Latest news with #PhillipIsland
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Hemsworth link could help make Phillip Island next Byron Bay
The Victorian coastal hamlet of Phillip Island has been touted as having the potential to become Australia's next celebrity-studded coastal paradise, a la Byron Bay. And the former Block destination has one big advantage over other contenders nationwide: the Hemsworths already own a home there. The revelation comes as Ray White economics team research has revealed the best places to buy a holiday home with room to boom, and why the middle of winter might be the best time to sign up for a sea-change. Frankston South house price record set by clifftop mansion Adrian Portelli selling entire Block compound at Phillip Island For those on a budget, the best spots are in the state's far east and west. House prices in the Glenelg region on the South Australian boarder can be as low as $352,000, according to the Ray White data. While on Victoria's southeast coast the Longford-Loch Sport area isn't much more expensive with homes for $407,000. Those looking for something closer to Melbourne will get the best value in the southern end of Werribee, where the median house price is just $746,599, or the wider Frankston region, which has an $840,217 typical value. The research tracked Statistical Area level two regions, which are typically slightly bigger than suburbs of the same name, and can yield differing median prices to the suburb, but capture a broader range of homes that have the coast close at hand. And now could be the best time to make a move. Ray White Group chief economist Nerida Conisbee said buying a holiday home in winter could prove advantageous due to reduced competition from other buyers, leading to better deals and more favourable negotiation terms. 'Selling in winter in a beach side location is generally not something people do. If they are selling, they are potentially a highly motivated seller and that's where you could get a bargain. 'While you'll have greater choices in summer, it's in winter that buyers will have a higher chance to save money.' While potential savings will vary in each state and location, some studies suggest an average of 0.51 per cent to 1 per cent less than other times of the year. As for those looking to get a piece of the next Byron Bay, before prices take off, Ms Conisbee tipped Phillip Island. With a surf lifestyle and community appeal, as well as property prices typically still well under $800,000, it shares many hallmarks of the NSW playground of Hollywood A-listers and Aussie richlisters — but not the price, with Byron Bay's typical house costing about $2.243m. 'So for people seeking a similar lifestyle, Phillip Island is becoming quite popular,' Ms Conisbee said. 'However, Victoria seems to be the area that's still a bit undiscovered (as a holiday destination) and hasn't seen the same (price growth) as other areas. 'So for those looking for a bargain – and a similar lifestyle to Byron – you'll find that the cheaper areas are in the east, starting at Phillip Island.' And while the coastal hamlet hosted The Block in 2024, it's had its own star-power appeal for a lot longer. Property records show Liam and Chris Hemsworth, alongside their parents Craig and Leonie, bought a home for $1.6m in a secluded pocket of Phillip Island in 2012. It's a more modest space than the sprawling compounds the Hollywood heavyweight brothers own in Byron Bay, but might be a bit closer to the surfing-centric lifestyle they enjoyed while growing up on the island in the 2000s. Phillip Island based real estate agent Greg Davis said the popular spot had been going through a transformation since the pandemic that was making it more like Byron Bay than ever before. Mr Davis said in addition to Hollywood heart-throbs the Hemsworths, others calling it their home away from home included famous musicians, sporting greats and business leaders. Most are drawn to the million-dollar water views on offer along its coastline, available for the about $2m you'd pay for a standard home in Byron. Phillip Island has also hosted its share of music festivals – but goes a step further with the annual Moto Grand Prix, which has lured Hollywood A-listers including Eric Bana and Keanu Reeves. Mr Davis said the Island had been transforming in recent years, with about 60 per cent of buyers today looking for a home there as a permanent residence — driving an increase in the presence of cafes, breweries and boutiques. 'It's certainly been busier than it was before Covid,' he said. It's also going cheap at the moment, with prices in most suburbs around the Island still below their post-Covid peak, though Mr Davis said it wasn't likely to stay that way for long. He's tipped areas like Smiths Beach and Cape Woolamai to be the first back into the million-dollar club, and popular Cowes might not be far behind. 'I've sold three in the past few weeks around the $2m mark,' he added. Mornington Peninsula-based buyer's advocate Michael Sier said this winter and spring would likely be among buyers' last chances to really take advantage of a broader decline in Victoria's coastal property markets. Mr Sier said additional land tax costs introduced by the Victorian government at the start of 2024 had turned many off of owning a beach house, unless it was their permanent residence. However the Buyer X buyer's agent has noticed rising numbers of holiday home buyers contacting him this year. While he noted that there were very different vibes in some of the most affordable pockets identified by the Ray White research, particularly suburban areas like Frankston, the wider Mornington Peninsula was still as much as 10 per cent below its peak for prices. 'So buyers still have an opportunity for properties where sellers are motivated to get it sold,' Mr Sier said. VICTORIA'S MOST AFFORDABLE COASTAL HOUSE LOCATIONS Source: Ray White Economics, figures track Statistical Area 2 regions that extend beyond named towns and locales. Region (Statistical Area 2) Median house price Median unit price GLENELG (VIC.) $352,674 N/A LONGFORD – LOCH SPORT $407,134 N/A ORBOST $416,170 N/A YARRAM $443,210 $306,029.00 PORTLAND $449,102 $339,028.00 MOYNE – EAST $459,863 N/A CORANGAMITE – SOUTH $489,394 $419,347 BAIRNSDALE $502,813 $367,490 LAKES ENTRANCE $556,134 $425,591 FOSTER $565,597 $395,198
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Adrian Portelli selling entire Block compound at Phillip Island
