International buyers eyeing grand country estate after multi-million price drop
A grand property in the Southern Highlands featuring multiple residences and equine facilities remains on the market.
This follows the recent sale of another high-end property in the same suburb.
The 38.94-hectare 'Paloma Estate' at 470 Fountaindale Road, Robertson recently experienced a drop in the asking price.
The property features a three-bedroom main residence, a three-bedroom cottage and two self-contained studios.
Cotality records show the property was listed for sale in early 2024, initially with a price guide of $40 million.
The property is owned by former Crown chairman and chief executive John Alexander and wife Alice, who records show bought the property in 2010. The property is in her name.
At the time, the property contained an original cottage, which the current owners renovated, before undertaking extensive work on the remainder of the property.
Selling agent, Monique Napper from Atlas said there had been plenty of international buyer interest in the property, which has been featured in New York's Wallpaper magazine.
Ms Napper said the current guide was in the low $30 million range, based on buyer feedback.
Ms Napper said high-end lifestyle properties can take some time to find the right buyer.
"It's an amazing property, a beautiful estate," she said.
"It's like the 'Gaia' of the Southern Highlands... It has these beautiful studios, meditation studios, and amazing residences."
Designed by Fearon Hay Architects and Myles Baldwin Landscapes, the property captures sweeping views.
The estate is a fully self-sustaining property that runs 100 per cent off-grid. It features its own water catchment system and a solar battery plant that is claimed to be the first of its kind to be installed in Australia.
Ms Napper said the property was "very secluded" in addition to being run off-grid. She said interested buyers liked the appeal of living 100 per cent self-sustainably.
Meanwhile, the property features a main residence; a glass, concrete and steel build.
It contains two luxe master suites with Italian marble ensuites; a northeast-facing living room with a fireplace; a private library wing; a third bedroom plus powder room; and outdoor entertaining areas with koi ponds and sculptural elements. There's also a gourmet kitchen.
There's also a three-bedroom English countryside cottage with a glasshouse, orchard, and vegetable gardens.
The property also contains a studio with two one-bedroom suites with ensuites; another studio that's suitable for use as an open-plan retreat for creative or meditative use; and equestrian facilities including six-bay timber stables, an arena, round yard, timber post and rail fenced paddocks, and six dams.
Meanwhile, ' Linden Hall ', located at 166 McEvilly Road, Robertson recently sold for $26 million after an extended period on the market.
Located on a hill with sweeping views over the surrounding countryside, the two-storey mansion sits on 186 acres.
'Linden Hall' had been the trophy home of former restaurateurs and Sydney developers David Graham and David Kunde.
Co-selling agent, Lisa-Marie Cauchois from Drew Lindsay Sotheby's International Realty recently said she was unable to comment on the buyer, other than to reveal they were from Sydney.
Ms Napper said while Paloma and Linden Hall weren't really comparable properties in many ways, this result was a positive for the high-end market in the suburb and region overall.
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Courier-Mail
9 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
I cruised Europe's glamour cities on the Riviera, this surprised me
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. A row of timber fishing boats bobs gently in the harbour, schools of small sardines darting between their hulls. Siblings toss pinches of bread in from the dock, squealing in delight as the fish snap up their offerings with theatrical splashes. It's a wholesome Mediterranean scene, but here in Cannes, something about it feels a little off. It clicks in an instant; this tiny snippet of local life is almost jarring among the sea of colossal superyachts. Affluence and excessiveness are more the norm at this French Riviera harbour than a duo of excited fish-feeding children. 'Yachtsman's Harbors' is the theme of our seven-day Windstar Cruise through the French and Italian Rivieras from Barcelona to Rome, sailing aboard Wind Surf and stopping in at harboured destinations of varying populations and riches. Cannes sits somewhere near the top of the scale, with the Promenade de la Croisette's Belle Epoque buildings home to the kind of luxury global fashion brands that so casually hang from the elbows of superyacht-goers. In the warmth of the spring sunshine, I stroll from one end of the promenade to the other, window shopping and people watching along the way. My own purse remains unopened until I venture a few streets back to Rue d'Antibes. Here, quirky gift stores and local labels sit among the usual high street suspects, and a wine enjoyed in the sun at an al fresco table costs a more respectable €7 per glass. Rue d'Antibes is known as Cannes' shopping street. A morning cappuccino