It’s been a big day for one Aussie bloke who bought a couple of tickets in a raffle last month during his lunch break, trying his luck at a once-in-a-lifetime proposition. Overnight he has become the proud owner of a tropical resort on the Micronesian island of Kosrae– all after another Aussie family decided to give it away.
Doug Beitz and his wife, Sally, moved to Kosrae in 1994 with four kids in tow, after getting tired of their desk jobs and ready to try something new. In the 20 years following they managed to grow a successful business overlooking a spectacular waterfront and ancient ruins, living the kind of life most could only dream about. But the birth of their first grandchild had them yearning to move back to Australia and be closer to family.
Rather than sell it off, they wanted to pass the resort onto someone who could start off like they did: with no hospitality experience but passion in spades. That’s when the idea of selling raffle tickets to takeover the business was sparked.
Fast-forward to today, where raffle winner James* from Wollongong, has been passed the reigns of the Beitz’s 16-room resort and scuba diving business– no strings attached, news.com.au reports.
“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,” James* told news.com.au.
“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.”
Hopefuls from over 150 countries entered the raffle for their shot at owning a piece of paradise, purchasing tickets for $AU66.
No doubts a lot of people are regretting not throwing our names in the ring now!
