Inside ultra-boujee $300k island lunch attracting our elite
One businessman invited half the guest list for one of Australia’s boujeest lunches, enjoying champagne, cocktails, oysters, prawns and bugs on arguably our most spectacular beach. SEE THE PICTURES
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A Queensland businessman celebrating his birthday invited half of the guest list on one of Australia’s bucket list lunches, enjoying champagne, cocktails, oysters, salmon, local barramundi, prawns and bugs on one of the world’s most spectacular beaches.
The $300,000 lavish White on Whitehaven lunch saw guests enjoy their own private beach taking in the sea air, seafood and music while mingling.
Guests, dressed all in white, enjoyed the experience of navigating for an hour before trampling the sand of Whitehaven beach which was transformed into a luxury restaurant for the all afternoon experience.
The $500 a head luxury spectacular included bottomless Laurenti champagne, Grainshaker and Diablo cocktails, live bands and a grazing-style lunch featuring 200 dozen oysters, 22 sides of salmon, 50 eye fillets of beef, 40kg local barramundi, 100kg of prawns and 100kg of bugs.
About 100 guests coming from all around Australia boarded the Sealink boat Nancy Wake on Friday morning for a trip to Whitehaven for the exclusive experience.
The sky was overcast, the sea a little agitated on the way to the island, which begged the question of whether this year’s White on Whitehaven event would be plagued by bad weather again after the event was hit by torrential rain in 2021.
But there was no need for any concern.
Among the 100 guests was Sunshine Coast mortgage broker Michelle Jorgensen, who started their morning sipping mimosas with mates aboard a luxury private yacht headed to the island.
Ms Jorgensen was invited to the event by Airlie Beach Hotel owner Michael McFie, came to White on Whitehaven for the first time with her partner and four adult children.
Upon arrival at the island, zodiacs took the guests to shore where they were welcomed by The Natural Culture, a Caribbean beach party band and trays of drinks held by smiling waitresses.
Guests were told boats would come and get them if they needed to go to the bathroom and head back to the main boat.
Nearly half of the guest list was that of Mr McFie who had offered the $500 per head tickets to 85 invitees including some of his friends, business partners and staff who all joined him on Whitehaven to wish him a happy 44th birthday.
Two lucky winners of a fundraiser had won the draw and were able to join the event as well.
Mackay’s Oral Health Beyond has been fundraising for premature children in Mackay Base Hospital special care nursery, who would have needed to be sent to Townsville if the proper equipment wasn’t available at the hospital.
Andrew and Tenaya Timbrell had donated $200 for a chance to win tickets for the event and had won the draw.
It was a 6am start for famous Airlie Beach restaurant Fish D’Vine, the organiser of the event, with 22 staff preparing food, setting up white tents and oyster and drinks booths and welcoming 203 guests on the beach.
CEO of Fish D’Vine Grant Wilson said the event had been planned well ahead with two trips made the day prior the event to bring all the material needed over to Whitehaven before staff headed over early to prepare the food.
Mr Wilson said biosecurity checks were done prior to starting the event on Whitehaven and security officers were there to make sure no one went passed the beach onto the forest.
“We leave the beach the way we found it,” he said.
We hear though a guest picked up a flower from the island and gave it to his partner. No crime in that surely.
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