A home fit for royalty

The legendary owner of this Sovereign Islands estate would love to see a family make the most of its sprawling gardens and open living areas

AS you enter the gates of this private estate, monumental water features set against manicured gardens give off a stately air.

It’s appropriate, then, to discover that the impressive property is owned by sporting royalty.

Waterskiing legend Glenn Thurlow and his wife Lisa are selling the 1948sq m estate which has been their home with daughter Ainsley for the past eight years.

The Thurlows traded their farm in AlburyWodonga for the Sovereign Islands property around the time of Mr Thurlow’s retirement in 2013.

“It’s been our dream home,” Mr Thurlow said. “It is by far the nicest home we’ve ever lived in, but it’s time for us to downsize into something more manageable.”

An inductee of both the International Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Mr Thurlow made water skiing history by becoming the first man to jump over 200ft (60.96m) with a record-setting leap of 202ft (61.57m) in 1983.

With competition behind him, Mr Thurlow said he is content to enjoy the water from the comfort of a boat or deck chair.

The property has 29m canal frontage with a pontoon, infinity-edge pool and generous outdoor and entertaining spaces taking full advantage of private east-facing water views.

Essentially, though, this house is ideal for family living.

“This home really needs to go to a family with kids,” Mr Thurlow said. “There’s plenty of space for a dog, a trampoline or to play