Latest news with #KangarooIsland
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Why this $495,000 three-bedroom home in an amazing part of Australia has been on the market since 2012
A unique property listing in the centre of South Australia 's Kangaroo Island has gained huge attention - but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. It's the real estate version of a jam-packed showbag, but nobody's taken a bite in more than a decade due to some very specific rules. Situated at 36 Cook Street, Parndana this sprawling three-bedroom home comes with two adjoining blocks of land, a bustling general store, a takeaway café serving up food 'to die for,' a fuel station, and the only post office servicing the entire western half of the island. And it could all be yours for an asking price of just $495,000. Yes, that's right. Less than a tin shed would cost in one of Australia's capital cities, this home, with multiple business attached, is going for under half a million dollars, but the catch has been enough to scare off buyers since 2012. Described by selling agent Lynne Savage of Kangaroo Island Real Estate as a 'gold mine', the property is in the heart of Parndana, a small but vital farming town. 'This isn't just a post office. It's the lifeblood of half the island,' Lynne told FEMAIL. So why hasn't it sold? Turns out, it's the very thing that makes this property so crucial - the Australia Post license - that's also keeping it firmly stuck on the market. According to Lynne, many prospective buyers are simply looking for a sea or tree-change and are attracted by the idea of a laid-back rural home. However, when they learn that running the Post Office is a non-negotiable part of the deal, the sale falls flat. 'I have had a lot of inquiries over the last three years, probably 40 or more, from people interstate interested in buying it,' said Lynne. 'But the sticker is they want either the current owners to stay on and manage it, which they don't want to do, or they ask me if there would be people on Kangaroo Island wanting to manage that for them.' Unfortunately for the current owners, who are now divorced and having to run the attached businesses seven days a week, it might be the location that's hindering potential buyers. 'It's just one of those very unique situations, if it were somewhere by the water, it would go like a flash.' Lynne is referring to the fact that Parndana is landlocked and not as 'desirable' for young people and families. Located approximately 20 minutes north and south of the closest beach, and a half-an-hour drive from the popular coastal town of Kingscote, it could very well be a big contributing factor. 'If it was somewhere with water, you would probably be up around $800,000,' Lynne said on the drastic price difference other smaller properties could reach with a sea-view. As for an ideal buyer, Lynne said it could be a family who wants a lifestyle change and is committed to running the Post Office and store as a lucrative business. 'Houses on Kangaroo Island the size of that house, would be $495,000 just for the house, let alone the business opportunities as well,' she said. Locally known as Davo's Deli, the business side of 36 Cook Street is more than just a shop - it stocks groceries, fresh produce, frozen meats, operates as an Elgas agency, and even has an Ampol fuel distribution license. In a small town like Parndana, these businesses aren't just convenient, they're essential. Adding to the intrigue, housing demand is booming in Kangaroo Island's western districts, and with Parndana being the only township servicing the region, a property like this one is incredibly rare. Yet, even with the rising appeal of country living and the remote work boom, the post office stigma is hard to shake. Australians love the romance of owning an old Post Office - just not the reality of running one. Post offices across Australia have seen mixed fates. A 2021 Deloitte Access Economics report ranked them as more trusted than the local school, bank, or even the library, but many are being closed or converted into homes. With business obligations like this one – which Lynn said new buyers would require to go through full Post Office training if they were to operate it themselves - the extra workload and responsibilities have made it hard for buyers to commit. The next owner won't just be buying a home, they'll be stepping into a central role in one of Australia's most beautiful, tight-knit island communities. It's a lifestyle many dream about: quiet living, community connection, and running your own business. Until someone does snap it up though, this Kangaroo Island gem will keep waiting - shelves fully stocked, coffee machine at the ready, and post piling up.
