PHOTO: Once a jewel of Queensland tourism, South Molle Island now sits silent, storm-scarred and at risk of being taken back
🌪️ A cyclone that froze time
Nearly nine years after Cyclone Debbie tore through Queensland in 2017, South Molle Island remains deserted — a haunting reminder of how quickly paradise can unravel.
Located around 12 kilometres off Queensland’s mainland, the island’s once-popular 200-room resort was left structurally devastated by the Category Four storm. Today, it sits in limbo: empty, decaying, and slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Footage shared by adventurous travellers shows:
🏚️ Collapsed ceilings and missing walls
🌿 Hotel rooms overgrown with foliage
🐸 Swimming pools turned into frog breeding grounds
🧱 Debris scattered across the site
Plans for a five-star resort on South Molle Island collapsed – it’s been listed for sale since 2023
🏗️ Owners step back as pressure steps up
The island is owned by Shanghai-based ChinaCapital Investment Group (CCIG), which purchased South Molle Island in 2016 for a reported $25 million — just months before Cyclone Debbie struck.
Despite growing calls to revive the island, CCIG has told the Queensland Government it is not currently in a position to redevelop.
That admission has sharpened scrutiny from both local and state authorities.
🏛️ “Use it or lose it” warning returns
Ry Collins, Mayor of the Whitsunday Regional Council, says patience is wearing thin.
“South Molle Island is almost like a jewel in the crown of the Whitsundays,” Collins said.
“Council would be very keen to see that project reactivated. We see massive economic opportunity — and we definitely want to see some activity.”
The frustration is amplified by the Queensland Government’s renewed crackdown on island leaseholders who fail to maintain tourism facilities — agreements that often require continuous operation and transport services.
The message is blunt: develop it, or risk losing it.
Category four Cyclone Debbie smashed the Island only a few months after CCIG purchased the resort
Footage showed the abandoned resort’s pool, which has become a breeding ground for frogs
⏮️ A warning from history
This isn’t an idle threat.
In 2013, the Queensland Government seized Double Island from Hong Kong billionaire Benny Wu after issuing the same ultimatum: use it or lose it.
Other abandoned islands have since moved quickly to avoid a similar fate.
🚧 Neighbours surge ahead with billion-dollar plans
While South Molle stalls, nearby islands are roaring back to life:
Lindeman Island is undergoing a $583 million redevelopment, set to reopen this year with a five-star hotel, restaurants, luxury spa, gym and a new 50-metre jetty.
Hook Island has secured approval for 40 eco-cabins.
Hamilton Island was recently sold to US private equity giant Blackstone in a blockbuster $1.2 billion deal.
South Molle’s continued inactivity is becoming increasingly conspicuous.
💰 Now for sale — with staggering potential
CCIG has listed South Molle Island for sale via HTL Property under a private treaty, with a guide price of $30 million.
According to an information memorandum provided to prospective buyers, the island offers:
🏨 Potential for 1,300+ rooms, subject to approval
🚢 A $10 million rebuilt jetty already completed
💧 A new freshwater dam, reducing desalination costs
🏖️ 600 metres of protected, north-facing white sand beach
🧱 A site described as “construction-ready”
In short: the bones are there — but the will (or wallet) has been missing.
📊 Why this matters to Queensland
The Whitsundays attract an estimated 897,000 visitors each year, generating around $1.7 billion in local spending.
An idle island of South Molle’s scale represents not just a lost resort — but lost jobs, lost tourism revenue, and lost momentum in one of Australia’s most valuable travel markets.
⏳ The bottom line
South Molle Island isn’t abandoned because it lacks potential.
It’s abandoned because timing, capital and commitment failed to align — and now the window is narrowing.
With government pressure mounting, neighbouring islands surging ahead, and the property back on the market, the message is clear:
Paradise won’t wait forever.
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL