MISSION BEACH HAS A MAGIC ALL ITS OWN

The pristine sands of Mission and Wongaling beaches rival any in Far North Queensland – in fact they vie for No.1. It’s a wonderful, beautiful stretch and communities which inhabit it and the visitors who adore the destination treasure it enormously.

The ups and downs of Dunk Island just 4km away seem neverending and there is now a new twist.

A sale to Upsense Media Capital has fallen through.

It was a sliver of hope for the island after a turbulent (that’s putting it mildly) past decade.

Pummelled by Cyclone Yasi in 2011, it was bought by Linc Energy founder Peter Bond with hopes of repairing and reopening the resort.

It was not to be, with the island sold to financial entrepreneur James Mawhinney, but he and his Mayfair 101 group ran into trouble.

Dunk went back to the Bond family whose plan to sell to Upsense seemed hopeful.

For a long time Mission Beach has dreamt of Dunk Island Resort returning to its 4.5-star days, where guests enjoyed island time and a nine-hole golf course and time at the spa after a round.

North Mission’s main street is quiet, empty shops and restaurants dotted among those who keep on keeping on. It’s a similar story along the stretch.

But there are signs that Mission keeps chugging along regardless of what’s happening on the island, Covid or the wet weather, and quite simply that’s because it’s paradise.

The property market is moving and lots of families were enjoying everything from fishing to relaxing over the festive period at this destination which has so much going for it.

Mission doesn’t need to be the next Port Douglas, but some development on Dunk would be a nice boost for this most magical of places.