Turtle Cove Beach Resort is for sale
Australia’s only freehold adult resort with a clothing optional private beach has hit the market, with the property being pitched as a resort, development or even an epic family compound.
Located at Wangetti in Far North Queensland, the Turtle Cove Beach Resort has been serving the adults only and LGBTQIA+ communities since 1993, and boasts its own private clothing optional beach.
Turtle Cove Beach Resort is Australia’s only freehold adult resort with a clothing optional private beach
Located roughly 42km north of Cairns, it has been owned by Jacinta and Kelvin Banks for 17 years.
The current owners have held the property for 17 years
The resort recently sent an email to their loyal clientele ahead of the public listing with Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty agents Marco Santos, Lynn Malone, and Caroline Yarr.
“It is with both heavy hearts and great hope that we share important news with the people who have made Turtle Cove what it is today,” the email said.
“Before taking this once-in-a-generation opportunity to the broader market, we wanted to reach the people who know, love and understand Turtle Cove best – our community.
“More than a resort, Turtle Cove is a home, a sanctuary and a symbol of belonging.
“Our heartfelt wish is that its next chapter remains in the hands of those who will cherish and protect its legacy for generations to come.”
Turtle Cove Beach Resort commenced operations in 1993 and has welcomed thousands of guests
The email said the resort had “welcomed thousands of guests who arrived as strangers and left as family”.
“We’ve shared laughter by the pool, sunsets on the beach, countless celebrations, and even weathered cyclones, Covid-19, and every challenge in between,” it said.
“Through it all, one thing has never changed – our commitment to protecting this very special place for our community.
“Like so many cherished LGBTQIA+ venues around the world, Turtle Cove deserves a future that honours its history and purpose.
“Too many community spaces have been swallowed by corporate ownership or have lost the spirit that made them special.
“We don’t want Turtle Cove to become another such story. Our hope is that Turtle Cove remains within our LGBTQIA+ family or with people who genuinely appreciate its importance to our community.
“Whether that’s an individual, a group of friends, a community consortium, or investors who share our values, we’d love to hear from you.”
Clothing is not optional in the resort areas, but the guests can “bask in the sun in nothing more than sunglasses” on the private beach, albeit it is suggested that due to Australia’s hot sun that “you slap some sunscreen in every nook and cranny, just to be safe”.
The resort has 30 rooms with garden and beachfront settings, each with a balcony or terrace with ocean views.
Inside one of the 30 suites
And the ocean views
There is also an oceanfront pool, spa, and a wellness precinct, supported by a grand pavilion, dining terraces, a commercial kitchen, a bar, a gym, a massage and treatment room, a library, a games room, and guest facilities.
The oceanfront pool
It also boasts Coral Sea views and a rainforest backdrop.
Guests can also hire out the entire resort for events, with private events booked in September, October and December.
The resort has a private beach
Current owner Kelvin Banks, who lives in Melbourne, said he and his wife Jacinta, who are both now in their 70s, came across the resort after travelling to Palm Cove in search of a beachfront block.
But it was during a drive to Port Douglas that their son pointed out Turtle Cove, which he informed them was a “gay resort”..
“There was a for sale sign out the front and we had a look but we didn’t think we could afford it so we didn’t attend the auction,” Mr Banks said.
“But it got passed in and we bought it.”
Mr Banks said they knew nothing about running a resort and had planned to use the property privately but their son urged them to “keep it gay”.
“It was the best gay resort in the world in 2001,” Mr Banks said.
“Everyone in the world knows of Turtle Cove.”
Turtle Cove Beach Resort is listed with Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty
Mr Banks said they travelled to Thailand and met with the original owner, Bert, who offered to return to the Far North and “bring his baby back”.
“And he did,” Mr Banks said, with Bert giving his seal of approval to current managers, Nathan and Julian, who have “had the reigns for eight years now”.
But the Banks’ made several trips to the resort during their tenure, spending two years at Turtle Cove during the Covid-19 pandemic and every February to host friends and family for a month-long party.
“We have so many favourite memories,” Mr Banks said. “The parties, the people we have met.
“We have had celebrities here, who I obviously can’t name, helicopters landing all of the time.
“We will be sad to see it go but we have a succession plan and we just hope it goes to someone who is passionate and loves the area.”
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The Coral Sea views are spectacular
It is understood that loyal clientele of the resort are now looking into options to purchase the property, with best offers due by 4pm on September 10.
Turtle Cove Beach Resort currently has a 4.6 star rating from 311 reviews on its website, and 4.5 stars from 584 reviews on Tripadvisor.
“For private investors and family offices, the asset offers scale, privacy and immediate usability as a coastal retreat or a multi-generational compound,” the listing says.
“For resort operators, it provides an existing room inventory, a beachfront presence and established guest amenities in a tightly held part of the Far North Queensland coastline.
“For developers and repositioning buyers, the appeal lies in the combination of landholding, beachfront location and existing infrastructure.”
Turtle Cove Beach Resort