Toogoom island sold

AN island off Toogoom rumoured to be worth $7 million has been sold.

The island off Toogoom, rumoured to be worth about $7 million, which has been sold.

IT'S indulgent, lavish and only for the über-wealthy, which means few can lay claim to owning their own island.

“Aussie Rob” Wilson has joined the ranks of this exclusive club, whose members include the likes of Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage and Richard Branson.

Mr Wilson is now the proud, and “very excited”, owner of a private island near Toogoom.

The 57-acre island, believed to be worth about $7 million, generated national interest when it went up for sale late last year.

But, while he won't divulge how much he forked out, Mr Wilson is clearly thrilled with the purchase and the fact he's now part of the “it” club.

“It's pretty cool,” he said of owning his own coastal paradise.

“I'm jumping out of my skin.

“It's pretty exciting to be able to say you live on an island. It's a real conversation opener.”

Mr Wilson, who also owns a 22-acre property at Toogoom, runs a Gold Coast-based business that teaches people how to trade in financial markets.

He plans to set up a resort on the island, where his clients will go for trading conferences and relaxation.

“We're trying to keep it pretty exclusive, so it will only have a maximum of 50 (people) at a time,” Mr Wilson said.

“We want to keep it really eco-friendly.

“One of our thoughts at this stage is that we want to keep it really different ... a different lifestyle experience for people.”

The unnamed island could soon be called Lifestyle Island if Aussie Rob has his way, named after his company Lifestyle Trader.

Right now the island, which sits 200 metres off the mainland, features two homes, a hangar and air strip, sandy beaches, native wildlife and mangroves.

Mr Wilson will “move in” in December.

“A lot of islands are tropical but this is more of an Australian island,” he said.

“We've got a dozen kangaroos there, which will be great for our international clients.”

Mr Wilson's business also has offices in the UK and US and he regularly travels the world to spruik his ideas.

The island is just “another chapter for the book”, he says.

Within 48 hours of finding out the luxury parcel of land was for sale, a deal was secured.

But the new owner has still only visited the property three times.

So before any of the plans go ahead, he wants to spend some time alone enjoying his new toy.

“At this stage I'm allowed to be selfish,” he laughed.

Before heading back to work, Mr Wilson will spend six weeks from December on the island with his wife, Kerry, where they will begin plans for the resort.

The couple's other property at Toogoom is where they currently “store our stuff” but because they travel so often home is “wherever our heads hit the pillow”, he said.

Mr Wilson says he instantly fell in love the Fraser Coast and enjoys the anonymity of small town life.

But for someone who regularly travels the world and has lived on several continents, his love of the region speaks volumes about its appeal.

When the Chronicle caught up with him, he'd just returned to Oz from the jungles of Belize.

“I'm on stage somewhere in the world every week ... (but) it's pretty hard to beat the Fraser Coast,” he said.

“I absolutely love it.

“It's nice to come home to our little oasis.”

Originally published as Toogoom island sold