Latest news with #Currumbin
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Who's that girl?: the stolen statue mystery that led from the Gold Coast to Sydney's northern beaches
Someone is stealing the art of the Gold Coast. Not paintings from galleries, but bronze sculptures, bolted to concrete in parks and public spaces. In one of the most brazen incidents, Sun Spirit, a beloved bikini-clad statue by the veteran artist Frank Miles, vanished from its plinth at Currumbin beach during Cyclone Alfred four months ago. Locals believe the noise of the storm camouflaged the rowdy business of separating the 100kg bronze statue from its anchor points with an angle saw. 'I've got four public works on the Gold Coast and three have been stolen,' Miles says. 'One time, they just found the head at a scrap dealer. It looks like they're just taking them for scrap.' Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads But in an unexpected second act, the missing Sun Spirit appeared to resurface – almost 1,000km away, lounging by a swimming pool in a real estate listing for a property in Curl Curl, on Sydney's northern beaches. Tipped off by a Gold Coast real estate agent about the Sydney property listing, local surfie Nicka Atkins posted the sighting in a video on his Instagram account. 'Oh my God, are you kidding me? Look, I'm not accusing anybody of anything, but that sure looks like Sun Spirit to me,' he wrote, superimposing his body on to the Sydney real estate listing video. 'To say I've been waiting for this day for a long time is an understatement. Have a look at this … Come on viewers, tell me is that the Sun Spirit statue sitting down in beach in a real estate video right now. Are you kidding me?' The sculpture's apparent reappearance triggered a wave of online speculation and media frenzy. The Gold Coast dining precinct Oxley offered a $5,000 reward for information. Atkins made it on to Nine's The Today Show, offering a reward of two cartons of beer for more information. Soon accusations began to fly against the owners of the Sydney property, Annette and Brett Straatemeier. 'All of a sudden it was just ding, ding, ding – the phone wouldn't stop,' Annette Straatemeier says. 'People were tagging the police, calling us thieves, threatening to come take her back. It was wild.' Amid all the furore, no one contacted the artist or the homeowners – until Atkins himself sent a mate down south to investigate. The Straatemeiers swore they had bought the sculpture from Miles nearly 20 years ago. The artist confirmed the provenance, saying he had cast three Sun Spirits, modelled from his daughter but larger than lifesize, and had sold one to the Sydney couple for $20,000, which they had affectionately named Sheila. The third iteration still stands in his studio. Rather than retreat from the chaos, the Straatemeiers leaned into the moment, looking for a way to transform the misunderstanding into something positive. Longtime supporters of the Starlight Children's Foundation, they decided to donate the sculpture to the Gold Coast council, to take the place of the stolen one, but only if $50,000 could be raised for Starlight. 'We thought, if everyone is so invested in this statue, then let's do something beautiful with it,' Annette said. 'The Gold Coast gets a sculpture back, Starlight raises money for sick kids, and Sheila gets a new life.' A contrite Atkins pledged to lead the fundraising drive. Sign up to Five Great Reads Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning after newsletter promotion 'Annette and Brett are these amazing, wonderful philanthropist people who raise all this money for Starlight Kids Foundation,' he says. 'We've become friends and I'm about to meet them for the first time next week when I come to Sydney, so that's going to be really cool.' 'We've done nothing, really,' Annette says. 'We just wanted to make some good out of a very strange moment. When life gives you lemons, make limoncello.' Miles, nonplussed about the spate of missing public sculptures in recent years, says he is deeply moved by the gesture. 'It's incredibly generous,' he says. 'I think it's a wonderful offer.' With bronze fetching about $4 a kilogram, he believes the thefts are motivated by money. 'It's not about the art for these people – it's about melting it down.' One of his other sculptures, Melody, has survived two attempted thefts, though not unscathed. 'She used to have a bugle,' he says. 'Now she's only got half of one.' The Gold Coast mayor, Tom Tate, declined to discuss the spate of thefts. A Gold Coast councillor, Gail O'Neill, says a large bronze pelican mounted on a timber pole in nearby Robert Neumann Park has also vanished since Sun Spirit's disappearance in February. Gold Coast police say investigations continue.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rock star's stunning $4million Gold Coast treehouse escape hits the market
A stunning Gold Coast hideaway favoured by UK rocker Sting has hit the market. The treehouse escape is located in Currumbin in the Gold Coast hinterland and proved a popular retreat for Sting, 73, who had previously described the property as 'peaceful, beautiful and inspiring'. The Gold Coast Bulletin reported that the tranquil property, dubbed 'Katta on Currumbin', was last sold in 2022 for $4.025million. It is on the market once again, with agents taking expressions of interest. Designed by architect Shane Denman, the house was completed in 2004. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Set on a 567 square metre block, the property comprises two self-contained homes, complete with a total of seven bedrooms and four bathrooms. It's also a vista lover's paradise, with the unique home offering uninterrupted coastal views from Currumbin Estuary to Palm Beach in Surfers Paradise. Surrounded by pristine crown land reserve, the property held the title of the area's most popular holiday rental for 15 years through accommodation portal Stayz. Both properties boast high ceilings and glass walls to take full advantage of the idyllic surroundings. The penthouse level features an open-plan living and dining space that opens onto an entertainer's balcony. The kitchen has a butler's pantry, two fridges and on-demand sparkling water. The luxe spaciousness extends to the subsequent three floors too, with each boasting its own outdoor areas for taking in the serenity. 'This is one of the most tightly held locations on the Gold Coast,' listing agent Lisa Papadopoulos told the publication. 'From the moment you arrive, you'll feel it. The air is different here – clean, crisp, alive with the scent of the ocean and rainforest.' Sting and his wife Trudie have been together since 1982, and the couple share the same penchant for healthy living. Their tantric sex life has been a hot topic for decades, after famously claiming to bed each other for hours on end back in the nineties. In a recent interview with The Times, the music legend, 73, and his director wife, 71, who tied the knot in 1992, joked about what goes on behind closed doors, decades after the famous claim. Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, shrugged: 'It could be worse. And the seven hours includes dinner, a movie and five hours of begging.' The star has been plagued by questions about his energetic love life since he once gave the interview in which he boasted about the tantric sex sessions. He previously clarified his infamous admissions during an interview for Bravo series Inside The Actor's Studio in 2014. 'The idea of tantric sex is a spiritual act,' he explained. 'I don't know any purer and better way of expressing a love for another individual than sharing that wonderful, I call it, 'sacrament.' I would stand by it. Not seven hours, but the idea.' He then quipped, 'Seven hours includes movie and dinner,' generating laughs from the audience.
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Sting's $4m treehouse escape on the market
A spectacular holiday home that hosted 80s rock icon Sting has hit the market. The Gold Coast property was formerly owned by local film industry veterans, Michael and Sally Tolerton, and became a celebrity favourite for its treehouse appeal and private location with stunning ocean views. Last sold for $4.025m in 2022, the unique home at 23 Katta Ave, Currumbin is for sale via an expressions of interest campaign with Elk Realty and Capital agent Lisa Papadopoulos. The elevated property comprises two self-contained homes over four levels, with a total of seven bedrooms and four bathrooms across a 567 sqm parcel surrounded by nature reserve. It held the title of Currumbin's most popular holiday rental through online platform Stayz for 15 years, and was described by English musician and activist Sting as 'peaceful, beautiful and inspiring', according to listings. Meanwhile, a French actor who stayed during a 'difficult' local film production left a poetic note in the property's guest book: 'even in hell you can sometimes find heaven'. Ms Papadopoulos' listing said Katta on Currumbin was 'a home beyond compare'. 'This is one of the most tightly held locations on the Gold Coast. 'From the moment you arrive, you'll feel it. 'The air is different here – clean, crisp, alive with the scent of the ocean and rainforest.' 'Perfect recipe' for Gold Coast property boom Designed by architect Shane Denman, the house was completed in 2004 and features soaring ceilings and walls of glass providing a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces to maximise views. 'Katta on Currumbin offers one of the most spectacular coastal views in Australia – uninterrupted from Currumbin Estuary to Palm Beach, Surfers Paradise, and beyond to Stradbroke Island.' The fourth floor is accessed from street level and features an open-plan living and dining area leading out to a large balcony, along with a designer kitchen and butler's pantry, plus a front retreat space with a study nook and garden courtyard. Three bedrooms are on the level below, with the two lower levels together offering flexibility for dual living or rental with a separate entry and second full kitchen and laundry. The second residence was leased at more than $1000 a night during peak seasons by previous owners, the Tolertons. The couple had worked in the film industry for 40 years as an art director and makeup artist and said Hollywood stars, directors and producers would often visit their home. Currumbin house prices were up 9 per cent over the past 12 months to a median of $1.69m, according to PropTrack. Sting has visited Australia several times over the decades, both as a solo performer and as the lead singer of the Police before the band split in the late 1980s. Now aged 73, he most recently brought his My Songs tour here in 2023.