ABC News
25-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Weather set to turn wild as strong winds and rain push across SA
As parts of South Australia undergo their first burst of wet and windy weather in months, Kangaroo Island ferry services have been cancelled because of the rough conditions. The Bureau of Meterology (BOM) has warnings in place for much of SA, while the State Emergency Service (SES) has advised of the increased risk of downed powerlines and fallen trees after months of drought. "We've got some distressed trees out there that are lacking moisture and they're more susceptible to those strong winds," the service's Ian Bonython told ABC Radio Adelaide. A severe weather warning for "damaging, locally destructive winds" has been issued for much of the state including Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas, the Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide metropolitan area, Flinders, Mid North, Kangaroo Island, Murraylands, Riverland and south-east. There are also gale and strong wind warnings — and a coastal hazard warning for abnormally high tides — for stretches of the state's coastline. Kangaroo Island ferry operator SeaLink said its early morning services from Cape Jervis and Penneshaw had been cancelled. "Unfortunately, due to weather conditions matching the current forecasts and with increasing winds and high swells predicted throughout the day, all sailings for today, 26 May will not be operating," the company posted on Facebook. "Conditions and forecasts for tomorrow, Tuesday 27 May, will be monitored throughout the day." BOM senior forecaster Simon Timcke said between six and 20 millimetres of rain were expected over Adelaide, and between 20 and 40 millimetres in the hills. "[We're expecting] certainly the wettest day we've seen for a while." Mr Timcke said while the system had "taken a little bit longer" to arrive "than we originally thought", the conditions were being caused by a low pressure system south of the state. "There's a couple of pretty vigorous fronts extending from that low," he said. "It looked like we'd probably start to see the showers very late Sunday evening or through the early hours of Monday morning but it has been a little bit slower to reach the Adelaide area." The SES said it had responded to several jobs since midnight, all of them fallen trees. "I'm sure people have seen on TV news footage and YouTube and those types of things, where trampolines have just been flying through the air, so ensure that all those loose items are secure in your yard," Mr Bonython said. "Please stay away from those fallen powerlines and be prepared for power outages."
ABC News
24-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
The algal bloom harming marine life is now hitting livelihoods
The shallows that follow the shoreline might not seem the likeliest setting for the contemplation of drought. But along those stretches of South Australian coast that are currently awash with the remains of sea creatures, lack of rain is very much part of the problem. It has exacerbated an algal bloom that is choking the ocean. Downpours, storms and strong winds would help to disperse the algae. Without them, the bloom will fester. "Initially the experts were talking like a few days and this would be gone, but that was a month ago," said Kangaroo Island tour boat operator Andrew Neighbour. While the bloom's devastating impact on marine life is, slowly but steadily, being investigated and documented, its impact on human lives and livelihoods has attracted less attention. But that could be about to change, especially if businesses like Mr Neighbour's start to feel the effects. "We're getting a lot of people cancelling, and I guess that's going to be right through the whole tourism sector as well, and in the seafood industry," he said. "I've got some mates who are line fishermen locally here, professional fishermen. When the ABC spoke to Kangaroo Island fisher Robert Barrett earlier this month, it had been nine days since he had made a commercial catch. "The last four or five times out, I have not caught a fish," he said. "Originally when it started, none of us knew what was going on, the water was a little bit discoloured, and we were hearing stories of an algal bloom. "The trouble is we just don't know the impact of this bloom — how long it's going to last, [and] how the fish will recover when it does eventually clear when the weather systems come through." Mr Barrett has been a commercial fisherman for 40 years, and mainly chases whiting. He uses razorfish for berley — and it was while he was inspecting the razorfish beds that he first realised that something was seriously wrong. "The razorfish were alive one day and then, within two days, we lost those beds. They just died," he said. Recreational fishers tell similar stories. "The amount of fish and shellfish I've seen dead, dying and sick is amazing and scary at the same time," RecFish SA's Kangaroo Island director Gavin Mathews said. Mr Mathews has been "living and working and fishing" on the island for more than two decades, but has never before "seen a fish kill like this". "I personally believe there will be some long-term consequences of what's happening," he said. For Mr Barrett, the crystal ball is about as cloudy as the waters. "If the food source on the spit and the surrounding waters