Terence Moyana

Water Workouts For Fun & Fitness

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A healthy lifestyle is one of the key pillars of community life at Seachange Riverside Coomera. Community manager Lynn Wild, who is also an experienced swimming teacher, said getting into aqua aerobics was a great way for over 50s to keep fit, and a fabulous way to meet others. “Any exercise you do in water is the equivalent of six times of doing it on land,” said Lynn. “It is also better from a safety point of view. For example, running on the spot using water resistance is a lot less hard on your joints, your knees, your thighs and hips than being on a hard surface on land.

 

 

“If you stand on one leg in slightly deep water, for instance, you can lift one leg up in front of you horizontally and then push it back behind you – the resistance is working your bottom and leg muscles six times what it would be if you were doing it on dry land. “Any activities like this in water are brilliant. The exercise is more amplified because of the resistance the water gives you.”

 

 

Lynn said Seachange Coomera had two pools for its residents to use – a 16m solar heated lap pool at the River House and a heated resort pool attached to the five-star Country Club. The resort also has a sauna, steam room and heated spa as well as a fully-equipped gymnasium, treatment room, lawn bowls green, bocce lawn and twin pickle ball courts. Aqua aerobics classes, led by a specialist instructor, will begin in October and continue through Summer at the River House pool.

 

 

Benefits of Water Aerobics and Arm Curls:

  • – Water supports the body, reducing stress on joints and muscles, particularly for those who have had injuries
  • – A fun activity that is not limited to any age group or skill level
  • – Increases flexibility and can help heart and lung function
  • – Builds strength with gentle resistance from the water
  • – Helps with balance and reduces the risk of injury from falls
  • – Provides a sense of well-being and accomplishment

 

 

Bright Outlook For Three Lovely Ladies

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Residents of Seachange Toowoomba may have thought they’d had one too many at the resort’s Happy Hour recently when they began to see triple! But, in fact, it was the resort’s three resident Outlook Girls – Chris Horne, Tracy Pukalis and Marilyn Schefe – who, thanks to a strange coincidence, were all wearing the same yellow top from designer TS (which stands for Taking Shape). The Outlook Girls earned their name because the three ladies reside side-by-side at the resort in Numbers 1, 2 and 3 on The Outlook.

 

While Marilyn was the first of the ladies to move into the resort, as soon as she met Chris (the second to do so) they discovered they both shared the same yellow shirt. Not long after, neighbour Tracy moved in and a day later was also spied wearing the same top … and the three realised they were on to something. “The following week we decided to all wear it to Happy Hour and everyone thought it was a new uniform,” Chris said. “Unfortunately, the weather turned too cold to make it a regular thing but once it warms up, we plan to all wear it again. “The funny thing is two of our husbands also have the same shirt, so we might have to get all three men involved in the fun. “And because it’s been winter, we really haven’t had a chance to explore each other’s wardrobes but there’s a good chance we might all have other tops the same as we all like the TS brand. They have nice, bright wearable clothes and we get lots of compliments on them.”

 

Chris said the Outlook Girls enjoy being involved in the many activities the resort has to offer including Trivia, Qigong classes, fundraising activities, singing, craft activities, bowls and lunches, and there’s a good chance the shirts will come in handy to create a nice team atmosphere for competitions. “It’s great living there. There’s always something on – that’s the beauty of this place. You are never bored so you can either do as much as you like or not do anything at all. I love it. “And as it’s a relatively young resort there’s people moving in every week so there’s always some new to meet.”

 

 

Sharks In The Pool at Seachange Arundel

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There have been a few “sharks” spotted at Seachange Arundel recently as the resort’s Mixed Doubles Pool Comp stirs the waters. Organiser Kevin Moran said until he moved into the resort, with wife Maureen, two weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown, he could count on one hand the number of times he had played either Pool or Snooker. “We managed to get two ‘Friday night drinks’ in before everything closed but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the management at Seachange encouraged residents to start Street Trivia and through that we met a great group of people who have quickly become firm friends,” he said. “It was this group that Maureen and I asked if they would be interested in playing a mixed pair pool competition. Most of the men had some experience playing pool, but most women not at all. “However, we felt that this would be an advantage because we didn’t want it to be serious. And believe me, serious it is not!

 

“One of the great things about Seachange Arundel, and there are many great things, is that you can choose what activities you would like to participate in.” The first competition was held on a Thursday evening in the resort’s prestigious Club House using its two half-size snooker tables as well as one full-sized one. On the first evening, 14 teams picked up sticks to fire some canons around the table. Since then, four competitions have been held and they are scheduled for about every six weeks. “That first night was great and we had lots of laughs at the antics of the less experienced and lots of ‘coaching’ from those who thought they knew how to play,” he said. “Now Maureen and I have really got into snooker. We play at least five times a week, plus we also play pool between ourselves and others outside of the comp. Our skills are constantly improving, and this makes it a very satisfying game.

 

 

“Maureen and I supply the prize and cup and we spend up big … the chocolates cost $5, and the cup is $1.” Mr Moran said since the couple had been living at Seachange Arundel they had thrown themselves into all the activities available including aqua aerobics, yoga, meditation, lawn bowls, Friday night social gatherings and more. “That’s one of the great things about living at Seachange … all the activities we have either never done, or never had time for, are available,” he said. “We really love living at Seachange Arundel. We wanted to buy into a community, and we have done that in spades. You can live many years in a suburban street and hardly get to know your neighbours, whereas here you become part of the community and meet new people very quickly.”