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Revealed: Beach shack's big glow up
Its crisp apex roofline nods to the classic child's drawing of a house – but this striking new home is anything but basic. A builder couple's reimagining of a tired Gold Coast shack, the property at 4 Alpha Ave, Currumbin is going under the hammer on June 14 with Coastal agents, Ed Cherry and Cooper McCormack. Named Aeri, the home is the fourth local project from Mitchell and Rebecca Kekwick, and one of few new builds in a tightly held pocket close to the creek, schools and beach. Its peaked roof and single-level layout are about all that remains from the original cottage, with the couple creating a four-bedroom floorplan around a landscaped internal courtyard. 'We had a decent settlement so we spent a lot of time planning. We wanted to keep the original apex shape as a bit of a homage to a home that you would draw as a kid — that being said, the existing apex was only 2.4m,' Ms Kekwick said. Raked ceilings now soar to 5.3m, enhanced by skylights filling interiors with natural light. Designed foremost as a functional family home for the Kekwicks and their two young children, the home's clean lines and neutral palette are softened by warm timber finishes, walnut joinery, and creamy Italian marble. Large sliders open onto a covered alfresco barbecue terrace and pool zone, while inside features include a designer kitchen with high-end appliances and a butler's pantry, wet room-style bathroom, office space, and a media room. Ms Kekwick, 31, was pregnant with her youngest when they took on the renovation, having spent more than a year scouting for the right site. Records show they paid $1.15m for the 569 sqm property in November 2023. A former lawyer and self-described 'Type A' personality, Ms Kekwick traded corporate life for full-time renovating — managing the design, schedules and selections while raising two children under two. Sky home with 'rock star vibes' on the market Big blow for anyone who isn't a millionaire 'We'd settled on our last house 10 days before I was due with our daughter who is now two, so we were navigating becoming parents for the first time,' Ms Kekwick said. 'We had previously renovated a few houses and I loved working with my husband, so I saw it as a bit of an out from a career I didn't love.' The couple pulled off their latest project just in time to move in together as a family of four – but not without overcoming a few major hurdles. They were hit with a surprise $25,000 quote for asbestos removal partway through the build, and later told they could face a wait of up to three months to get power connected. Then came the challenge of bringing the house in line with recently tightened building codes, adding complexity and cost to the already ambitious project. Now, Ms Kekwick is enjoying the days she has left in the property she describes as a 'dream home'. 'The house is really unassuming from the street, but I think we have created a real wow factor with the ceiling height over the hallway,' she said. 'Nothing compares to someone coming into the house and saying, 'oh my gosh, I wasn't expecting that'.' Currumbin's median house price rose 9 per cent over the past year to $1.69 million, according to PropTrack.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
NBA Hall of Famer Andrew Bogut courts $8m for ‘Copper House'
Aussie basketball great Andrew Bogut is courting $7.95m for his striking oceanview mansion known as the Copper House. The former NBA player and part-owner of the Sydney Kings has listed the architecturally designed Currumbin home, which had been rented at $5,000 a week after Bogut and wife Jessica purchased an acreage property elsewhere on the Gold Coast. Bogut this week became the ninth Australian inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, following a celebrated career spanning 14 seasons in the US with the NBA, notably winning a championship with Golden State Warriors in 2015. He also captained Australia's national team the Boomers, starting in three Olympic Games, and played with the Sydney Kings where he will coach the 2026 season. Bogut paid $4.45m for the distinctive three-level beach house designed by Paul Uhlmann in 2019. The seven-bedroom, four-bathroom home on an elevated 774 sqm lot at 4 Duringan Street is marketed by Michael Kollosche. It has a curved copper-clad facade with features including an internal glass lift, sleek kitchen fitted with high-end European appliances, formal dining room with wine collector's cabinet, multiple outdoor entertaining areas plus six-person spa and pool. Interiors draw on raw materials of timber, stone and stainless steel, softened by blackbutt floors and ceiling linings. Picture windows and open-plan zones invite in natural light, leafy outlooks and sea breezes. 'Function and flow have been thoughtfully considered, with communal living spaces occupying the upper level to maximise the panoramic outlook captured from a vast covered terrace,' the listing states. The home has a flexible floor plan ideal for multi-generational living, with master bedrooms on two levels and five other bedrooms upstairs. Auction drama marks jaw-dropping $14m sale Bogut was first pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and also played for the Golden State, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers up to 2019. The 213cm player has remained in the headlines since retirement for his controversial political views and criticism of the sport's governance. Accepting the Hall of Fame induction in Bahrain, Bogut made a dig at his misguided sledging of the FBA in 2019. Property records show Bogut retains a 6675sqm Mudgeeraba property purchased for $6.45m last year. In 2021, he sold a a site in Beaumaris, Victoria, which had been earmarked for a luxury home build that was stymied by council. It was priced at $11m-$12m and sold within 48 hours.
