Arundel

Cr John Wayne & Cr Margaret Grummitt help out with tree planting at Seachange

 

TWO Gold Coast City councillors have praised the developers of an Arundel over 50s residential resort for their civic mindedness in rehabilitating a large area of creek-front land bordering their property.

Seachange Village Arundel on Napper Road has spent more than $100,000 clearing heavy weed infestation and planting more than 5,000 native trees and shrubs to help bring back native birds and other fauna to the 1.5 acres of land.

Councillors, John Wayne and Margaret Grummitt got down and dirty with Seachange village residents, executives and landscaping staff last week to help complete the planting.

Cr Wayne said he would love to see more developers `put this sort of effort in’. “Not enough of this sort of thing is done,” he said.

Cr Grummitt said it was `very rare’ that private enterprise was so `spot on’ in its approach to ensuring healthy waterways.

“You can recognise the health of a suburb by its bird-life, and they in turn need trees, nectar and clean water to thrive,” she said.

“What Seachange has done is a lot of hard work and I commend them for their leadership.”

Seachange landscape manager Peter Lenaghan said the creek and the adjoining lake assisted water absorption and drainage for the local area during heavy rain, and would become a bird `hotspot’ as it was one of the few water bodies left in the area.

“Residents will be able to watch this area grow more beautiful over the years,” he said.
Seachange Village, which will eventually have 395 homes, has a strong environmental focus, collecting all its stormwater and rainwater in a bio retention zone where it is filtered and cleaned before being stored in two million-litre tanks to irrigate the resort’s tropical gardens.

Seachange Village will hand over ownership of the rehabilitated creek front land to council later in the year.

Last week’s planting was also attended by members of the Moncrieff U3A (University of The Third Age) which has set up Australia’s first external U3A campus at Seachange with a range of learning for pleasure courses on offer.

IN what is believed to be an Australian first, the magnificent new 5-Star Country Club at Seachange Village Arundel now hosts the Moncrieff campus for the University of the Third Age (U3A). 

The arrangement, which sees a range of `learning for pleasure’ courses offered at the over-50s luxury residential resort, has been hailed as a win-win situation for both Seachange residents and U3A members.

According to Seachange community manager Carmen Auer, who brokered the partnership, courses on offer include art, mah-jong, Mexican studies, origami, armchair travel, appreciation of musicals, a discussion group, book club and a weekly jazz jam.

Two of the courses are being taught by Seachange residents.
Planning is underway for water aerobics and yoga to start later in the year.
U3A was founded in France in 1972 and the concept of a self-help community organisation working to improve the quality of life for people in their `third age’, quickly spread around the world.

It arrived in Australia in 1984 and took off on the Gold Coast not long after, thriving as today’s over-50s become more determined to stay active and involved.

Dedicated volunteer tutors giving freely of their time and knowledge have been the mainstay of the movement’s success.

The Seachange Village campus has been set up as part of Moncrieff U3A, which services the northern end of the Gold Coast. It has around 360 members and offers more than 31 different courses from headquarters in Billington Street, Labrador.
Moncrieff U3A president Sue Spicer said the new link with Seachange Village was both groundbreaking and exciting.

“The 5-Star Country Club is the most wonderful building, with incredible facilities that have been designed specifically for a wide range of leisure, craft and learning activities.

“The relationship that has been set up with Seachange really is of great mutual benefit.”
Seachange development manager Philip Goodman said the U3A partnership was a great opportunity for Seachange residents to undertake courses in their own country club.

“The Seachange philosophy has always been for the village not to sit in isolation, but to be part of the wider community,” he said.
“It is great this new link with U3A will enable its members to appreciate the facilities we have created here and to observe the wonderful lifestyle our residents enjoy.”

CHAMPION lawn bowler Keith Donaldson has led an interesting life…and it’s about to become even more so. 
The semi-professional champion bowler has been asked to found the new bowls club at the over 50’s lifestyle resort Seachange Village Arundel.
With 25 years’ experience and a swag of trophies to his name, Mr Donaldson, 61, will also be available to coach residents in the sport, from learners to experienced players.
While players can be assured of some patient, competent and top-line advice from Mr Donaldson, he’ll also be good company in the bar afterwards. This man has yarns aplenty to tell.
In the 1970’s Mr Donaldson, was a champion professional rodeo rider, and in later years fitted a two-year stint training race horses in Thailand into his busy life. He’s also been a champion greyhound trainer.
But, it is bowls that takes up most of his time now and it’s a passion he’s keen to pass on.
Mr Donaldson said he was `blown away’ by the facilities at the just-opened residents’ 5-Star Country Club at Seachange, the beautiful houses, and the whole lifestyle at the resort.
“It’s definitely the way of the future, secure, affordable living where you can spend your time pursuing your passions,” said Mr Donaldson who was stoked to be asked to be the face of bowls at Seachange.
Mr Donaldson said anyone could learn to play bowls and he would have beginners playing pennants in six months.
“Bowls is all about technique and delivery,” he said.
“You don’t need to be physically strong, just able to relax, relate and follow simple rules.”
Mr Donaldson, who won the Queensland Professional Bowls Association finals last year, and who made the quarter finals of the Queensland Open, said bowls was increasingly becoming a younger person’s sport.
“Most of the top players are in the 30 years age group these days, but for more mature players it is a great way to stay fit and flexible,” he said.
“When I meet rodeo riders who were around with me 30 years ago I can see how much bowls has helped keep me active and healthy.”
Mr Donaldson said bowls was also a great source of social interaction and the developers of Seachange had thought of everything when setting up the bowling greens and club room.
Mr Donaldson said whether a beginner or an accomplished player, a professional could pass on valuable tips to improve play.
“It’s going to be great helping to get bowls going at Seachange and I suspect it won’t be long before our own members are competing against other over 50’s resort clubs.
“The great benefit of living in a resort like Seachange is that you could practice your bowls every day.”

WHEN artist Glenda Hadfield was researching beaches to inspire the painting she had been commissioned to create for the Seachange Village Arundel 5-Star Country Club she looked around the world. 
“I looked at all the other fabulous beaches like the Seychelles, Brazil and the Greek Islands,” she said.

“But I quickly realised I could not better what we have in our city. Our beaches are so unique and we are so privileged to live here.

“I truly believe there is no other spot like this on the planet, yet as locals we often take it for granted.”

Amazingly, once she had completed her research, Ms Hadfield’s stunning Seachange triptych took the accomplished artist only a week to complete.

The 3.6 metres by 2.5 metres acrylic painting is the first thing visitors see when they enter the foyer of the 5-Star Country Club and is destined to be a huge talking point.

“I wanted to capture the essence, mood aura and identity of the whole concept of a sea-change,” said Ms Hadfield.
“It has been a delight and a privilege to contribute to this project, which is trailblazing a lifestyle for the over 50’s.
“I completely understand that this is a group that no longer has the ‘blue rinse’ mentality of the past and wants to stay active and involved. All power to them.”

Ms Hadfield, who moved to the Gold Coast from Christchurch, New Zealand in 1997, said she grew up surrounded by art.
“My mother was an artist and she drew for me like other mothers read to their children” she said.

An experienced teacher who has taught art in schools, she now runs small classes for adults as well as completing numerous corporate commissions with fellow artist Matthew Schwugier.

Ms Hadfield said she was absolutely delighted when Seachange management asked her to offer art classes to residents.
“I have a unique way of teaching and I can teach anyone to paint,” she said.

” I can guarantee people can paint in a photo realist way in just three months. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is and what a wonderful escape it is.”