Back in the days when I was still highly motivated to relocate to some place where the temperature never drops below my age - I am thinking of good ol' Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit! - I visited Kuranda where Regine Bergmann of Australian Property Connection was selling a spectacular property at 46 Cadagi Drive in Kuranda.
And spectacular it was with large rooms and high ceilings and some quite extravagant attention to detail. At the time of its construction it was the talk of Kuranda, with the best tradies in town contracted to complete the project. The brief was simple: large rooms and high ceilings! With the help of a crane and an experienced crew, this was readily accomplished. What took more time was the attention to detail. Every beam was hand-carved, walls were sandbagged, the helipad driveway hand-paved. No expense was spared. The best hickory, white beech and kauri timbers, today no longer available, were used to line the rooms. The house was similarly dressed using bespoke fittings – doors to the wine cellar imported from Indonesia, outdoor pheasant taps from Germany, an antique lamp from Russia, hand basin from France. What I didn't know until later was that it had been built in 1986 for Peter Armitage, Alan Bond's accountant.
"Bondie" was the poster boy of the roaring 80s and famously won the America's Cup in 1983 with his yacht Australia II. Less famously, he was declared bankrupt in 1992 with debts of $1.8 BILLION, jailed for fraud in 1996, and released in 2000. Despite his criminal past, he kept his fortune and in 2008 was named one the 200 wealthiest people in Australia with an estimated $265 million. He died in 2015, aged 77.
Following "Bondie"'s downfall, his accountant was also forced to dispose of this million-dollar extravaganza in 1993 to a local couple for just $500,000. It was again for sale at $850,000 when I inspected it in 2003.
It didn't sell until 2006 when an American painter, Steve Royster, bought it for $800,000. He tried to sell it again in late 2014 for $1,200,000, but then turned it into The Grand Barron Lodge. Keeping my eyes on this object of my (now past) desires, I noticed in 2020 that it was still - again? - advertised for sale at $1,095,000. Shortly afterwards, in August 2020, it sold for $850,000! After owning it for fourteen years, he barely got his money back. I used to own a couple of properties like that!
I don't know who the lucky new owners are, nor do I know of the new whereabouts of Steve Royster. His website, through which he advertised his paintings, has gone "off the air" and the last entry on his facebook page is from 2015. Through his sister Judy Royster, who used to run a spiritual wellness centre from a renovated two-century-old farmhouse in Southborough, Massachusetts, I know that their father, James Royster, who had authored "Have This Mind: Supreme Happiness, Ultimate Realization, and the Four Great Religions - An Integral Adventure", had passed away in 2017 - click here. He had been a missionary and they had spent part of their childhood in India, Egypt, and Kenya - click here.
Which makes Steve Royster as unusual a man as the unusual house he had so briefly inhabited. Every house has an interesting story to tell.
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This rare property is positioned in one of the most stunning locations in North Queensland. Featured on the 'Queensland Weekender' television program, the prestigious four bedroom home not only has panoramic views that capture the dazzling river waters and many hued mountains beyond but also absolute Barron River frontage. Paved steps lead to the river where there is direct access to swimming and canoeing. Set on 1.06 hectares, the property has long been known to locals as "the million-dollar mansion". The home itself has vast airy living areas with 8m ceilings, all leading to the expansive verandas. The bespoke design features display impressive attention to detail; every beam is hand crafted, walls are sand bagged, the large walk in wine cellar is temperature-controlled, the helipad driveway hand-paved. The best hickory, white beech, red cedar and kauri timbers line the rooms. Demonstrating its versatility, the property has been enjoyed both as a family home and by guests at the boutique Grand Barron Lodge, rated by booking.com at 9.7. Most of all, the property is all about location. The tranquility, absolute privacy and beauty of the river call you to come and inspect. If you are looking for an idyllic lifestyle location where you can sit on your generous veranda and watch amazing sunsets, you will love living here. If you thought that it was no longer possible to find paradise on earth, think again!
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Are real estate advertisements covered by the copyright laws? If not, I may plagiarise the last paragraph for my own advertisement.
"Most of all, the property is all about location. The tranquility, absolute privacy and beauty of the river call you to come and inspect. If you are looking for an idyllic lifestyle location where you can sit on your generous veranda and watch amazing sunsets, you will love living here. If you thought that it was no longer possible to find paradise on earth, think again!" fits "Riverbend" right down to the amazing sunsets.
