With a string of Barrier Reef islands lying derelict after cyclones and neglect, Hook Island is bucking the trend to make a comeback as a luxury eco resort in the Whitsundays.
Hook Island hasn’t seen a tourist for 12 years, after being smashed by Cyclone Anthony in 2011, but when Epochal Hotels’ CEO Glenn Piper, 37, saw the opportunity, he couldn’t go past it.
Epochal bought the leasehold with a small group of investors in 2022 for more than $10 million.
Now, the island’s 9.3 hectares are poised for a revival with Epochal releasing this first mockup of its planned $40 million-plus rebuild. Once complete in 2027, the eco-lodge will be home to 39 “biophilic cabins”, an arrival pavilion, two distinctive dining options, forest eco pools, wellness spaces and adventure activities.
Piper’s Epochal has spent around $150 million on pubs and resorts since early 2020, rapidly building a little empire in NSW.
Hook Island is the first interstate buy in the portfolio consisting of Q Station hotel and conference centre at North Head, Manly, the Commodore Hotel, McMahons Point, The Harbord Hotel, Freshwater, The Beach Hotel, Merewether in Newcastle, and the Scarbororough Hotel, on the cliffs between Wollongong and Sydney.
Hook Island was declared a National Park in 1936 and became a major tourist destination in 1969 with the opening of the Hook Island Underwater Observatory. The observatory closed in 2010 before Cyclone Anthony smashed the island in 2011. It never recovered, closing to tourists in 2013, before it suffered the further indignity of Cyclone Debbie in 2017.
Debbie caused the shutting down of nearby South Molle Island, which continues to lie in ruins.
Brampton Island, Capricorn Resort and Laguna Quays are also reported to be in a state of dereliction, often left in limbo by foreign owners.
Lindeman Island, home of the first Club Med in Australia, has sat in ruins since it was pummelled by Cyclone Yasi in 2011. The Singaporean company, Well Start, has pledged to restore it.
Further south, 1980s budget party paradise, Great Keppel Island, has been laying in ruin for 15 years, with the Queensland government last year announcing a $30 million revival plan.
Piper saw the opportunity to go against the current on Hook Island. “This project has been a labour of love,” he said. “We’ve poured our hearts into blending thoughtful design with a profound respect for the island’s heritage and delicate ecosystem. After being closed for more than a decade, we can’t wait to soon welcome overnight guests and day visitors alike to experience its magic firsthand.”
Epochal gave the design work to South African firm Luxury Frontiers which is aiming for the site to embody “barefoot luxury”. Luxury Frontiers – with offices in Johannesburg and Memphis Tennessee – specialise in sustainable and immersive resorts, with Madwaleni River Lodge in South Africa, Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort in Mexico, and Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica in their portfolio.
They had a blank slate because the previous derelict Hook Island resort had been demolished and removed.
While the 2021 Hook Island development application under the previous owners incorporated temporary structures able to be quickly dismantled ahead of a cyclone, the new owners have opted for “cyclone-resistant, modular architecture”.
“The island has been ravaged by cyclones more than once,” said Piper, “And we are building with that reality in mind — creating a world-class, eco-conscious destination that celebrates and strengthens this incredible environment.”
