Hog-tied southerners eye a sunseeking Whitsunday exodus

A Melbourne businessman has purchased Hog’s Breath Cafe boss Don Algie’s Whitsundays mansion in the region’s largest sale in years.

Melbourne businessman Alan Galloway has purchased Hog’s Breath Cafe boss Don Algie’s Chesapeake Whitsundays mansion in an off-market deal. Picture: Supplied

A Melbourne businessman has purchased Hog’s Breath Cafe boss Don Algie’s Whitsundays mansion in the region’s largest sale in years as itchy-footed Victorians look to clamber north for warmer weather.

Poised atop a mountain on the mainland surrounded with views of the sea, rainforest and islands, the property called “Chesapeake Whitsundays” was sold off-­market in a multimillion-dollar deal to horse racing personality Alan Galloway of Alabar Stud last week.

Mr Galloway fell in love with the property from above as he flew over it, working on the restaurateur for several months to agree to sell. “I have fallen in love with Airlie Beach, it’s like a hidden gem, a slice of paradise,” Mr Galloway said.

“I am tipping this place is going to get busy soon. I used to think it was too remote but now that I fly, it’s ideal. Many of my friends and family want to come up from Melbourne once they can.”

The sale comes as agents in Queensland’s far north report unprecedented demand from southerners looking for luxury tropical getaways.

New search data from real­estate.com.au found that in Aug­ust there was a 145 per cent year-on-year increase in search activity from Victorians looking at properties to buy in the Whitsundays, Townsville, Cairns and Port Douglas regions.

The property portal’s chief economist, Nerida Conisbee, said Queensland was proving popular as more people looked to escape.

An aerial view of the property.

“Queensland does seem to be attracting people,” Ms Conisbee said. “But we don’t know how much of that will translate to ­people buying. It does depend on what happens with people’s work situations.

“It will be interesting to see what happens when lockdowns end: is change just a wish or a permanent shift?”

Ray White Whitsundays principal Mark Beale said the office had been inundated with inquiries from Melburnians over the past few months, as many looked to escape the locked-down city.

Sellers Don and Mai Algie at the property.

“At least half of the demand is from the pandemic lockdowns,” he said “People in Melbourne have had time in lockdown to think about their next move. A lot of them are after a holiday home or a chance to get away and work remotely.”

Mr Beale expects sales to strengthen once borders open and prospective buyers can inspect properties in person.

The sale of the Algie Whitsundays mansion is the largest transaction in the region for two years. The palatial Mandalay estate holds the record after it sold for $14m to a family from Sydney in 2018.