Jeff Bezos’ $700m superyacht that sparked Dutch bridge drama arrives in Cairns

A billionaire’s enormous superyacht has made a surprise arrival in Australia, years after its towering masts sparked an extraordinary plan to dismantle a historic bridge.

The 127m Koru, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and reportedly valued about $A707 million, arrived at Cairns Marlin Marina on Monday, August 17, after sailing from Alotau in Papua New Guinea.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Amazon founder’s superyacht spotted in Australia

“Koru” is the Māori word for the unfurling fern frond, a symbol associated with new life, growth, renewal and peace.

The three-masted sailing yacht is the world’s largest traditional sailing yacht, and its sheer size has previously caused logistical headaches in Europe .

In 2022, the yacht made international headlines while being built at a Dutch shipyard after its towering masts posed a problem for its journey to the North Sea.

Authorities considered temporarily dismantling part of Rotterdam’s historic Koningshavenbrug, known as De Hef, to allow the newly built yacht to pass through, sparking a public backlash.

The bridge was ultimately not dismantled, with Koru moved through the area before its towering masts were fitted.

The Cairns stop brings the yacht to a marina operated by Queensland government-owned Ports North, which says its facilities can accommodate superyachts of up to 140m, putting Koru just within its maximum length.

The arrival has also generated plenty of interest online, with photos of the enormous yacht quickly circulating among locals and tourists.

Ports North has previously highlighted the economic benefits of superyacht visits, saying vessels bring spending across fuel, provisioning, maintenance, tourism, berthing and crew services.

In 2025, the organisation said the superyacht industry had generated $31.9 million for the Far North Queensland economy in the previous six months.

The crew are currently at popular Great Barrier Reef destination for some downtime, with the vessel being looked after by a local Cairns agent, Ports North said. “As is common during port visits, the vessel may also undertake routine maintenance and servicing while in Cairns.”

Industry body Superyacht Australia expects expects the visit will provide a boost to the Far North economy through spending by crew and local contractors engaged to service and maintain the vessel.