at Cafe de Paris sets me back the same amount. But it's the price I'm willing to pay for unrivalled views of Monaco's poster child, Place du Casino. Architecturally, it's spectacular, and it's considered the beating heart of the principality's action. A slow procession of Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins and Bugattis rumbles around the bend, passing Hôtel De Paris and the growing crowd of camera-wielding tourists outside Casino de Monte-Carlo. It's a spectacle of wealth that, perhaps, only the vessels docked in the harbour can rival. Just a few hundred metres from Wind Surf's berth is a high-speed Lamborghini yacht, impossible to miss with its sprawling, ultra-modern deck, and rumoured to retail at a cool $7 million. Luxury yachts at Monte Carlo, Monaco. Like Cannes, Monaco isn't all luxury and big budgets. After wandering Place du Casino, I follow the Formula One street track down through the famous hairpin of Mirabeau corner, past the new Mareterra district – built out into the Mediterranean Sea on reclaimed land – and through the tunnel. I wind up in Quartier du Port, where local breweries, brasseries, and boutiques are a glimpse into everyday Monégasque life. Steaming ricotta and chard-filled barbagiuan pastries and chickpea flour socca in the open hall of Marché de la Condamine sate my growing appetite, fuelling me for an afternoon perusing classic Fiats and early F1 cars at the Private Cars Collection of HSH Prince of Monaco. Portofino in the quiet of early morning. Picture: Monique Ceccato A morning spent on the tree-lined trails of Parco Nazionale di Portofino is a welcome antidote to the dense urbanity of the principality of Monaco. It's day five of the Yachtsman's Harbors of the Rivieras cruise, and we're docked just off the shores of the idyllic coastal town for the day. There's barely a soul to be seen when we set off on our shore excursion at 8am, just a handful of earlybirds sipping their espressos at one of the few open cafes, and some avid sailors prepping their yachts for the afternoon's regatta. Without the midmorning swarms of tourists, the true beauty of the ex-fishing village is revealed. But nothing outshines the beauty of Portofino and surrounds from above, a view only those willing to climb the steep trails towards Paraggi beach are privy to. It's a clear day, and the blue of the sky matches that of the ocean, the Apennine Mountains acting as a buffer between the two in the distance. The picturesque port of Portofino. Our final destination is the bustling commune of Santa Margherita Ligure, a three-and-a-half-hour walk from our starting point in Portofino. We pass olive groves and scrubby bushlands en route, stopping only for the occasional informative chat with our tour leader Giulia and a speedy espresso at a hidden hillside mill-turned-cafe. But, it's a glass of wine we all reach for at the end of the adventure, served with a healthy side of aperitivo hour snacks and glowing pride at having conquered the hike as a team. Portoferraio harbour on the island of Elba. Picture: Monique Ceccato Strolling the cobbled streets of Portoferraio on Elba island the following day – our last port of call before disembarkation in Rome's Civitavecchia – is a gentle warmdown for the legs. We're docked just a few minutes from the town centre, studded with sun-drenched cafes and stores selling locally made products. The harbour here is, in the truest sense, a 'yachtsman's port', with substantially more classic sailboats and cruisers moored along its arching seawall than any of the more built-up towns and cities we've been to. The absence of big-boat energy has a ripple effect throughout the town, with not a high-end storefront or fine dining restaurant to be seen. It's authentic coastal Italy at its finest. I've been tipped off about one of Portoferraio's culinary specialties, schiaccia briaca, a wine-infused, dried fruit and walnut-topped flatbread 'legacy' from the pirates that pillaged the town in the 13th and 16th centuries. Some pasticcerias still sell the ancient unyeasted pastry, and I find mine at Pasticceria Dolce Vita. The cafe oozes Italy, with locals milling around the counter holding their espressos and spritzes in hand, wild, gesticulating conversation going on between them. I soak up the atmosphere before packaging up my schiaccia briaca and strolling back to Wind Surf. Monique Ceccato aboard Wind Surf in Monaco. On the back deck in the warm afternoon sun, I tuck into the dense, bready delicacy. It's sweet and Christmas cake-like, the perfect match for the day's final espresso. We're minutes from departure, and guests are filing upstairs, crowding the railings for their last glimpses of Elba before we're en route to Civitavecchia. As we pull away from port, Wind Surf's sails unfurl for one last time. It's a poignant moment, the canvas waving back at Portoferraio in the breeze and bidding our Riviera journey farewell. The author was a guest of Windstar Cruises. Windstar's seven-day Yachtsman's Harbors of the Rivieras cruise starts from $4640 per person for a double occupancy cabin. It runs almost year-round. Originally published as I cruised Europe's glamour cities on the Riviera, this surprised me