has gone, has died, the fish won't come back in. They need food to survive," he said. "That's what I'm terrified about. Just over five years ago, Kangaroo Island was in the grip of a disaster of a very different kind. As the infernos of the Black Summer bushfire season ravaged the island, and reduced swathes of its vegetation to ash, consolation came in the form of public support. "The great thing about the island when it was impacted by the bushfires is the support we got from Australia, from worldwide," Mr Barrett recalled. "It was just amazing, it just made you feel proud to be an Australian, the support this island received." The current catastrophe is still very much unfolding, but its scale has previously prompted comparisons with the size of the island itself. Mr Barrett said there had not yet been any indication of financial assistance from the state government or the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA). "PIRSA, I should imagine, are like us — they just don't know where it's headed or the impacts it will have on the industry," he said. South Australia's oyster industry is in a slightly different boat, and its growers association says that farms in key regions have not been affected. "The vast majority of oysters are produced in [Spencer] Gulf and around on our West Coast … from Coffins all the way out to Denial Bay," chairman Peter Treloar told the ABC's Country Hour. "They are not impacted by this algae and are open for business at the moment. "They are busy harvesting and selling." In Gulf St Vincent, however, the situation is different. "The farms on Yorke Peninsula are closed for sales at the moment — it's purely a precautionary measure," Mr Treloar said. "It's never fun to have a harvest area closed and of course it impacts cash flows for individual growers." In a recent post on Facebook, Port Vincent Oysters declared: "Mother Nature has caught up with us". "Sadly our harvesting area has been closed and we are unable to sell to the public until further notice," the post stated. On Thursday, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas was asked about the possibility of financial support from the state government. "As yet, we're not at that point," he replied. "As a government, we've got over $70 million that we've invested in drought assistance at the moment and that's rolling out pretty well. "The developments around the oyster industry are very recent and discrete, but we will monitor it as time goes on." Mr Malinauskas said the challenges of the bloom were very different from those posed by the Black Summer fires. "With bushfires, for instance, we have the CFS: 10,000-strong-plus volunteers, hundreds of millions of dollars invested in equipment to go out there and fight the fires," he said. On Kangaroo Island, the fear remains that conditions will deteriorate before they improve. "There needs to be more awareness of what's going on," Andrew Neighbour said. Mr Neighbour made that comment while overlooking waters that usually teem with fish and with fishers. "At one of the busiest boat ramps on Kangaroo Island, there's not a single boat here, apart from us," he said. "That's a fair sign of how serious it is."
Free Malaysia Today
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Toxic algae killing marine life off Australian coast
Karenia mikimotoi damages the gills of fish and prevents them from breathing. (OzFish/AFP pic) SYDNEY : A vast bloom of toxic algae is killing more than 200 species of marine life off the southern coast of Australia, scientists and conservation groups say. The algae – Karenia mikimotoi – appeared in waters around South Australia state in March, causing mass deaths in species including sharks, rays, crabs and octopuses. 'There are carcasses littering beaches,' said Brad Martin, a manager of the non-profit fish conservation group Ozfish. 'It is common for our volunteers to say: 'We walked for 1km along the beach and saw 100 dead rays and other marine life',' he told AFP. Beaches on wildlife-rich tourist draws such as Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula have been affected. The bloom stretches across 4,400sq km, Martin said – an area larger than Japan or Germany. Karenia mikimotoi has been detected around the world since the 1930s, including off Japan, Norway, the US and China where it has disrupted local tourism and fishery industries, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage. But Martin said South Australia had not previously experienced a toxic algae bloom of this scale or duration. The South Australian government said the event is thought to have been driven by a marine heatwave, as well as relatively calm marine conditions. Marine biologist Shauna Murray, who identified the algae species for the authorities, said it damages the gills of fish and prevents them from breathing. 'It is not pleasant,' said Murray, from the University of Technology Sydney. 'It will probably take some time for the ecosystem to recuperate.' While conditions usually ease towards the end of April, there had been no relief yet, South Australian environment minister Susan Close said this month. 'We need a big change in weather to break this thing up – there is nothing we can do to precipitate this,' she told national broadcaster ABC. In the meantime, South Australian authorities have urged beachgoers to avoid swimming in water that is discoloured or foamy, warning that it can irritate the skin and affect breathing. Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and duration of marine heatwaves across Australia, which significantly affects marine ecosystems.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Criterion: As the travel sector loses altitude, acquirers fly in for the kill
