Clive Palmer gets the party started as mega rich hit holiday season hot spots
Ryan Stokes has been spotted at Main Beach and Clive Palmer flew in an American songstress for a night. We track down the holiday hot spots of Australia’s business elite.
It was left to billionaire Clive Palmer to host the biggest bash of the holiday season so far, just days before Christmas.
About 300 guests descended on Palmer’s massive mansion in Brisbane’s Fig Tree Pocket on Thursday evening, including an eclectic mix of political and performing artist types.
Former Attorney-General Christian Porter led the political invitees, while Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate, Senator Ralph Babet from Palmer’s United Australia Party and One Nation Senator Malcolm Andrews were also spotted, as was ex-New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley.
Motorcycle ace turned corporate jet entrepreneur Mick Doohan was also there, as was country music legend Lee Kernaghan and music hall of famed Russell Morris.
Tom Burlinson, best known for starring as The Man from Snowy River, sang for guests, as did Roxy Darr – who flew to Brisbane from America in recent days for the big party.
Last year, private jets and superyachts were able to leave the country for the time since Covid lockdowns, which saw the rich and famous flee these shores.
With that out of their system, it seems the wealthy elite are hanging around Australia for the holidays this year.
Australia’s richest person, mining magnate Gina Rinehart is understood to be spending the festive season in southeast Queensland, but it seems Main Beach on the Gold Coast is the place to be in the sunshine state.
Ryan Stokes has been spotted there, as has Aussie Home Loans scion James Symond. Harry Triguboff has also been seen around the traps on the Gold Coast and Gerry Harvey is another who heads north from Sydney for the festive season. In Harvey’s case, there is the Magic Millions yearling sales and race in the second week of January to host.
Retail magnate Solomon Lew is another who has Main Beach connections, with a reported $16.5m penthouse apartment of his under construction.
In the meantime, Lew has headed over to Phuket where he reportedly splashed out more than $10m on a waterfront spot with its own private beach at the glitzy Amanpuri resort a couple of years ago.
Billionaire media and mining equipment mogul Kerry Stokes is in his favourite northern hemisphere winter spot of Beaver Creek, near Aspen, Colorado, where he was paid $US15m for a six-bedroom penthouse 20 years ago.
Others overseas include James Packer, who has been in Aspen but reportedly heading to New Mexico for Christmas, while Melbourne education and property billionaire Shesh Ghale is back in Nepal helping with earthquake relief efforts in the west of the mountainous country.
Alex Waislitz is said to be contemplating a trip to London or Israel during the holidays, or potentially both, while his business partner Antony Catalano will be holding court at his Wategos resort at Byron Bay.
Cardboard box and recycling king Anthony Pratt has headed to New York, where it looks like the chances of a snow-laden white Christmas are fading. The view will still be good from the Pratt family penthouse overlooking Central Park.
Back in Australia, garbage and luxury yacht king Ian Malouf has “gone into hiding” at Palm Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches, with two of his superyachts, Mischief and Coral Ocean, undergoing repairs ahead of a big season for both vessels in 2024.
The $100m Coral Ocean will be ready for a big Mediterranean summer and exotic locales such as the America’s Cup off Barcelona that starts in late August and also an expedition to Alaska.
Malouf has bought no less than three big houses in Palm Beach, the latest being a $40m residence overlooking Pittwater that he snapped up this time last year.
His Ahoy Club yacht chartering business is offering its 100ft superyacht Shadow for $90,000 on New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour for up to 60 guests.
Melbourne types like Max Beck and Lindsay Fox are heading to their cliff top mansions at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Beck is likely to be spotted cycling up nearby Arthur’s Seat (the chairlift there is owned by billionaire Peter Gunn) one day, and hitting the golf course – potentially with former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews – the next.
John Gandel, the billionaire co-owner of the huge Chadstone Shopping Centre will hope for a huge Christmas sales season there before heading to his Pt Leo winery and estate, which includes an extensive outdoor sculpture park, on the Mornington Peninsula as well.
Gandel will then be a fixture at the Australian Open tennis tournament in the second half of January, alongside other notable tennis enthusiasts ranging from Triguboff – who visits Melbourne for the finals weekend every year – to Fox, Peter Costello and plenty more.
Otherwise, Christian Beck, John Winning Jnr and Will Vicars are among the yachting types that have boats competing in the Sydney to Hobart race that starts on Boxing Day.
ENDS
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