Get ready, Australia, because the rumour mill is already churning!
A tropical island paradise off the coast of Far North Queensland, once the exclusive hideaway for Hollywood heavyweights like Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, and Jennifer Aniston, is being reborn – and the A-listers are being formally invited back.
It comes as Double Island, after more than a decade of neglect, is finally set for a spectacular $40 million transformation.
And the message from Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen is crystal clear: “Brad, Jen, Keanu … they’re all welcome back for the opening party.”
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Double Island’s allure to the rich and famous isn’t a new chapter.
In 2011, flamboyant medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten and his former wife Brynne, were rumoured to be eyeing the island which, at the time, had been listed with a price guide of $8m.
Chris Morris, the driving force behind multiple NQ island resort transformations, has been entrusted with revitalising Double Island, near Cairns. Pictures: Supplied.
Actors Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are among the island’s famous former guests and have been invited back.
So, too, has Keanu Reeves,
Edelsten, known for his lavish lifestyle, was looking to join the ranks of Mel Gibson and Richard Branson in owning a private island, and Double Island was firmly on his radar.
He and Brynne even jetted up to inspect the property in August that year, with a spokesman confirming at the time, “Definitely, yes, he is interested. He absolutely inspected it. He and Brynne inspected it together.”
However, the deal never eventuated.
Now, 15 years later, the Queensland government has inked a deal with the Morris Group, owned by Melbourne billionaire Chris Morris, to breathe new life into the island.
The ambitious four-year, four-stage redevelopment promises to elevate Double Island to an even higher echelon of luxury, perfectly tailored to attract the world’s most discerning travellers – and, hopefully, its most famous faces.
One of the accommodation huts on Double Island has seen better days. Picture Emily Barker.
So has the former resort pool. Picture Emily Barker.
Even the bedrooms are a mess. Picture Emily Barker.
Plans include a public-access pontoon, a swanky sunset bar, 24 opulent villas, a private helicopter pad (essential for discreet celebrity arrivals, naturally), and a world-class restaurant. Work is slated to commence this year, with a ferry service from Yorkeys Knob set to resume, making access to this revitalised haven easier than it has been since 2018.
Mr Olsen highlighted the burgeoning demand from “high-end customers” for Queensland’s luxury offerings, pointing to the booming superyacht industry as a prime example.
“We know that there is a high-end luxury market who want exactly what this destination has to offer,” he told the ABC.
“Double Island is another jewel in the crown of Tropical North Queensland.”
The island’s fall from grace was a protracted affair, with the previous leaseholder, Hong Kong billionaire Benny Wu, failing to maintain the resort.
His long-term lease over the island was revoked in 2024, after paying former Ozemail founder Sean Howard $5.68m in 2012 to take over the 17.8-hectare resort.
Chinese billionaire developer Benny Wu.
Double Island Resort swimming pool area in 2006.
After years of increasing disrepair, the Queensland government successfully cancelled the lease in 2024, clearing the path for this exciting new chapter.
Chris Morris, whose group boasts an impressive portfolio of luxury escapes across North Queensland, including Mount Mulligan, Pelorus, and Orpheus islands, described the project as a “clean-up” rather than a “rebuild.”
“By the second year, we hope to have the beach bar and all that open,” he said.
“Then we’re giving ourselves a couple of years to get the resort open.”