Already by the early 1990's an established tourism identity with experience as manager of the then celebrated Colonial Club, teaching tourism at Tafe, and working at Be Bee's in its early days, Bert Gerbrands dreamed of a truly special gay resort, something unique, secure, secluded, preferably seaside facing the famous Great Barrier Reef, and surrounded by lush tropical rainforest.
In pursuit of that dream he drove the local roads looking for a location and talked to friends about investing in the venture, but he never found the right spot and, with virulently anti-gay Joh Bjelke-Petersen captaining the Queensland ship of state, no one dared dip their toe in that water.
However once the Bjelke-Petersen government foundered, and the new Labor government decriminalised homosexuality, Bert saw his chance. When friends, Dr David Bradford and partner Michael Williams made their now annual holiday visit, Bert took them for a drive to Port Douglas, and half-way there they noticed some deserted buildings, tucked in beside a bend in the road. Almost invisible to passing motorists, the small complex of bungalows took up a secluded cove featuring its own stretch of private beach, …show more content…
Originally a work camp during the construction of the Cairns to Port Douglas Road, a few years before, back when Joh Bjelke-Petersen's corrupt regime still ruled with an iron grip, and Martin Tenni, his Minister for the Environment, held the seat of Barron River, conman extraordinaire, Christopher Skase, then engaged in building the Mirage Resort in Port Douglas, wanted to buy the little cove. Joh awarded Skase freehold ownership of the extraordinary parcel of land. Fast forward a few years and we find Tenni retired, Bjelke-Petersen deposed, and Skase on the run owing billions, Australia's most wanted man, and beautiful Turtle Cove abandoned and in the hands of
In pursuit of that dream he drove the local roads looking for a location and talked to friends about investing in the venture, but he never found the right spot and, with virulently anti-gay Joh Bjelke-Petersen captaining the Queensland ship of state, no one dared dip their toe in that water.
However once the Bjelke-Petersen government foundered, and the new Labor government decriminalised homosexuality, Bert saw his chance. When friends, Dr David Bradford and partner Michael Williams made their now annual holiday visit, Bert took them for a drive to Port Douglas, and half-way there they noticed some deserted buildings, tucked in beside a bend in the road. Almost invisible to passing motorists, the small complex of bungalows took up a secluded cove featuring its own stretch of private beach, …show more content…
Originally a work camp during the construction of the Cairns to Port Douglas Road, a few years before, back when Joh Bjelke-Petersen's corrupt regime still ruled with an iron grip, and Martin Tenni, his Minister for the Environment, held the seat of Barron River, conman extraordinaire, Christopher Skase, then engaged in building the Mirage Resort in Port Douglas, wanted to buy the little cove. Joh awarded Skase freehold ownership of the extraordinary parcel of land. Fast forward a few years and we find Tenni retired, Bjelke-Petersen deposed, and Skase on the run owing billions, Australia's most wanted man, and beautiful Turtle Cove abandoned and in the hands of