A Russian-born power couple from Far North Queensland has splashed out $24 million on Sunshine Coast property – all in the same street!
Entrepreneurs and philanthropists Alex and Violetta Sekler, who are in the process of selling their showpiece Cairns mansion, recently turned their attention to our region.
They are an extremely high-profile pair, with Mr Sekler a property tycoon and his wife a life coach.
The couple also is known for philanthropy, having donated hefty sums to charities in Queensland and around the globe.
The Seklers smashed local property records in August, 2021, when they bought stunning Malumba Estate at 24 Box Street, Buderim, for an eye-watering $17 million.
The sale set a new benchmark for residential property sales in the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area.
Sunshine Coast News can reveal the pair has also purchased two adjoining properties that take their Box Street holdings to almost 7.2 hectares.
This includes the luxurious rainforest escape, Aquila Retreat, at 21 Box Street, which they paid $3.4m for, plus a 0.43-hectare vacant block at 9 Box Street, which they acquired for $2.6m.
But who are Alex and Violetta Sekler and what are their plans for their Box Street properties?
The couple lives in Cairns with their two children and Mr Sekler is director of international investment and finance company Liral Group. The property tycoon owns 13 properties, including real estate in Brisbane and Far North Queensland.
Mrs Sekler is a life coach and relationship expert who runs her own business and specialises in working with people who are at a turning point in their relationship: in particular, facing, experiencing or overcoming a breakup, separation or divorce.
The couple is known to have made philanthropic donations worldwide, and in March 2020 donated $650,000 to the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation for its Coronavirus Critical Care Appeal.
At the time, Mr Sekler told the foundation: “Cairns is our home. We are blessed to be in the position that we can do something to help. We have two young children and we want to be sure our hospital has everything it needs to fight the pandemic. We believe it can save lives.”
In 2019, they also donated $80,000 to finalise the foundation’s endoscopy appeal.
With Liral Group specialising in property development, construction and management, Mr Sekler could have plans to transform the three parcels of land. Or, he and his wife might just want a private and peaceful Sunshine Coast oasis.
Currently, there are no development applications with Sunshine Coast Council for the adjoining Box Street properties.
Malumba Estate’s previous owners planned to establish a five-star eco resort, called Badderam, on the site and were successful in gaining Sunshine Coast Council approval – subject to a range of conditions – for 111 hotel suites, restaurants, conference facilities, a wellness spa and a rail car to access cabins down the escarpment.
Aquila Retreat, at number 21, is currently a luxury eco-mansion with stunning views and room for 30 people. It is available for hire and popular for events and retreats. Meanwhile, 9 Box Street is a vacant block of land zoned for medium density residential.
A beachfront mansion owned by the Seklers at Kewarra Beach, north of Cairns, is up for sale, hinting they could be planning a move south.
The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion at 46-48 Kewarra Street was listed for sale in October 2021, around the same time the Seklers purchased 9 Box Street.
Mr and Mrs Sekler paid $4.5 million for the 0.39-hectare Cairns property in September 2014.
While the FNQ home does not have an asking price, it is expected to sell for around $12 million.
SCN has approached the Seklers for comment.
