Long known as a discrete bolthole for Australia's corporate high-flyers, Makepeace Island is emerging as a sanctuary for extended families seeking a healing break from an overscheduled world. Following a multi-million-dollar makeover in late 2024, the 25-acre, heart-shaped island on the Noosa River has re-emerged as an all-inclusive luxury retreat designed for memory banking moments that cross generations.

The reinvention builds on the island's much-loved foundations. Balinese-style pavilions have been refreshed with a coastal aesthetic, on-island dining has been elevated under the direction of a two-hatted chef and his team, and a newly expanded activities program now caters to guests aged two to 92.

Makepeace Island GM Kate Gilbert said the evolution reflects a broader shift at the top end of the travel market.

“In an always-on world, families are pivoting away from trophy destinations and exhausting checklists and towards space, ease, and uninterrupted time together. Multi-generational travel is reshaping the luxury sector.”

Overcrowded. Overscheduled. Over it.

The sentiment is echoed in broader research, which found that almost 90 per cent of Gen X and millennial parents aged between 30 and 60 prioritise “quality time” as the primary motivation for extended family holidays.*

“People used to travel to escape their lives,” Ms Gilbert said. “Now they are using travel to reconnect with them. Time has become the new luxury.

“When you factor in the narrow window parents have to connect their kids with grandparents- each generation juggling their own competing schedules – you can see why our guests want quality escapes that simplify decisions and let each generation interact at their own pace.”

Just 10 minutes by private boat from Noosa, Makepeace Island is available on an exclusive-use basis for up to 22 guests. This allows families to holiday together without being on top of each other, a balance that traditional vacation homes and hotels rarely achieve.

Accommodation spanning all generations

• Three standalone luxury villas with sweeping riverfront decks and expansive bathrooms
• A secluded boathouse ideal for the grandparents seeking additional privacy
• A four-room en-suite pavilion, suited as a teenager nest or extended family overflow.

Experiences built for all ages

• A 500,000-litre lagoon pool anchors island life, alongside riverside fishing, tennis tournaments and a twilight dining barge festooned with party lights
• Guided kids' adventures and age-specific programming led by a seasoned on-island coordinator
• Hands-on family cooking and mixology classes (the gyoza-making session is legendary)
• Two open-air pavilions for gathering, one with a full bar, oversized screen and a billiard table

• One team member for every two guests, ensuring unhurried, intuitive service.

Private chef, worldly cuisine

Dining is led by Australian chef Zeb Gilbert, formerly of Noosa's two-hatted Wasabi restaurant. Menus are entirely customised to each group and each guest — from fragrant Asian curries topped with house-pickled vegetables to relaxed poolside barbecues. Curated wines can be arranged with a local sommelier, or guests are welcome to bring their own cellar favourites.

“The entire experience is geared toward full-family tailoring,” says Gilbert. “Makepeace removes the friction from holidays and lives up to its namesake, 'making peace'.  There's no research, no logistics, and no stress — just a single booking that delivers uninterrupted time together. That ease and sense of being cared for is what families value most in travel today.”

All-inclusive stays start from AUD$20,000 per night for the first eight guests.

For more information, visit: https://www.makepeaceisland.com/

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*Multi-generation research sourced from: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/travel/discover/get-inspired/Global-Travel-Trends-en-au

Contact:

Shelley Winkel (0409757053)

Content:

• Hero images
• Additional high-res images
• Vision with multi-generational families

About Makepeace Island:

Makepeace Island is a private, exclusive-use island retreat set across 25 acres on Queensland's Noosa River, just ten minutes by private boat from Noosa Heads. Originally known as Pig Island, the property was home in the 1920s to colourful local character Hannah “Shotgun” Makepeace, who famously fired her weapon skyward to summon neighbours for supplies. In 2003, entrepreneur Richard Branson purchased the island, later opening it to guests as a private retreat. Following a multi-million-dollar reinvention completed in late 2024, Makepeace Island blends refreshed Balinese-style pavilions with elevated dining and an expanded all-ages activities program.  Experiences range from lagoon-pool swims, tennis and riverside fishing to guided children's adventures and hands-on cooking classes all delivered with intuitive, unhurried service.