Shane Cresser

Permanent Honeymoon

MORE than 46 years after proposing on Surfers Paradise beach, David Vincent and wife Thea have finally returned to the Gold Coast for the sake of family, finances and a ‘permanent honeymoon’. 

The lifelong Sydneysiders are now so sold on their luxury lifestyle at Seachange Village Arundel they’ve even headed south to sell the over-50s resort to their former NSW neighbours.

Mrs Vincent said top of their Seachange selling points was the community’s newly opened multi-million-dollar country club. She said the club had already become the heart of the village and cemented the community atmosphere they had quickly come to love.

“We lived in the same house in Sydney for 45 years and had an amazing network of neighbours and friends who we were very worried to leave,” said Mrs Vincent.

“David actually proposed to me on Surfers beach 46 years ago but we really hadn’t been back so I didn’t know quite what to expect.

“But within weeks of arriving at Seachange we were organising street parties and making new and fantastic friends.
“Now with the country club open it makes it even easier to catch up with everybody.

“The best thing is you never have to worry about imposing on somebody – you can come and go from the club as you please.” However, Mr Vincent said the couple had not forgotten their old friends down south.

He said they were taking a video of Seachange Village and all its features and facilities with them to Sydney to convince their friends to also make the move.

“We moved here because it makes financial sense, we’re close to our daughter and her children and we love the holiday lifestyle on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“We want to show our friends just what they’re missing, it’s like a permanent holiday or honeymoon here.
“Our masterplan is to recreate our old Sydney neighbourhood on the streets of Seachange Village – and with the country club now open we’ve definitely got an ace up our sleeve.”

David & Thea Vincent

Village Ticks all the boxes for Sea-changers

AFTER inspecting a staggering 22 Over 50’s lifestyle resorts and retirement villages stretching from Northern NSW to Cairns, Peter and Noeleen Misak became convinced they would never find one that ticked every box for them. 

Then they re-visited number 20 on their list – Arundel’s luxurious Seachange Village – and finally they were able to say `mission accomplished’.

After an 18 month search the couple had found where they wanted to spend the next stage of their lives.
Peter and Noeleen put down a deposit on a limited release north-facing prestige block, and with plans for their architect-designed three bedroom home already well under way, they expect to move into Seachange early next year.

“When we first visited Seachange the 5-Star Country Club had not yet been built,” said Peter, a retired businessman in his mid-50s.
“But when we went back again we found the club finished and open and it was obvious the village now offered everything we could ever need.

“We were so impressed by the size, facilities and quality of the 5-Star Country Club, it more than lived up to the plans and the artist’s impressions we were shown on our first inspection of the village.”

When they move into Seachange Peter and Noeleen will leave behind a huge just-completed water-front home at Broadbeach Waters with five bathrooms and 280 square metres of porcelain tiles, that Noeleen `won’t miss cleaning at all’.
The couple said a few key issues prompted them to look at a change in lifestyle. “Number one was security,” said Peter.
“Travel is big on our agenda as we have five children, four scattered all over Australia in Weipa, Perth, St Kilda and the Central NSW Coast, and the fifth in Belgium.

“It will be really good to just lock the front door and know everything will be taken care of. We won’t need house sitters to mind the pool and the garden and to keep burglars at bay.

“Then there is the security of knowing that if something goes pear-shaped with our health, the one left behind will be part of a lovely, sociable community with plenty of activities to keep them busy.”

Peter said while most of the places they looked at on their search offered a lot of activities, Seachange Village seemed to have thought of everything, including its own U3A learning for pleasure campus.

“I’m going to take up bowls and I’m also looking forward to using the 25 metre heated lap pool every day. I’m also impressed by the woodworking workshop, there’s not something like this on offer everywhere.

“Noeleen is heavily into crafts and will enjoy doing them with like-minded people at Seachange.”

Peter and Noeleen have five grandchildren and said they were looking forward to being able to celebrate birthdays and special occasions by making use of the Seachange 5-Star Country Club’s extensive kitchen and entertaining facilities.

“We see the country club as a massive and very comfortable extension to our home,” said Peter.

He said while it would take a bit of adjustment living in closer proximity to neighbours than he was used to, he was confident that because everyone was at the same stage of life it would be a positive experience.

“It will be good not to hear hoons revving up in the neighbourhood or people having loud all-night parties,” he said.
“The peace of mind and the safety of Seachange, along with the amazing facilities were the deciders.”

Peter also praised Seachange staff for making the process of buying their block and designing their new home `incredibly smooth and easy’. We have been very impressed,” he said.

MENTION the concept of retirement and most people think of putting their feet up.

For Doug Turner, however, plans to retire next year simply mean more time to play tennis and bowls. 

Doug and his wife, Glenda, moved into a new three-bedroom Clifton home at Seachange Village Arundel late last year after discovering the array of activities available at the resort.

The pair are already playing tennis at Seachange with fellow residents.

“We’ve made some lovely friends here,” said Mrs Turner. “Doug is still working part-time, but we wanted to find something for him to do when he finishes next year.

“He’s not the type to sit and watch sport on television, but would rather be playing it.

“When we saw the sporting facilities here, we knew it would be good to live at Seachange.” Mrs Turner is a keen participant in activities on offer at Seachange, including the tennis social club, cards, tai chi and cooking classes, while still finding time to pursue activities outside the resort.

Another big plus for the Turners in choosing Seachange was the fact that they love the area. Residents at Smith Street for 33 years and then Parkwood for a further 10, Arundel is close to everything that is familiar to them.

They sold their four-bedroom home, and while it meant downsizing in some respects, the size of their new home has enabled them to keep the furniture they treasured.

“We love our Clifton,” said Mrs Turner. “It’s very open-plan, like our former house, and we love the alfresco area where we spend a lot of our time.”

The Turners have turned their third bedroom into a study.

With a daughter and grandchildren in Victoria, the couple likes the idea of being able to leave their home, knowing it will be cared for, while they visit family.

The Clifton homes are a short walk to 5-Star Country Club facilities and the front of the home faces on to the park street with the double garage accessed via the rear lane mews.

The north-facing sunny courtyards and luxury features that are standard inclusions at Seachange include 2.7m ceilings, two bathrooms, stone benches and ducted air-conditioning make the Clifton homes a popular choice for many.

To view the resort lifestyle visit the Welcome Centre, open daily, or phone and book to join one of the guided tours or a free morning tea.