Mission Beach open for business as Dunk Island work continues

Queensland’s Charlton family has spent millions to reopen The Elandra resort just out of Mission Beach and are on the hunt for more opportunities.

Mr Charlton expects The Elandra, which will be open all-year around, will appeal to the wedding market.

Fresh from bidding to purchase a New Zealand ski field, Queensland’s Charlton family say they will continue to look for more hospitality opportunities, buoyed by the infrastructure work on nearby Dunk Island by its owner Annie Cannon-Brooks and overall interest in Far North Queensland’s tourism sector by another richlister, Chris Morris.

Sam Charlton, who with wife Kerri-Ann own and operate the luxury Bedarra Island in the Great Barrier Reef, recently reopened The Elandra resort just out of Mission Beach.

The resort hit the national headlines in 2008 when it was relaunched when the legendary singer/actress Grace Jones jetted in from Europe to relaunch it.

But the resort was a victim of the Global Financial Crisis and the ensuing tourism downturn and after years of lying derelict the Charltons, who purchased The Elandra on 6ha of tropical rainforest for around $5m in 2022, recently reopened it.

Sam and Kerri-Ann Charlton recently reopened The Elandra resort just out of Mission Beach.

With design help from Noosa-based interior designers Clo Studios, the reopened resort includes 20 newly refurbished rooms, a new restaurant, reception area, pool deck, conference room and day spa. A further 12 rooms will re-open down the track.

Mr Charlton said business has been brisk with locals from nearby Cairns and Townsville arriving for lunch or dinner given The Elandra’s chef hails from their other property on Bedarra Island. Or they stay the night.

Mr Charlton is not fazed by the looming reopening of Dunk Island – work has temporarily stopped due to Cyclone Jasper, but is scheduled to start again next month.

“I want competition, there’s lots of benefits from it,” he said, adding that Noosa’s Hastings St and Port Douglas’s Macrossan St generate tourism hubs of activity from their restaurants and retail as does the restaurant and retail activity in Palm Cove, just north of Cairns.

“I wish every island resort in Queensland was up and running because they become a destination,” he added.

It is understood the Charlton family, who own Bedarra Island Resort, have purchased the property for about $5m.

Mr Charlton said he had spent millions of dollars on The Elandra, saying it was “more derelict” than what he initially thought it would be when he purchased it.

He said there would be synergies, with guests from Bedarra Island able to be helicoptered across to the island when landing at The Elandra. While guests who stay in Mission Beach at the Charlton family’s The Bungalow, are also encouraged to eat at The Elandra.

As for buying more assets Mr Charlton said the family is always interested.

“We looked at a ski resort in New Zealand recently. We are always looking at interesting tourism assets. We will fund (any purchases) from the family balance sheet (but) we are not magnates or barons,” he said with a laugh.

Apart from local tourists from Far North Queensland, Mr Charlton expects The Elandra, which will be open all-year around, will appeal to the wedding market.

Mission Beach Real Estate agent Steve Wiltshire said locals believe it’s magnificent that someone had renewed this classic Mission Beach resort.

“It’s a very significant investment in Mission Beach from a family that have been involved in the area since the 1970s. They have done very well.”