Australian wins entire island resort for $49 in raffle draw

A lucky Australian man has won a multi-million dollar tropical island resort replete with lush forests, caves and coral reefs for $49 in a unique raffle sale that sparked a global frenzy.

The man, identified only as Joshua from New South Wales, won the 16-room 'The Kosrae Nautilus Resort' on the remote Micronesian island of Kosrae in a draw organised by its owners, an Australian couple, who decided to move back to Australia to enjoy being grandparents.

The couple was looking to handover the dream resort, built over two decades ago, to someone who was genuinely passionate about island life and respected the ecosystem, rather than to the person with the deepest pockets. "What started as a simple click of a news article during my lunch break that piqued my interest has resulted in a life-changing experience that I could only dream of," said Joshua who had bought three tickets.

"I would like to thank Doug and Sally (owners) and the whole Beitz family for providing this amazing opportunity and am looking forward to cutting the red tape, making a trip to the resort to see what paradise looks like and to experience all that the resort has to offer," Joshua was quoted as saying by news.com.au. The island, which has lush forests, ancient ruins and World War II-era relics as well as caves and coral reefs, is located about 3800 kms from Brisbane and is popular for surfing and snorkelling. "I look forward to working with Doug, his family and the amazing staff to learn about the ins and outs of the business and to continue its success long into the future," Joshua said, adding that he was "overwhelmed".

A whopping 75,485 tickets were sold to people in about 150 countries in the raffle. Tickets in the raffle were sold for $49 each, with a discount applied for multiple sale. Joshua can opt to run the resort himself or appoint a manager to run it on his behalf. The resort is debt free, profitable and already fully staffed.