They’re the perfect properties for anyone who dreams of an island in the sun — but you don’t have to be rich and famous to afford them.
A string of remote Aussie islands are up for sale at lower prices than many Sydney houses. The islands often include everything from tracts of private sandy beach to palm trees and secluded coves of turquoise waters teeming with fish.
There’s also scope for turning them into private residences as many come with DA approval for a dwelling and additional boating facilities.
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An island in the mouth of the Clarence River on NSW’s north coast is up for sale with a price guide of $800,000 and includes nearly 16ha of land.
The price is lower than Sydney’s $900,000 median house price. Inner city houses, meanwhile, usually start at about $1.2 million.
The island is part of a larger island group within the delta of the Clarence River and is roughly 15km from tourist hub Yamba.
Selling agent Melanie Shanahan of Solitary Islands Real Estate said it was one of her favourite listings to show prospective buyers because it meant hopping on a jet ski to get there.
“It’s a really beautiful spot,” she said. “There are a lot of people who want their own islands. Much of the interest we’re getting is from people who have bought and sold islands before.”
Further north, a 27ha property known as Goat Island is for sale at $1 million. Its main connection to the outside world is a small wet dock marina.
And 200km to the south, the 129ha Yellow Rock Island in Urunga is for sale — also with a $1 million price guide.
“It’s a nice secluded spot,” selling agent Paul Fitzpatrick of LJ Hooker Coffs Harbour said. “The catch is that any house you build on the land has to have a helipad for emergencies.”
Island buyers get even more options in Queensland. Multiple islands which are part of an archipelago in the Torres Strait are up for grabs with prices ranging from just over $1 million to more than $3 million.
Wild Duck Island off the coast of Mackay is up for sale at $5 million and includes 25 bungalows built for a resort project that was abandoned 15 years ago. There is also a runway.
A spokesman from real estate company Private Islands Inc said it wasn’t just luxury developers interested in the islands. Many of the buyers making enquiries wanted to build their own private retreats, he said
“Islands offer more privacy (and) because of the limited number of islands for sale in any given region, they are more exclusive,” he said.