If you think Noosa is an ideal place in which to unwind, then Makepeace Island, just 10 minutes by boat from Noosa Heads, is the perfect place in which to come to a complete stop. Even Sir Richard Branson thinks so.
This private island retreat in the Noosa River is quite unlike anywhere else in Australia, open to just one party of up to 22 guests whose every whim is catered for by a finely tuned team who will feed you, look after you, entertain you, or leave you in peace, depending on your preference.
Sounds like bliss, doesn’t it? It is.
With luxury Balinese-style villas and pavilions nestled in landscaped tropical gardens, a stay on the island invites guests to slip into a slower, more considered rhythm. Your days here can be as structured or as unstructured as you want them to be.
You can lounge by the pool, relax in the 15-seater spa, enjoy a game of tennis (Wimbledon-style with strawberries and cream if you wish), go fishing or stand-up paddle boarding, do a cooking class, send the kids off on an adventure (yes, kids are welcome), enjoy a beautiful spa treatment … the list goes on.
General Manager Kate Gilbert and her team will tailor an itinerary that will perfectly match your needs so that you don’t have to think of anything. True luxury, she says, is removing decision-making and creating space for connection. Although the island is ideal for a corporate retreat, multi-generation groups also love it. Some might be celebrating a significant birthday, others simply enjoying a family get-together.
The name, Makepeace, couldn’t be more fitting for this idyllic spot, for it is certainly a place in which to make peace with oneself and the world. Yet the reason for the name is far less glamorous. It has nothing to do with being at peace and more to do with a woman with a shotgun.
Used as a quarantine station for pigs and known as Pig Island by early European settlers, the island was home in the 1920s to a colourful local character, Hannah “Shotgun” Makepeace, who famously fired her weapon skyward when she wanted supplies brought in.
In 2003, Richard Branson bought the island in partnership with friends, among them Brett Godfrey, former founding CEO of Virgin Australia. Godfrey says it’s his favourite place in the world and Branson considers it to be pretty special too. The owners and their families visit and get waited on by the same team who look after their paying guests.
What a treat it was for me and some of my colleagues to be whisked off to the island for a day to experience how the other half lives. This was made possible when Godfrey hosted a long lunch on the island for the Australian Society of Travel Writers, which I’ve been a member of for many years.
Our group didn’t stay overnight so I can’t vouch for the beds – although they look divine — or whether Hannah Makepeace’s ghost is there. Godfrey has seen her and assures us she is a friendly ghost. But I did get to enjoy a lunch that stretched into a cooking class and other activities, followed by a sunset farewell cruise. How spoilt am I?
Makepeace Island has three luxury two-bedroom villas, each villa boasting river or bushland views and an amazing bathroom with a rain shower, separate dressing room, and bathtub carved from a volcanic boulder. The bath is under a glass roof so you can lie back and look at the stars, with a glass of Champagne in hand perhaps.
In addition, there’s the Bali House with four king rooms, each with its own ensuite bathroom, and finally, the jewel in the crown, the Boathouse with a king room and balcony with uninterrupted views of the Noosa River.
Hand-carved Balinese furnishings feature throughout the property. Everywhere, including the pavilions where groups gather, has a peaceful, serene feel and breezy tropical openness. The lounge and dining pavilions look out over the swimming pool. “At the time it was built, it was the largest privately owned pool in the southern hemisphere,” says Kate. “I think we’ve been lapped by a Hemsworth now, but it’s still impressive.”
A multi-million-dollar reinvention completed in late 2024 saw every roof on the island replaced, a tennis court installed, pavilions refreshed, and the activities program expanded. We get a brief introduction to the activities in a hands-on cooking class with executive chef Zeb Gilbert, Kate’s husband.
Zeb demonstrates making gyozas and then watches as we copy his efforts, no doubt looking on with some amusement at how misshapen some of ours are. “The dumplings are a good one for kids because everyone can do them at home,” he says. Ouch. (If you’d like to have a go, you can find his recipe here.)
Zeb and Kate have gone from catering for around 100 covers at lauded Noosa restaurant, Wasabi, to a maximum of 22 at Makepeace. They spent 7 years defending Wasabi’s two-hat reputation; now they work without fixed menus, crafting seasonal dishes according to their guests’ preferences (guests are asked to complete a questionnaire ahead of their stay).
Different menu every day
Zeb loves the creative freedom that this style of hyper-personalised dining brings. The menu is different every day and he will do anything from a beachside picnic or outdoor barbecue using local lamb and beef, to a 7-course degustation, Mexican feast or south-east Asian banquet. If you catch something special while out fishing, you can bring it back and Zeb will cook it for you.
Zeb’s respect for local produce is evident in the menu he designed for our travel writers’ lunch. It kicked off with a starter of goat’s cheese from Gympie, figs from the Yandina market, pickled cherries and rocket. The main was a Mediterranean-inspired Spanish mackerel with pepperonata, saffron and capers. A dessert of blackberry, white chocolate and Mary Valley yuzu sable finished the meal on a high note.
Now that he is catering for only 22 at a time, Zeb shops regularly at the Yandina market, which has a lot of small producers selling their produce. “I’ve used the same fishermen for nearly 20 years. All the fish is caught pretty much within 50 miles of here,” he says. The yuzu is also “super local”.
As I salivated over Zeb’s beautiful cooking and a glass of Stefano Lubiana 2023 Chardonnay, a wine I always loved but haven’t tasted for many years, Godfrey spoke about his other interest, the Tasmanian Walking Company, which recently launched a five-day, 54km walk from Kata Tjuṯa to Uluru. It sounds awesome; another one to add to the wish list.
Just as the menu at Makepeace changes, so too do the dining locations. Meals are taken not just at a long table in the main pavilion but also at picnics, on the boat, around the swimming pool, and other locations. Zeb loves cooking over fire. In the evening, guests might sit around the fire pit while the kids roast marshmallows, watch outdoor cinema, and drink hot chocolate from mugs that they handcrafted earlier.
Adults might do a cocktail-making class while staff entertain the kids with arts and crafts activities. Scavenger hunts and mini Olympics are also organized. “We keep the kids really busy,” says Kate, “so mum and dad and grandma and grandpa can get a holiday as well.”
Director of guest experiences, Laura Redmond, has worked alongside Kate and Zeb for two decades, long before the move to Makepeace. It’s clear they are a well-oiled team. Kate saysthe staff are the island’s biggest asset. “We brought together a wonderful group of uber-professional people who are top of their game. They’re friendly, they’re intuitive, they’re proactive in their service as opposed to reactive.”
We get a taste of just how friendly the staff are when they line up on the dock to wave goodbye, just as they greeted us when we arrived. As we sail off into the sunset on Marj the barge, we sip on bubbles and snack on the gyozas we made earlier. The light softens. We’ve made peace with the world.
The fine print
So, how much does it cost to stay in this island paradise? Take a deep breath.
The nightly rate is $19,950 for the first 8 guests, with an additional $1,200 per person per night for each subsequent guest, up to a maximum of 22 in total. Children under 5 stay free. The rate includes all meals and activities (see the website for the full list of inclusions). It doesn’t include alcohol but you can BYO or be put in touch with a sommelier who will help you buy wines and spirits that will be waiting for you on arrival.
These rates apply year-round, except for the last two weeks of December and the first three weeks of January when they are 30% higher.
More information here.
