The Great Barrier Reef is an extensive marine park that begins at Hervey Bay and Bundaberg, and continues for over 1,500 nautical miles north beyond Queensland to Papua New Guinea. Along the way are Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay-Whitsunday Islands, Townsville and Cairns. These seven are among Australia’s largest 30 cities.

Local and overseas developers have focused on Mackay-Whitsundays and Cairns-Port Douglas, in particular, the Whitsunday Islands, named by the English explorer Captain James Cook during a voyage in 1770. These are the most popular gateways to the World Heritage Listed coral reef offshore, and to many of its related adventure activities.

Look back 40 years and the Whitsundays, an island group inside the reef, was in its infancy. Then again, so was post-Mao modern Shanghai. Small sailboats were offered for charter, and an island resort pioneer, Keith Williams, found out how difficult it could be constructing facilities offshore. His far-sighted Hamilton Island and later Port Hinchinbrook projects both eventually went bust, but the groundwork was done, and a new wave of Japanese investment in the 1980s took the Whitsundays to a more luxurious level.

After a hiatus due to the 1990s Japanese recession, Chinese developers have gradually taken over in the last decade or two. First came the Malaysian Chinese conglomerate Mulpha, which bought the iconic but incomplete Gold Coast resort Sanctuary Cove. Then, they acquired Hayman Island in the Whitsundays, upgrading its facilities to reopen as Australia’s landmark One & Only resort.

Hamilton Island, which has an airstrip for private and commercial aircraft, was meanwhile bought by the wine, yachting and entrepreneurial Oatley family, whose commanding patriarch Bob Oatley passed away last year. He created the six-star Qualia resort, and there are many other residences of the rich and famous dotted about the foreshores.

In late 2012, Lindeman Island, which had hosted a Club Med resort, was bought by William Han of China’s White Horse media and marketing group and his partner Mao Jiangfeng, who has designed resorts in Hainan and Zhejiang.

Christie Leet, principal of PRD Realty in the Whitsundays, says the State Government “recently declared special project status for an AUD 600 million (approx. USD 447 million) redevelopment at Lindeman which will include a marina, six-star spa resort, five-star eco resort, golf course and retail facilities”. The island’s airstrip is also to be upgraded. However, four years still seems a fairly long gestation period.

In 2015, China Capital Investment Group bought Daydream Island for AUD 32 million (approx. USD 23.9 million) from Nature’s Own health supplements founder Vaughan Bullivant, which is AUD 7 million (approx. USD 5.23 million) more than he paid for it in 2000. Then in August 2016 they snapped up nearby South Molle Island for AUD 24 million (approx. USD 17.9 million). This came with the existing 188-room resort and amenities, plus 12 hectares of developable beachfront land and a 15-hectare parcel surrounded by National Park, says Ms Leet in her wide-ranging report. The sale was negotiated by Peter Harper and Tate Stubbs of JLL Hotels and Hospitality.