Magnate flees Victorian lockdown on superyacht

A second Melbourne multi-millionaire has fled Victorias COVID-19 lockdown, this time on a luxury yacht, and been granted an exemption to cross the Queensland border.Property magnate Mark Simonds has sailed up the east coast in the superyacht Lady Pamela with his family, following Linfox trucking heir Peter Fox on the Gold Coast, Nine Newspapers revealed.
The 30m Italian built marble and gold finished yacht, which has three levels of lounging, bar and dining areas, is one of Australia’s most sumptuous vessels.
It has also been revealed that other rich Victorians are fleeing the state in private jets to avoid Premier Daniel Andrews’ strict COVID-19 lockdown laws.
Daily Mail Australia reported Victoria’s wealthy with private aircraft were even asking pilots to turn off the plane’s transponders to escape detection.
Mr Simonds is the latest of Victoria’s elite wealthy to escape masks and COVID-19 restrictions for the Queensland sunshine.
Both he and Mr Fox and their families were granted exemptions for different reasons while Queensland has forbidden the entry of most Victorian visitors.
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Premier Andrews has been severely criticised for his plan to extend the government’s ability to enforce COVID-19 restrictions by extending Victoria’s state of emergency by 18 months.
Mr Simonds, his glamorous wife Cheryl and one of their sons sailed from a stage four lockdown Melbourne just over two weeks ago.
The Lady Pamela docked on the Gold Coast on Monday morning and passengers and crew were tested for COVID-19 before being allowed to disembark.
On board the boat was Hannah Fox, the daughter of Linfox trucking executive chairman Peter Fox.
Ms Fox is expected to go to the Palm Beach, Queensland, property leased by her family since July 1, while the Simonds will go to their Burleigh Heads home.
A Current Affair reported earlier this month that Mr Fox, his wife Lisa and two other of their children had moved to the Gold Coast under a rule allowing truck drivers to enter the state.
Mr Fox told ACA he had a trucking licence, had brought a truck down to the Gold Coast from Cairns and was now a Queensland resident.
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The family is renting a multi-millionaire dollar waterfront mansion from former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world champion Mick Doohan where he told Nine he could keep his family “healthy and safe”.
Mr Fox is one of six children of Linfox founder and self made billionaire Lindsay Fox and is Executive Chairman of the Linfox group.
Mr Simonds is one of three sons of Gary Simonds who founded the construction empire Simonds Homes more than 70 years ago.
The ASX-listed company is one of Australia’s largest home builders.
Victoria’s second wave coronavirus outbreak which saw daily cases soar above 700 a few weeks ago now appears to be on an overall downward trend, with 148 new cases on Tuesday, slightly up on the 116 new cases on Monday.
candace.sutton@news.com.au