Discovery Parks buys Airlie Cove resort in Whitsundays for $8.2 million

JUST weeks after creating the largest network of holiday parks in Australia, an Adelaide headquartered company has expanded into the up-market Whitsundays region.

Discovery Parks’ CEO Grant Wilckens has snapped up another holiday park, this time in tropical Queensland.

• Expansion: Discovery Parks takeover

JUST weeks after creating the largest network of holiday parks in Australia, an Adelaide headquartered tourism company has expanded into the up-market Whitsundays region.

Discovery Parks — which took over the Top Parks brand last month in a $25 million deal — has added a tropical resort to its expanding collection of ‘hero’ resorts, buying the Airlie Cove Resort and Caravan Park in northern Queensland for $8.2 million.

Discovery Parks chief executive officer Grant Wilckens said the acquisition was a strategic investment given the strong demand for accommodation in the globally recognised Whitsundays.

“Airlie Cove is a beautiful family holiday destination with the largest resort pool in Airlie Beach, water slides, mini golf and an outdoor cinema,” he said. ““It complements our resorts in Coolwaters Yeppoon, Fraser Coast and Byron Bay, providing high quality accommodation options for customers travelling the coastal route.”

The resort has 56 cabins and 80 caravan sites in what is viewed as a key connection point between the Whitsunday Islands and Brisbane. Most of the resort’s domestic visitors come from outside the 400km radius that traditionally supply parks, providing scope for more growth Mr Wilckens said.

“It’s in a wonderful part of the world. We’re excited to bring this park to our G’day guests (loyalty reward program) and we’re sure this type of resort accommodation will appeal to people who currently don’t consider holiday parks. The sector is growing very strongly.”

Last month Mr Wilckens declared Discovery Parks is on track to become a $1 billion concern within the next two years following the Top Parks takeover, aligned to a heavy investment in new technology and facilities at its 235 parks across Australia.