Lucinda Cove Resort a gateway to hiking, fishing lifestyle in Far North Queensland

It has stunning views of the Coral Sea to its east, Hinchinbrook Island’s mountainous peaks to the north, and the Herbert River to its west.

Lucinda Cove Resort is a family business spanning 1.57 hectares and offering motel, bungalow, caravan and campsite accommodation in addition to a licensed waterfront restaurant, outdoor pool and barbecue area – all amid tropical gardens.

The unique property is being marketed by Your Property Co agents Nathan Beasley and Frenchy Devos, for an undisclosed price.

The expressions-of-interest campaign has attracted national and international inquiries, from Germany, Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney, Beasley says.

He says the resort caters for everybody, with different accommodation for all types of visitors. 

“But it’s just beautiful,” Beasley says. “As you sit out on your balcony, all you can see is a glistening sea of silver or blue. It just shines and glistens for kilometres.” 

Apart from classic Far North Queensland lifestyle attractions such as world-class fishing, croc-spotting and island hopping, the resort offers its new owners a chance to tap into long-term income potential.

It boasts $8.5 million in infrastructure, including a newly constructed restaurant seating 200 people, which is the only one in town with waterfront dining, Beasley says. 

The Slipway Bar & Restaurant serves up garlic prawns, wild-caught trout, calamari and oysters, and caters to varied dietary requirements. 

“They have a very captive market,” Beasley says. “To my understanding, there’s nowhere else where you can just sit on the water like that and have a beer or dinner. That’s why it attracts quite a lot of locals.”

Beasley says investors can expect a strong net return due to the area’s government-backed tourism promotions and long-term development potential.

“It’s a lifestyle where you can get paid really well, because it’s quite a profitable business,” he says. “It’s a great place to bring a family up as well.”

The property consists of 11 self-contained bungalows sleeping between two and five guests, 20 waterfront motel rooms, and a three-bedroom owner’s residence. 

There are also powered caravan sites, and the vendor says plans are underway to build two larger self-contained bungalows.

The fishing village of Lucinda has a population of 435 with a median age of 60. It has a pub, post office, boat ramp and pontoon.

“People come from all over Australia to fish,” Beasley says. “You can either be a lazy fisherman, a touring family, a grey nomad, or someone just wanting to experience Australia.

“It’s got a camping site at the back  … it’s got the bungalows, and then it’s got the motel units. So, depending on what style of sort of accommodation you want, they offer a pretty big, pretty wide facility.”

Lucinda is home to the Port of Lucinda, which has one of the world’s longest jetties, reaching 5.6 kilometres out to sea. 

Raw sugar grown in the Ingham area, 25 minutes’ drive away, is sent on its way from the storage sheds and on a 22-minute journey along the conveyor belt to the ship-loader.

The town serves as a gateway to world-heritage-listed Hinchinbrook Island – the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef, with a national park that is the country’s largest island national park. It featured in the 2008 film, Nim’s Island. 

Separating the island from Lucinda is a 44-kilometre stretch of Hinchinbrook Channel, where lush green mangroves and open water meet, and dugongs, sea turtles and dolphins live.

“It [has] white sandy beaches that just go on for days,” Beasley says.

Hikers will love the isand’s Thorsborne Trail, which he likened to stepping onto Gilligan’s Island.

The 32-kilometre hike weaves through Hinchinbrook Island National Park’s pristine tropical rainforest, mist-shrouded mountains, dazzling waterfalls and remote sandy beaches.

New guided hiking tours are set to be launched this year, catering to up to 60 hikers a day and departing from directly in front of the resort. 

The Queensland government has outlined improvements to Thorsborne Trail – including new facilities, improved signage, trail upgrades and new guided tours in partnership with the traditional owners – as part of its 20-year ecotourism outlook, Destination 2045.

“World Expeditions, global leaders in small-group, multi-day, sustainable walking experiences, will work with the Bandjin and Girramay People to deliver small group guided tours rich with Aboriginal culture on the trail,” said a statement from Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell.