XXXX Gold negotiates three-year lease for Pumpkin Island on Great Barrier Reef to use

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XXXX Gold negotiates three-year lease for Pumpkin Island on Great Barrier Reef to use as location for promotional events

by: Jason Tin From: The Courier-Mail March 15, 2012 12:00AM 6 comments

FANTASY ISLAND: Pumpkin Island has been leased by XXXX Gold. Source: The Courier-Mail
THEY say no man is an island, but beer-drinking Queensland blokes may soon be conquering a "fantasy island" of their own.

XXXX Gold has negotiated a three-year lease on a 6ha island on the southern Great Barrier Reef, with the aim of turning it into a blokes' paradise called "XXXX Island".

From October, the beer company plans to send groups of four mates, selected through promotional events, to the island currently known as Pumpkin Island to have their run of the place.

Both XXXX and the island's owners declined to discuss the value of the lease, citing a confidentiality agreement.

The island belongs to John and Sonja Rumble, a South African-born couple who bought the island in 2003 for $1.3 million through their business, Sojourn Properties Pty Ltd.

They then gave Pumpkin Island to their son, Wayne, for his 27th birthday, which he now runs with his partner, Laureth Craggy, according to Capricorn enterprise CEO Mary Carroll,.



"His dad actually said, 'Make it work' so this campaign is certainly a way for him (to) make it work," Ms Carroll said.

Wayne Rumble, 31, was made a director of Sojourn Properties in December, last year.

He said he was convinced that XXXX would support the local community by involving the region's businesses in the island's development.

"We believe this is a great opportunity for the island that will not only bring more people to the area, but will provide additional jobs and support the local community over the coming months and beyond," Mr Rumble said.

Tourism Queensland CEO Anthony Hayes said the move was a considerable "coup" for Queensland.

"It's a wonderful free kick after all that's happened in the past 12 months," he said.

"It sends a great message to all of the Queensland tourism industry that things are picking up again."