6 minute read
RETIREMENT LIVING
NONAGENARIANS DELIGHTED BY BIG MOVE
A FRIENDLY community and relaxed coastal lifestyle enticed Doug and Judy Frazer to downsize to Ozcare’s Currimundi Gardens Retirement Village.
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After building family homes at Wavell Heights and Aspley in Brisbane, Doug and Judy were looking for somewhere to retire where they felt at home and part of a community, without the upkeep of a large house and garden.
“It’s an amazing area and it is close to the big hospitals,” Doug says, while Judy adds, “We have felt welcome since we arrived and our neighbours are friendly.”
Last month, Doug and Judy, who turn 90 and 94 next year, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. And with son John living close by, they are now making plans for Christmas with their two children and two grandchildren.
Being part of a tight-knit community, which is co-located with Ozcare’s Caroline Chisholm aged care facility, has had some unexpected bonuses.
Through Ozcare, they have had help with personal care, cooking and shopping, which has allowed more time to enjoy the new garden and hobbies.
“They’ve found life a lot easier since moving in,” son John said. “They still get to go to church and after having a relatively big house and garden to look ASSUMPTION is the mother of misse0d opportunities and often happens often when considering deciding between a retirement village and an over 50s lifestyle resort.
The options are distinctly different, according to GemLife director and CEO Adrian Puljich, who specialises in over-50s lifestyle resorts. He says it is important to do the research and not go on what other people say.
A few common assumptions were put to GemLife homeowners:
Over-50s resorts are for old people.
“Over-50s resorts are for people who want to have fun and have a lovely lifestyle,” said resident Julie Bloxham, of GemLife Maroochy Quays.
Do you have to be retired to live in an over-50s resort?
“Definitely not. There are a lot of people who are volunteers or are still working living here. There are so many different interests it helps to be retired,” said GemLife Highfields’ Jean Rothery.
after, they now have something smaller and just find it easier. The assistance they get from Ozcare is brilliant.”
Judy said the villa had everything she needed for family visits, including a barbecue area surrounded by trees and well-maintained gardens.
“I do the washing, but I get the ironing and the cleaning done,” she said. “We get fresh meals delivered and can have a barbecue and there is plenty of room.”
The boutique village of 37 units will expand next May, with an additional 15 new two-bedroom, two-bathroom villas .
The villas are priced at $440,000 with flexible entry prices available. “Our holidays were spent at Lake Currimundi when our kids were young,” Doug said. “That was when it was just a dirt track from Brisbane to Caloundra. We’re happy to be near the beach again.” Visit currimundigardens.org.au or call manager Tania Bell 1800 692 273.
SIX YEARS OF HOSPITALITY
MERCURE Sunshine Coast Kawana Waters celebrated its sixth birthday last month, having opened in 2015 in line with the development of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
With its modern décor, comfortable rooms and customer service, it quickly established itself as the place to go for hospital visitors.
After Queensland owner Michael Carr took over in January 2020, the hotel re-branded to Mercure, a part of worldleading Accor Hotel Group, and it remains the only Mercure Hotel on the Sunshine Coast!
Its Wildflower Kitchen & Bar is renowned for innovative seasonal food featuring fresh local produce and has a relaxed lake-side environment for breakfast and dinner seven days a week and lunch Wednesday to Friday.
“We have established ourselves as an integral part of the Sunshine Coast economy, it is a major and on-going part of our business ethos,” general manager John Örning said. “Everyone here are locals who contribute to delivering an essential service and significant investment back into the local economy.” Visit mercurekawanawaters.com.au
Over-50s resorts are the same as a retirement village. “There are fine lines and things like exit fees etc with retirement villages, which we were dead set against. It’s not the case at over-50s lifestyle resorts,” said Gemlife Maroochy Quays residents Alan and Wendy Coop.
Over 50s resorts are not for me.
“You need to come in and have a look before you make that decision. You might be pleasantly surprised,” said Jean Rothery. Rosemary Dunn, of GemLife Maroochy Quays agreed: “It took me two years to go around all the over 50s resorts, and GemLife is the best.”
GemLife resorts, including GemLife Maroochy Quays, Pacific Paradise and Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast, offer exceptional, premium recreational facilities and beautifully designed, low-maintenance homes, created exclusively for over 50s. Call 1800 317 393 or visit gemlife. com.au
JUST LIKE HOME – WITHOUT THE HARD WORK
IT WAS the rolling hills and lush rainforest setting of Buderim that attracted downsizers Cynthia and Ian Rye to B by Halcyon.
They were looking for somewhere to retire where they could enjoy a rich natural landscape without the burden of overwhelming yard maintenance.
B by Halcyon is Halcyon’s greenest community to date, with an environmentally conscious masterplanned design complementing almost 6ha of private open space for the exclusive use of homeowners.
Cynthia and Ian were also enticed by the prospect of being part of a community.
“I like people, I’m a real extrovert and I enjoy people’s company,” Cynthia said.
“We’d been here not quite a fortnight and had already been invited to a street party and a barbecue, and met a whole lot of people from our particular street. In our age group, it’s nice to be able to meet people and make friends of your own age and way of life.”
Cynthia and Ian are looking forward to making the most of Halcyon’s easygoing lifestyle, connecting to the community and living a comfortable life in retirement.
“When you retire and you’ve been living a life of go-go-go and all of a sudden that winds down, you have to have something to replace it with, and Halcyon is certainly providing that,” Cynthia said.
“There’s plenty of things we can do, so it’s giving us a life in our retirement. We can go on with our lives and live happily ever after.” Visit lifebeginsathalcyon.com.au
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