There aren’t many homes that you could confidently spend the end of days in, but Alkira Resort House in northern Queensland was designed for exactly that; with plenty of luxuries to enable comfortable enjoyment of the apocalypse. Located at 3726 Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, the home is around a two-hour drive from the tropical paradise of Port Douglas and the Daintree National Park world heritage site.
The structure that comprises the Alkira residence is equal parts elegant and brutal, aggressively contrasting the rainforest in which it’s situated; but cantilevered above a moat-like lake to give the impression that it’s floating. In fact, it’s angular precast concrete exterior recalls the fearsome AT-AT Walker (“All Terrain Armored Transport”) from The Empire Strikes Back, which has been designed in such a way so as to be category 5 cyclone-proof.
This might sound like overkill for a tropical getaway, but if you’ve ever spent a solid portion of time in northern Queensland, you’ll know just how wild the weather can get. It’s also capable of operating entirely off the grid, with a 17.5kW solar power system and 250,000-litre in-ground water tank; as well as a private sewage treatment planet.
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The remarkable structure was designed by architect Charles Wright, who was trained as a fine artist and sculptor and expresses his eye for strong forms in the design of Alkira. Predominantly using precast concrete, steel and glass, the home at 3726 Cape Tribulation Road is not only resistant to major weather events, but also the gradual decay and rust that is likely in any tropical environment.
All counted, it boasts a total of six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, with space enough to park seven vehicles — though, to access the home you need to walk across an elevated path over the lake. In the centre, you’ll find an uncovered turquoise swimming pool that further emphasises the tension between lush vegetation and angular concrete, surrounded by gardens and windows inside.
The entire property is colossal: sitting on a pristine 29.52-hectare block and featuring no less than 1,000 square metres of living space. If you were under any illusions as to the exclusivity of such a property, there’s a pathway directly to the beach where you’ll enjoy 600m of private beach front.
Inside, the living and dining space (large enough to sit a dozen comfortably) is palatial, with soaring vaulted concrete ceilings and polished concrete floors, an enormous commercial-grade kitchen fitted out with Miele appliances. The lounge space features a home cinema-sized screen, there’s a four-seat home office and even a wine cellar with capacity for a total of 2,400 bottles.
Truly: a unique property in Australia and potentially the world; both in the comfort of its fitout and uniqueness of its design. The home at 3726 Cape Tribulation Road is expected to be sold at auction via Sotheby’s International Realty Queensland, with data from Domain indicating a guided price of $7.5 million.
