Once home to royalty, this iconic Torquay estate—Whitesbeach (1335 Horseshoe Bend Road)—is now available for sale. Originally built by a Malaysian Sheik, this hidden gem spans approximately one acre (3714m²) and offers an unparalleled combination of luxury, privacy, and resort-style amenities, just 200 meters from the beach.
The three-story main house features seven expansive suites, each with its own en-suite, plus additional smaller bedrooms, making it ideal for both family living and guest accommodation. The top-floor suites boast breathtaking panoramic ocean views, while a fully self-contained section on the first floor allows for private or multi-generational living if needed.
The home also includes a sprawling basement, part of which has been transformed into an Egyptian-themed suite, inspired by the Tomb of Ramses V in the Valley of the Kings.
Designed with both relaxation and entertainment in mind, Whitesbeach offers:
A separate two-story guest house, known as The Coach House, offers fully self-contained living with bedding for six and its own private courtyard.
The estate’s beautifully landscaped grounds feature:
For the past 12+ years, Whitesbeach has been a labor of love for its current owners, Brian & Maria, who have meticulously enhanced every aspect of the property. While selling reluctantly, they take comfort in knowing the next owners will inherit a truly one-of-a-kind estate.
As a final touch, Brian’s beloved 1989 Mazda MX5 (Red) Convertible, in original condition, is included in the sale, reflecting their decision to downsize and offer Whitesbeach on a largely walk-in, walk-out basis.
Don’t miss your chance to own this extraordinary estate.
Contact Dave Gray – Buxton Real Estate
Unlike in The Soldier’s Ode, my beautiful wife of 54 years (married on July 18, 1970) and I must finally face the reality that time does, in fact, weary the living.
The Handley family has owned and operated Whitesbeach since 2012. Our son, Stephen, and his wife, Claudia, managed the business from 2012 to 2017—a particularly busy period in their lives as they raised their young family (Liam, Veronica, and Dillon). Since then, Stephen has moved on to run his own financial services company, Fin365.
Although Maria and I were notionally retired in 2017, we decided to “step into the breach” and take on the challenge of running a guesthouse—albeit a much-scaled-down version of what Stephen and Claudia had built. Over the past seven years, we have had the pleasure of hosting many business and family groups, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience. But alas, there comes a time—especially when health challenges begin to surface—when change becomes inevitable.
With this in mind, we have made the decision for Whitesbeach to return to its original purpose as a private family home.
Many locals will remember that Whitesbeach was originally built around 1990 by Dato Hussain Yusuf as an Australian retreat for his family and friends, including members of Malaysian royalty. Affectionately known as “The Sheik” by the Torquay community, Dr. Yusuf was a Malaysian dignitary and land developer. As part of his vision, he acquired land surrounding Whitesbeach, intending to develop a world-class golf resort—what is now The Sands. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2000 before seeing his dream fully realized. He is survived by his wife, the renowned Malaysian actress Datuk Maria Menado, and their three children: Hazizul, Haliza, and Hazreek.
It would be fair to say that “The Sheik” did things on a grand scale, and Whitesbeach stands as a testament to that vision. Maria and I have been blessed with four adult children, three of whom now live permanently in the US and UK. However, they love to return home whenever possible, knowing that Whitesbeach remains a welcoming space for our family.
As we close this chapter, we want to express our sincere gratitude to the many guests who have stayed with us over the past 12 years—especially our long-term and repeat visitors.
God bless,
Brian, Maria, Stephen & Claudia (Handley)
As we know, nothing lasts forever in life and with Maria & I now well into our 70s, we have finally made the hard call to sell our beloved Whitesbeach Estate.
Given this reality, we have decided to highlight its many attractive features for the benefit of those, who may be attracted to the dream of owning their very own, gated Estate or Fiefdom, in this increasingly unstable world. ☹
Whitesbeach has now reverted to “The Sheik’s” magnificent private resort/family compound, ideally suited to related family & business groups. It’s not an over statement to claim Whitesbeach uniquely combines the amenities of a large hotel with the exclusivity of a boutique private resort.
Facilities include a large indoor gas heated swimming pool / spa, full size tennis court, (on which lawn bowls can also be played), table tennis, mini-golf and Croquet (in Village Green area), BBQs, pizza oven and open firepit in Tuscany themed courtyard, plus playground.
Village Green area incorporates an orchard (apple, pear, apricot, nectarine, blood plum, peach, lemon and mandarin trees) an inground trampoline, beautiful bronze fountain, two-person swing and more, tucked tastefully into beautifully landscaped grounds.
There are dedicated parking bays for 8 cars, a large three bay garage, plus very large double carport at front reception entrance.
More recent enhancements include Safari Jungle with virtual animals, Noah’s Ark #2, (complete with professionally painted animals on structure) and our very own Egyptian suite (modelled on Ramses V actual tomb in the Valley of Kings). This bedroom Suite is located in the large basement of the main 3-story home.
Whitesbeach also boasts a ‘Great Hall’ containing the Sheik’s original 12 x 6 Thurston Billiard Table, blackwood timber built-in bar, open fire, chesterfield couch/s seating area and large screen TV/FoxTel, for watching our beloved Geelong Cats in full flight. There is also a very large outdoor decking, immediately off the Great Hall, making it a perfect spot for group gatherings.
An added unique feature of Whitesbeach is a separate fully self-contained two-story unit we call the Coach House. In addition, there is the Teppanyaki Room/Wheelhouse, conducive to professional catering. The Wheelhouse integrates seamlessly into the common area of pool/spa, pool-house dining, courtyard and ground-floor kitchen, making it ideally suited for gatherings of 30+ people, creating the perfect feng shui of positive energy.
Moreover, on a very practical level, we recently installed a large generator to maintain power to key areas of property in the event of Black/Brown Outs. Property also houses a large water tank for gardening and swimming pool needs.
Finally, we have created segregated themed areas; Central Park, Flamingo Island, Pelican Point, Village Green, Safari Walk & Palm Avenue, adding to the uniqueness of the ‘Sheik’s legacy.
The Whitesbeach Estate is located in beautiful Torquay, Victoria – gateway to the Great Ocean Road and home of the world-renowned Bells Beach. A secure gated residence on one acre, our property is situated less than 200m from the beach and a 15-minute stroll to Torquay’s eclectic town centre.