Adrian Portelli is selling off his entire Block compound at Phillip Island months after snapping up all five homes on the hit renovation show. The billionaire businessman posted on Instagram, begging fans to take all the properties off his hands, The Herald Sun reports. 'For Sale. EOI. The Phillip Island Block Resort. Selling complex complete. Everything included. Will not sell houses separately,' he posted. Portelli put out a call for expressions of interest in making the multimillion-dollar purchase. During last year's The Block grand final, the Aussie entrepreneur made history when he bought every single house for a whopping $15.03 million. Portelli's purchases included $3.5 million for the house renovated by sisters Maddy and Charlotte Harry. He dropped $3.3 million for a property transformed by Courtney McInnes and Grant Freeman. Portelli paid $2.93 million on the pad created by Kristian and Mimi Belperio, $2.7 million for the home renovated by Ricky Recard and Haydn Wise and rounded out his 'royal flush' by purchasing the home made-over by Kylie and Brad Baker for $2.6 million. The businessman announced he was done with The Block and would not be in the market for Block properties in 2025. Back in December, Portelli put the entire Phillip Island complex up as a prize in a mega-giveaway. In Australia's most lucrative giveaway outside of lotteries, the richlister offered up a choice of either all five Phillip Island homes from last season's The Block, or a substantial cash prize of $8 million. Ballarat resident and healthcare worker Holly won the sweepstakes and ended up pocketing the money, he revealed. Portelli said the cash prize had already cleared into her account and they were sending her a cheque as well. He added that his shopping platform, LMCT+, was not going to be running another giveaway of the properties as a promotion of that scale was costly. 'I've purchased (the homes) twice now,' he said. 'I think everyone forgets that the resort is one half of the cost. So to run a promotion like that costs double the amount we have paid for it in marketing expenses and running it and permits. 'It's really difficult to try chase the money back for it.' At the time, Portelli said he would most likely keep the residences for himself and maybe hold events there. — Additional reporting by Sarah Petty
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Billionaire Adrian Portelli begs fans to buy EVERY HOME he purchased on The Block after dropping $15 million on entire Phillip Island compound - and failing to give it away in a competition
Adrian 'Mr Lambo' Portelli has revealed he's selling off his entire Phillip Island compound. The billionaire businessman, 35, made history when he snapped up every Block home on Phillip Island for $15.03million last year. However it appears he is ready to let it all go - and has appealed to his fans to take it off his hands. In a post shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, he wrote: 'For Sale. The Phillip Island Block resort selling complex complete. Everything included.' 'Will not sell houses separately' he added. 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. However it appears he is ready to let it all go - and has appealed to his fans to take it off his hands. In a post shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, he wrote: 'For Sale. The Phillip Island Block resort selling complex complete. Everything included' Adrian included a question box where people could 'express interest' in making the multi-million dollar purchase. Last year, Adrian attempted to give away the entire compound in a record-breaking raffle. The house giveaway was earlier marred by technology issues which has forced him to postpone the announcement of the winner. However he got back on track 24 hours later with over 111,000 viewers tuning in on Facebook. Portelli called the winner, a 34-year-old woman from Ballarat called Holly, to give her the good news that she had won. 'Oh my God, no f**ing way. I didn't watch the live on purpose because I thought it would be bad luck,' she Portelli during the call. Holly opted to sleep on the choice between taking $8 million in cash or keeping all five properties. However, she later opted to take the cash, leaving Adrian still holding the homes. Holly opted to sleep on the choice between taking $8 million in cash or keeping all five properties. However, she later opted to take the cash, leaving Adrian still holding the homes. One of the homes is pictured The scheduled lottery through his company LMCT+ had hit a major roadblock on Thursday due to technical difficulties, with Adrian deciding to 'pause' the action. The winner was due to be unveiled at 8.30pm on Boxing Day but the result had been postponed for 24 hours due to the issues. In a video, Adrian explained that the giveaway had closed at 8pm as planned, but due to the sheer volume of traffic on the website, the LMCT+ systems then crashed. During the 2024 finale of The Block, Adrian made history by purchasing all five of the properties for a huge $15million. In his final year of bidding on the show, Adrian ensured Maddy and Charlotte Harry became the youngest ever winners when he bought their home for $3.5million. Adrian's company, LMCT+, has frequently raffled off properties from The Block, including last year's $5million purchase of Steph and Gian's winning home. Shortly after buying up the entire plot of homes on Phillip Island, Adrian then announced his massive 'resort giveaway' through LMCT+.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Penguins get knitted jumpers to keep them warm
Little knitted jumpers are being used to prevent penguins caught in oil spills from getting ill while trying to clean their feathers.A group of knitters based in care home in Teesside - calling themselves the Knitting Nannas - have been sending their creations to a penguin charity in woolly tops are used as a barrier to stop the birds swallowing toxic chemicals when they try to clean themselves after swimming through of the Knitting Nannas, Joyce who is 94, explained that she has knitted jumpers for both her children but she had "never knit for a penguin" before. Phillip Island, south of Melbourne in Australia, is home to 40,000 penguins and preparation is ongoing to help look after them in the event of an oil can be temporarily placed on an affected penguin until its feathers can be cleaned by rescue the Knitting Nannas, Rebecca Passlow from the Penguin Foundation- which is based there - said "generous knitters and groups from all around the world" have been making jumpers to help. Speaking to BBC News reporter Tom Burgess, care home activities coordinator Sharon Lewis said that she loves finding worthwhile projects for the knitting group."The residents love getting involved and using their lifelong skills to support others."It's always incredible to receive pictures of cute animals wearing their knitted items."In the past, the nannas have also knitted blankets for baby rhinos, which were sent to a wild rhino sanctuary in South Africa.
