MAJORCA MAKES AUSTRALIA A-LIST

By Humphrey Carter MAJORCA and Ibiza have managed to catch the attention of Australia as one of the world's leading playgrounds for the mega-rich and mega-famous. For most of the 90*s Majorca regularly made the front pages Down Under for harbouring the country's most wanted man - Christopher Skase who is now buried on the island - but last weekend, Sunday magazine Escape featured the Balearic islands among its elite list of global hot spots favoured by celebrities and business tycoons. “Where the famous go to play” picked out St. Tropez, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Mexican hideaways, Cape Town and Majorca and Ibiza, as well as Australia of course, as the top celebrity destinations. “The island of Majorca is a favourite Spanish hideaway for stars including Irish band the Corrs, Julian Lennon, the actors Douglas and Zeta Jones. The latter two have a 10-bedroom Moorish mansion there and Douglas has been seen in town with Jack Nicholson. Lord Lloyd Webber recently bought a house there, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet and Harrison Ford have all been seen on the island. The party crowd stars such as Jude Law and Elle Macpherson head to the Spanish island of Ibiza for its dance clubs and frenetic social scene.” The magazine wrote. Ibiza was last year a magnet for fun-loving celebrities and very much back in fashion with Kate Moss, and Jade Jagger spending most of the summer on the island together, along with a host of international stars Majorca was constantly being featured in the media in the UK last year with top models like Nel McAndrew and George Clooney's ex-partner Lisa Snowdon on the island, to leading soap stars, Hollywood giants like Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, international football stars such as Man United's Ronaldo and the regular visitors which include Sir Bob Geldof and home-owner Claudia Schiffer - to name a few. The last major star of the year was Woody Allen who arrived on New Year's eve with his family to see in the New Year on the island. According to Escape many of these people are prepared to spend over £1'000 a day for fully-staffed luxury accommodation and privacy while on holiday - Mick Jagger, a regular visitor to Ibiza where his daughter owns an exclusive club - is known to think nothing of spending over $60'000 to rent a luxury villa for the week. The Balearics' only loss has been Sir Richard Branson who severed all ties with the island after a long-running battle with local environmentalists and the local authorities. Guests at his $33'800 a day Necker Island house in the British Virgin Islands include Oprah, George Michael, Robert de Niro, Steven Spielberg and Prince Charles - all of whom he would have invited to the eco-friendly luxury hotel he wanted to create in Banyabulfar.