Morris Escapes to offload spectacular Beechmont Estate in Queensland’s Scenic Rim

Richlister Chris Morris is selling his spectacular Beechmont Estate in South East Queensland’s famous Scenic Rim, complete with polo field, helipad and hatted restaurant.

The Paddock Restaurant at Beechmont Estate.

Richlister Chris Morris’s successful sale of the Daintree Ecolodge has prompted him to offload another one of his Queensland tourism resorts.

This time the wealthy hospitality entrepreneur is looking to sell a polo field, accommodation and high-end restaurant facility known as Beechmont Estate in Queensland’s South East.

“Morris Escapes, under the stewardship of Chris Morris, is ­divesting Beechmont Estate as part of a tactical realignment, with a view to reinvest the capital into luxury assets of a greater scale,” said marketing agent CBRE Hotels’s Wayne Bunz, who has been appointed to sell the Beechmont Estate along with his colleague, Hayley Manvell.

Around $14m is expected for the 30.64ha estate, in the heart of the booming Scenic Rim, which has previously attracted significant infrastructure investment from Flight Centre’s Graham Turner, and is 45 minutes from the Gold Coast and 90 minutes from Brisbane.

Beechmont Estate.

Set against the backdrop of the scenic Lamington National Park, and home to the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, the hinterland property features 29 rooms, including 17 cabins, three luxurious pavilions, a four-bedroom owner’s residence, a three-bedroom guesthouse, as well as a two-bedroom cottage. There’s also staff accommodation.

The property, formerly known as Hazelwood Estate, also has scope for expansion with up to four additional luxury pavilions under a code-assessable Development Application and seven more under an impact-assessable DA, as per town planning advice.

Existing amenities include a full-sized polo field, a helipad, horse stables, a full-service spa, an additional dining venue, and comprehensive event and conference facilities.

Another drawcard is the estate’s Chris Norman-helmed Paddock Restaurant, which is celebrated for its authentic paddock-to-plate philosophy and ­secured a spot in the 2022 Australian Good Food Guide’s prestigious list of hatted restaurants.

“Beechmont Estate provides a turnkey opportunity, with little to no immediate capital investment required given its relatively recent grand opening in September 2021,” Mr Bunz said.

“It offers operational upside, holding income and a wealth of alternate uses, all at a price below that of a luxury home.”

Chris Morris.

CBRE’s Ms Manvell said the Scenic Rim region had gained considerable popularity, ranking as the world’s 50th most loved tourist destination and listed among Lonely Planet’s top 10 ­regions to visit in 2022.

“This growing appeal is bolstered by Queensland’s thriving drive tourism sector, the expansion of Gold Coast Airport, and the high inflationary environment encouraging local getaways, positioning the estate for sustained growth,” Ms Manvell said.

Expressions of interest close on November 14 with the estate expected to appeal to high-net-worth individuals and wedding venue owners and operators.

Mr Bunz said the estate would also appeal to anybody with a passion for equestrian or polo pursuits, as well as hobby farmers.

Apart from the Beechmont Estate, Mr Morris, a co-founder of Computershare, also owns Far North Queensland’s luxury Orpheus Island, Mount Mulligan ­Estate, the Townsville Casino, as well as various pubs dotted around Australia.

Mr Morris bought the then Hazelwood Estate in 2022. At the time he wanted to add the “authentic hinterland experience’ to his existing reef (Orpheus Island) and rainforest (Daintree EcoLodge) and outback (Mt Mulligan) offerings so guests could enjoy “Queensland’s diverse beauty”.