot of work improving the house over the past nine years, adding the seaplane hangar, a workshop, installing a new rainwater supply and two bores. The 56 rooftop solar panels generate 10 kilowatts of electricity, making the house completely self-sufficient.
Carol Carter of Gold Coast-based luxury real estate agency Sotheby’s International Realty said there had already been overseas interest in the property, which goes to auction on Monday, August 17.
Ms Carter said it might interest a celebrity looking for a private getaway. She said she had never come across anything quite like it. “Not with the privacy and seclusion it offers,” she said. “There’s nothing around other than natural timberland — they get turtles on the beach right in front of the house during mating season.”
AUCTION DETAILS
Price: Upon application
Location: InterContinental Hotel Double Bay
Date: Monday, August 17, 5.30pm
Agent: Carol Carter
Contact: carol@gcsothebysrealty.com
Vendors: Ian and Missy Bishop
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