Herald Sun
10 hours ago
- Herald Sun
I cruised Europe's glamour cities on the Riviera, this surprised me
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. A row of timber fishing boats bobs gently in the harbour, schools of small sardines darting between their hulls. Siblings toss pinches of bread in from the dock, squealing in delight as the fish snap up their offerings with theatrical splashes. It's a wholesome Mediterranean scene, but here in Cannes, something about it feels a little off. It clicks in an instant; this tiny snippet of local life is almost jarring among the sea of colossal superyachts. Affluence and excessiveness are more the norm at this French Riviera harbour than a duo of excited fish-feeding children. 'Yachtsman's Harbors' is the theme of our seven-day Windstar Cruise through the French and Italian Rivieras from Barcelona to Rome, sailing aboard Wind Surf and stopping in at harboured destinations of varying populations and riches. Cannes sits somewhere near the top of the scale, with the Promenade de la Croisette's Belle Epoque buildings home to the kind of luxury global fashion brands that so casually hang from the elbows of superyacht-goers. In the warmth of the spring sunshine, I stroll from one end of the promenade to the other, window shopping and people watching along the way. My own purse remains unopened until I venture a few streets back to Rue d'Antibes. Here, quirky gift stores and local labels sit among the usual high street suspects, and a wine enjoyed in the sun at an al fresco table costs a more respectable €7 per glass. Rue d'Antibes is known as Cannes' shopping street. A morning cappuccino at Cafe de Paris sets me back the same amount. But it's the price I'm willing to pay for unrivalled views of Monaco's poster child, Place du Casino. Architecturally, it's spectacular, and it's considered the beating heart of the principality's action. A slow procession of Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins and Bugattis rumbles around the bend, passing Hôtel De Paris and the growing crowd of camera-wielding tourists outside Casino de Monte-Carlo. It's a spectacle of wealth that, perhaps, only the vessels docked in the harbour can rival. Just a few hundred metres from Wind Surf's berth is a high-speed Lamborghini yacht, impossible to miss with its sprawling, ultra-modern deck, and rumoured to retail at a cool $7 million. Luxury yachts at Monte Carlo, Monaco. Like Cannes, Monaco isn't all luxury and big budgets. After wandering Place du Casino, I follow the Formula One street track down through the famous hairpin of Mirabeau corner, past the new Mareterra district – built out into the Mediterranean Sea on reclaimed land – and through the tunnel. I wind up in Quartier du Port, where local breweries, brasseries, and boutiques are a glimpse into everyday Monégasque life. Steaming ricotta and chard-filled barbagiuan pastries and chickpea flour socca in the open hall of Marché de la Condamine sate my growing appetite, fuelling me for an afternoon perusing classic Fiats and early F1 cars at the Private Cars Collection of HSH Prince of Monaco. Portofino in the quiet of early morning. Picture: Monique Ceccato A morning spent on the tree-lined trails of Parco Nazionale di Portofino is a welcome antidote to the dense urbanity of the principality of Monaco. It's day five of the Yachtsman's Harbors of the Rivieras cruise, and we're docked just off the shores of the idyllic coastal town for the day. There's barely a soul to be seen when we set off on our shore excursion at 8am, just a handful of earlybirds sipping their espressos at one of the few open cafes, and some avid sailors prepping their yachts for the afternoon's regatta. Without the midmorning swarms of tourists, the true beauty of the ex-fishing village is revealed. But nothing outshines the beauty of Portofino and surrounds from above, a view only those willing to climb the steep trails towards Paraggi beach are privy to. It's a clear day, and the blue of the sky matches that of the ocean, the Apennine Mountains acting as a buffer between the two in the distance. The picturesque port of Portofino. Our final destination is the bustling commune of Santa Margherita Ligure, a three-and-a-half-hour walk from our starting point in Portofino. We pass olive groves and scrubby bushlands en route, stopping only for the occasional informative chat with our tour leader Giulia and a speedy espresso at a hidden hillside mill-turned-cafe. But, it's a glass of wine we all reach for at the end of the adventure, served with a healthy side of aperitivo hour snacks and glowing pride at having conquered the hike as a team. Portoferraio harbour on the island of Elba. Picture: Monique Ceccato Strolling the cobbled streets of Portoferraio on Elba island the following day – our last port of call before disembarkation in Rome's Civitavecchia – is a gentle warmdown for the legs. We're docked just a few minutes from the town centre, studded with sun-drenched cafes and stores selling locally made products. The harbour here is, in the truest sense, a 'yachtsman's port', with substantially more classic sailboats and cruisers moored along its arching seawall than any of the