As 2016 winds down, the nation's luxury spend is clearly in the black.
Noosa's top-shelf beachfront homes might cost up to $60,000 to rent for seven nights over the festive season. But less than 12 days out from Christmas, the Sunshine Coast's palatial five-bedroom, five-bathroom glass and marble pads – complete with ocean-gazing infinity pools – are pretty much all taken.
"It's been a bit surprising how quickly we've booked out this year given our top properties range from $10,000 to $60,000," says Glenn McClellan, principal at Holiday Homes @ Noosa. "Things have been so hot, we had a guy ring up who only wanted a house for four days – but was happy to pay the full seven nights. He said he'd land his private jet at the airport [at Maroochydore], and could we pick him up there."
The luxury homes market in Queensland's blue-ribbon Noosa has been so popular over the past 12 months that McClellan has more than doubled the number of luxury homes on his books to 45.
Given the likes of Flight Centre guru Graham Skroo Turner, former tennis star Pat Rafter and one of Queensland's richest men, John Van Lieshout, all have holiday homes there, it's not hard to find decent digs for rent if you're in the know.
McClellan's clients are split 50-50 Australians and foreigners, the latter including holidaymakers from Britain, Monaco, the US, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. He puts the high demand down to better weather over the past couple of summers, coupled with the dollar, fuel prices – and Noosa representing a sleepy haven during uncertain times: "A lot of our guests want to get away from everything this summer."
Noosa comes in fourth on Trip Advisor's top ten domestic summer destinations for 2016 – behind Sydney, Melbourne and Surfer's Paradise. However, Noosa has the second-most-expensive average nightly hotel rate on the list at $281, behind Hamilton Island on $433 a night in sixth spot. Even Sydney is cheaper at $246.
At present, only international flights from New Zealand can land at the Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochydore. But a $347 million upgrade by 2020 will allow direct flights from China, Southeast Asia and Hawaii. More than $40 million has been invested in Noosa over the past few years, including the new five-star, 176-suite Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, unveiled earlier this year on the site of the old Sheraton Resort on Hastings Street.
"Historically, Noosa has been a domestic market with a bit of NZ," says Sunshine Coast CEO, Simon Latchford. "The Chinese have only just discovered the Sunshine Coast – and Singapore is a natural market that we'll work on aggressively next year."
Meanwhile, Noosa Luxury Holidays' consultant Allirra Maddox tells the same "sold out" story: "We're 99 per cent booked out until February 3, even though our rents go up about 10 per cent every year," she says.
For those wondering if five figures for seven nights is worth it, McClellan has a comforting thought: "Imagine the upkeep on a $20 million house," he says. "When you look at it that way, $40,000 for a week is value."