 

 

Get In Line with Barb

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Move over Billy Ray Cyrus – the best line dancers around can be found at Seachange Arundel, with homeowner Barb Bos leading the moves.
When the ultra-catchy tune ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ led to a line dancing craze in the 1990s, Barb was one of the millions who immediately enjoyed the structured style.
Now with over 30 years of dance experience, Barb shares her steps with others and has been teaching line dancing for the past 11 years.

 

“We have wonderful classes with amazing groups that just make everyone feel welcome. It’s a brilliant way to exercise while having fun and being social,” Barb said. Standing in spaced out rows, line dancers all step out the same foot sequence along to a musical beat and practice to be in sync with each other to execute it as a group dance. “We dance to all styles of music. One of the latest additions is ‘Brings you Happiness’ sung by Dolly Parton, but ‘Geronimno’ is still a favourite with the Beginner Class,” she said. With 75 participants currently enrolled across the various levels of classes offered, there is one for every skill level, from Step Training right through to Improver. It is important to learn the basic steps when starting so you can follow any teacher.

 

“Many of our residents are planning to head away in their caravans, and after their time away they often feel it easier to slip into the beginner class to get back into it. If you want to attend the next level of classes, you need to attend on a regular basis.” Barb said she was delighted that fellow Seachange Arundel homeowner Ilja Smith was now able to conduct ‘The Ultra Beginner Class’ while another local Katrina Beer had taken on ‘The Improver Practice Session’. “The numbers continue to grow! People specifically ask the Seachange Welcoming Committee if we have line dancing – it has become very popular,” she said. Currently there are 22 people attending ‘The Ultra Beginner’ classes, 39 at ‘The High Beginner’ and 18 at the ‘Improver’ classes.

 

Line dancing has also taken off at Seachange Riverside Coomera, according to Community Manager Lynn Wild. “Our homeowners are really enjoying the two-hour class and find it great for fitness and making new friends.”

 

 

Ocean Inspires Creative Seachange Community

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The tentacles of fun and fabric have spread throughout Seachange Toowoomba as the lifestyle resort readied for the city’s biggest event of the year, the annual Carnival of Flowers. Fingers have been busy knitting and knotting as the resort’s crafty ladies enjoyed creating a colourful display to showcase the gated over 50s community during what is the longest running floral event of its kind in Australia.

 

 

Craft group co-ordinator Anne Thessman said the group had worked hard to create an Octopus Garden at the front of the resort, all centred around a large bottle tree. “We wrapped the bottle tree in blue fabric which we tie-dyed to create cream circles and we also added eyes and turned the branches into tentacles,” Anne said. “The garden underneath has been filled with dozens of fish, shark fins and jellyfish all knitted in bright coloured wool. We also had a mermaid sitting next to a treasure chest.

 

 

“There’s about half a dozen of us in the craft group and we really wanted a project to get stuck into for the Carnival of Flowers that was also a lot of fun to put together.” She said the group set up the display in the first week of September to coincide with the carnival and also took part in helping create a special float for the Grand Central Floral Parade on September 18 alongside the resort’s gardening club. When the craft group was not busy preparing for the carnival, they were knitting beanies and scarves to help charities throughout the chilly Toowoomba winter.

 

 

Dream Holiday Turns Into Dream Life for Evans Couple

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A two-week holiday in a historic homestead has led to a new life for Lyn and Bryan Evans who in May made the move from Tuncurry to Seachange Riverside Coomera. It was 2017 when the couple, who were travelling around Australia, came to the Gold Coast to visit their son and his family, staying in an Airbnb on the grounds of what was to become the five-star over 50s resort.

 

“We stayed in the original homestead on the property. It was a beautiful old home and the homestead was absolutely stunning,” Lyn said. “It was while we were staying here that we found out about Seachange Riverside Coomera. At the time we were living in an over 50s community in Tuncurry and we really enjoyed the lifestyle, so we made the decision to move here to be closer to family. “It was obviously meant to be.”

 

 

The couple have been living in the resort since May although the move had been planned for earlier. “We were living in the Foster region and because of the bush fires we had to be evacuated and it made it very difficult to sell. Then there was the COVID-19 lockdown and we couldn’t have people through our home to view it,” she said. “After that we had a contract on our house but that was subject to the sale of their house and they couldn’t sell. It was one thing after the other, but we finally were able to move here in May and we absolutely love it. We are very happy here … everything is lovely, the people are lovely.”

 

“We really enjoyed the eight years we spent in the over 50s village in Tuncurry and that’s why we chose here. “And it’s a newer development. There’s not many places where you have so many facilities … two swimming pools, a gym, tennis courts, the Coomera river … the list goes on. “You can do everything and nothing.”

 

 

Lyn said she was particularly delighted to find the builders had used as much of the original homestead in the design and layout of the resort. “They’ve used whatever they can in the work here including stonework, rocks, timber, the brickwork in the driveway and in the River House. You can see it everywhere you look. “Even the billiards table in the River House is from the original homestead. I’m so glad they have used everything they could – it really means something.” Lyn said her favourite place was the River House and she likes nothing better than whiling away the days there looking out at the river.

 

 

“This is such a lovely resort and the area is away from hustle and bustle. There’s no traffic screaming past because it’s a dead end street. It is a really well-thought-out design. “And even when you are in lockdown it doesn’t feel like it because you can sit on the jetty and look out and watch the world go by.”