Recent sector downgrades highlight consumer concerns about tariffs and cost of living pressures Webjet Group's depressed valuation has attracted a private equity bidder with a lowball offer Despite the pressures, the key travel stocks are better placed financially than in previous downturns Like a rapidly fading post-holiday suntan, the post-pandemic travel boom has been abruptly curtailed. Tariff and cost-of-living concerns have crimped travel budgets, while there's evidence that haphazard US customs policies are deterring visitors there. As sure as night follows day – although not necessarily on an overseas flight – acquirers are sniffing out unloved stocks. This week, private equity group BGH lobbed a non-binding for flight booking portal Webjet Group (ASX:WJL) which demerged from its business-to-business hotel arm Web Travel Group (ASX:WEB) last October. BGH's offer came after the group built a 10.76% relevant stake in Webjet. On a nostalgic note, that was with the help of 1980s corporate raiders Ariadne Australia and Gary Weiss. Adding to the intrigue, Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) has accrued a surprise 5% Webjet Group stake. In the meantime, the out-of-sorts Kelsian Group (ASX:KLS) is in the process of selling its legacy Kangaroo Island ferry business and other tourism assets, in favour of focusing on commuter transport. Losing altitude The corporate manoeverings come amid earnings downgrades from the key operators. Early this month, Flight Centre cited 'short term results volatility brought about by uncertain (cyclical) trading conditions, including the recent changes to US trade and entry policies.' Things were going OK until March, when US 'policy changes' started to impact both corporate and leisure sales. Corporate Travel Management (ASX:CTD) then said full year revenue was likely to be 4% softer than forecast, with underlying earnings likely to be down $30 million relative to expectations at the half year results. The company cites 'broad economic and tariff uncertainty in North America and Asiahas led to reductions in client activity resulting in slower growth than expected during what is traditionally the busiest period of the year.' Helloworld last week trimmed its full year guidance to underlying earnings of $52-56 million, down from the previously indicated $56-62 million. Helloworld's outbound US bookings are only marginally down, while there's strong demand for premium seats across the board. Not everyone is sharing the cost-of-living pain, evidently. Tapering airfares tell the story According to UBS, as of March domestic airfares had fallen an average 9%, reversing the momentum of 2024. International fares fell an average 4%, or 11% in the case of Virgin. At face value, cheaper airfares are positive for demand, but not if folk are unwilling to travel because of geopolitical and economies uncertainties. The trends suggest that travellers are eschewing long-haul trips, in favour of destinations such as Bali, Fiji, Hawaii and Japan. This is consistent with cost-of-living pressures as well as reports of chronic overtourism in favourite European spots. Merger mania If last year's Webjet bifurcation was aimed at making the businesses easier to take over, it has succeeded in its objective. While BGH's 80-cents-per-share tilt was at a 40% premium to Webjet's 'undisturbed' share price, the stock has traded above that level. RBC Capital markets notes Webjet has $100 million of net cash worth 26.7 cents a share – one-third of BGH's offer price of 80 cents per share. The firm opines that even without a takeover premium, Webjet shares are worth $1.05 to $1.30 a share. With a suitable control premium, the board would start talking turkey at $1.26 to $1.50 a share. Not even close! Don't panic, we're not going down The downturn doesn't mean that that travel stocks should be avoided. On the contrary, they tend to overreact to both good and bad conditions. Insofar as Australians are more likely to take a domestic break, the conditions are amenable to local plays such as Experience Co (ASX:EXP), which runs skydiving venues and tree walks. Experience Co this week reported soggy trading because of soggy weather, but notes an 'opportunity to capitalise on sentiment generated by recent US tariff changes'. Helloworld benefits from the enduring strength of cruising, with bookings expected to be 40% higher this year. Like a tired hotel room, there's room for a lick of paint. As part of a much-needed 'brand refresh', Webjet Group plans to double its ticket turnover to $3.2 billion by 2030, including a push into hotel and package offerings. The players are more resilient financially than during the 2007 GFC, or pandemic. In the early days of the plague, Flight Centre executed a $700 million emergency capital raising. Now the company is buying back $200 million of its own shares. There's no need to assume the brace position - but expect some more turbulence and keep the seat belt buckled just in case.
