Whitsunday Airport - winner of the following Tourism Whitsunday awards
- 2004: Best Tourism Development
- 2005: Best General Tourism Service Facility
- 2006: Best General Tourism Service Facility
29th June 2008
Soon the Whitsunday Airport is to become transformed into a relatively new concept in Australia - a luxury 60 acre private estate airpark to be called the Whitsunday Aviation Village Estate, or WAVE.
The $75 million gated estate will feature innovative hanger homes, an asphalt dual taxiway and 1410 metre runway, lush tropical surrounds and a commercial precinct - all characteristics no other airpark in the southern hemisphere can boast.
The estate is the brainchild of private pilot and Whitsunday local Jeffrey Ruddell, who has spent the past six years researching the master plan for Australia's flagship airpark.
"WAVE is designed to offer the ultimate lifestyle for the private pilot," says Mr Ruddell, who holds both a fixed-wing and rotary-wing licence. "Where else can you stroll down the stairs of your architecturally designed tropical home, climb into your aircraft and within minutes reach world famous island resorts and coral reefs?
"As part of my research into the design of WAVE, I visited over 50 airparks in the USA to learn from their extensive experience and build on their best design ideas.
"With this research, and working with expert engineers, we have designed an airpark that offers the ultimate lifestyle for those just as passionate about aviation as myself.
"And what we're creating will certainly give the best airparks in the US a run for their money."
WAVE, located on the site of the existing Whitsunday Airport, has every attention to detail you would expect from a quality airpark development and more.
The runway alone is costing more than $4 million to build.
The 1400-metre runway will be made of asphalt - not bitumen - for quieter and smoother landings and to eliminate chipping.
Off the main runway will be dual asphalt taxiways leading directly to residents' hangar homes.
Those who buy land blocks can choose from several tropical-living inspired hangar homes, designed by private pilot and architect of over 20 years, Gary Hunt, or design their own.
Mr Hunt said that as a private pilot he understood the aviation culture and recognised how important it was for the aircraft to be secure and easily handled.
"Our design solution was a series of hangar homes uniquely tropical and reminiscent of traditional Queensland homes and values," he said.
"The homes incorporate lots of shade and are designed to capture the sea breezes but are carefully thought out and user friendly so the owner can safely hangar their aircraft."
A key design element of WAVE is the strong focus on landscaping to ensure the village is in keeping with the natural environment and to minimise noise from the runway.
While existing mature trees have been incorporated into the master plan, a plant nursery has also been established at the site and there are currently 15,000 trees and shrubs ready for planting.
A strict covenant will apply to tenants who purchase land blocks - they must have in excess of 5 to 6 metres of natural vegetation between blocks for privacy and to minimise noise.
Mr Ruddell said that WAVE's location amongst tropical bushland meant he was even more determined to maintain an eco-focus for the village.
"This is such a beautiful part of the world and we are making every effort to keep it that way. We are enhancing natural creeks and building small bridges across them for residents to enjoy the tranquility. By the end of construction, we will have planted over 20,000 native and tropical plant species - all in consultation with environmental scientists," he said.
"As much as the private pilot wants to spend every waking moment in the air, we know this is not possible so they need a place where they are happy to fly home to.
"WAVE is not just going to be houses built along a runway in a barren clearing - the village will feel part of the environment and be home to a community of people proud to call it theirs."
Construction began on the development first week of January 2008, and we are about to see the first stage sealed in the next week or so. The Whitsunday Airport has continued operating throughout the earthworks and it has been an amazing team effort between the existing tenants and the civil earthworks company - Civdec. the high level of respect and communication has seen what could have been potentially very difficult in fact exciting and friendly.