more built-up towns and cities we've been to. The absence of big-boat energy has a ripple effect throughout the town, with not a high-end storefront or fine dining restaurant to be seen. It's authentic coastal Italy at its finest. I've been tipped off about one of Portoferraio's culinary specialties, schiaccia briaca, a wine-infused, dried fruit and walnut-topped flatbread 'legacy' from the pirates that pillaged the town in the 13th and 16th centuries. Some pasticcerias still sell the ancient unyeasted pastry, and I find mine at Pasticceria Dolce Vita. The cafe oozes Italy, with locals milling around the counter holding their espressos and spritzes in hand, wild, gesticulating conversation going on between them. I soak up the atmosphere before packaging up my schiaccia briaca and strolling back to Wind Surf. Monique Ceccato aboard Wind Surf in Monaco. On the back deck in the warm afternoon sun, I tuck into the dense, bready delicacy. It's sweet and Christmas cake-like, the perfect match for the day's final espresso. We're minutes from departure, and guests are filing upstairs, crowding the railings for their last glimpses of Elba before we're en route to Civitavecchia. As we pull away from port, Wind Surf's sails unfurl for one last time. It's a poignant moment, the canvas waving back at Portoferraio in the breeze and bidding our Riviera journey farewell. The author was a guest of Windstar Cruises. Windstar's seven-day Yachtsman's Harbors of the Rivieras cruise starts from $4640 per person for a double occupancy cabin. It runs almost year-round. Originally published as I cruised Europe's glamour cities on the Riviera, this surprised me
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Vatican to become the world first carbon-neutral state
Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement announced on Thursday stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching European Union clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros ($A177 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site some 35km north of Rome is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukemia which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting. Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement announced on Thursday stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching European Union clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros ($A177 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site some 35km north of Rome is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukemia which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting. Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement announced on Thursday stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching European Union clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros ($A177 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site some 35km north of Rome is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukemia which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting. Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world's first carbon-neutral state. The agreement announced on Thursday stipulates that the development of the Santa Maria Galeria site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimise the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement. Details weren't released, but the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, but won't benefit from the financial incentives that Italians enjoy when they go solar. Italy, for its part, can use the field in its accounting for reaching European Union clean energy targets. Any excess electricity generated by the farm beyond the Vatican's needs would be given to the local community, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not public. Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros ($A177 million) to develop the solar farm, and that once it is approved by the Italian parliament, the contracts to do the work could be put up for bids. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher signed the agreement with Italy's ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto. The Italian parliament must approve the arrangement since it has financial implications for the territory, which holds extraterritorial status in Italy. The Santa Maria Galeria site has long been the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers located there since the 1950s. The once-rural site some 35km north of Rome is dominated by two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennae that transmit news from the Catholic Church in dozens of languages around the globe. Over the years as the area became more developed, residents began complaining of health problems, including instances of childhood leukemia which they blamed on the electromagnetic waves generated by the towers. The Vatican denied there was any causal link but cut back the transmissions. Pope Francis last year asked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources. Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy. In the 1990s at the height of the controversy over the radio towers, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting.
