Arundel

First Driveway Trivia Nights held at Seachange

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As the world changes our Seachange Home Owners and Community Managers are getting creative and finding new ways to enjoy the activities that they would usually participate in. Whilst the current situation with COVID-19 is affecting everyone, it is heart warming to see our communities embracing new ways to stay connected and support each other during this challenging time.

This week saw the first rounds of driveway trivia held at our Arundel, Coomera and Toowoomba Resorts and by all reports were a resounding success. Care was taken to abide by current social distancing guidelines and our home owners showed that they can still have a great time and share a laugh from a safe distance.

 

 

 

How Seachange are responding to the COVID-19 situation

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As the global Coronavirus (COVID- 19) situation continues to evolve, we at Seachange are continually assessing how we can best operate with the well being of our home owners, staff and prospective purchasers as our absolute priority.

The below are the additional measures that we have put in place in line with the advice provided by the Australian Government.

  • We have increased our sanitation procedures in all of our resorts and increased our cleaning regimes.
  • We have temporarily closed our recreational facilities to ensure the safety of all home owners.
  • Our Staff are working from home where possible.
  • We are ensuring that all visitors, trades, prospective purchasers and contractors confirm in writing that they comply with current guidelines and sign in before being allowed entry to the resort.
  • Prospective purchasers visiting our resorts are invited to do so by private appointment with our sales team who are taking additional measures to ensure adherence with social distancing guide lines including supplying gloves, hand sanitiser and masks.
  • Our Operations staff have completed online certification in Infection Control training.
  • We are working closely with our Home Owners Committees to assess the best ways to support our communities through this time.
  • We are reaching out to home owners that are in isolation to provide assistance with accessing essential supplies

At Seachange we believe in building communities of like-minded people, not just houses. In these times of uncertainty, community is of more importance than ever and we will continue to look at the best ways to support our home owners through this time. Thank you for considering joining one of our Seachange resorts and we look forward to welcoming you for a personal tour in the near future.

Another Award for Pradella Property Ventures!

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We are extremely proud of 2019 UDIA Women in Leadership Winner and Pradella Property Ventures Chief Financial Officer Elaine Opferkuch who was recently featured in Establish Magazine.

Read the full article by Nadia Howland below…

For Elaine Opferkuch, hearing the words “You can’t” is like waving a red flag at a bull.
“My biggest achievements career-wise have been the ones that started out as the biggest challenges,” she says.

“When I started at Pradella, I was advised by many that funding the 414-lot Seachange Arundel project in the middle of the GFC was impossible. Well, those were the wrong words to the wrong person! Certainly, I had my fair share of unsuccessful attempts where the answer was ‘we are not funding SEQ’ or the amount offered was insufficient. But I ended up securing funding with a bank that believed in us and our ability to deliver. We kept our word, we delivered as promised, and they are one of our current funding pillars.”

Dogged, driven, and determined to stick to her word no matter what these are attributes that have seen Elaine achieve the unachievable time, and time again, throughout her career.  “My father owned a caravan park when I was growing up, so I saw him develop it from the ground up into a thriving community. I’m also a renovator myself, so I think these practical traits have given me the ability to sit at the boardroom table and negotiate pricing and terms based on actual experience,” she explains.

Elaine’s career has encompassed stints with various building and development companies, fixing their accounting and finance departments and managing tight cashflow and bank negotiations while facing financial obstacles. The diverse scope of work gave her an in-depth understanding of all facets of the development and building industry.

“Many of these firms had outdated accounting systems requiring replacement and implementation. The job costing and estimating wouldn’t integrate with general ledger, and cashflow and budgeting required management. I assessed the problems, implemented the solution and managed the outcome, and only when problems converted to maintaining the system would I move on to the next challenge,” Elaine says.

“After working for Berela, where we were taken over by another development company, I thought I would try something different to see if my skills could be transferable to another industry.

“I took up a position at Ipswich Grammar School as Secretary to the Board and Commercial Manager. The school was going through a rough cashflow patch. It took three years to turn it around. I was able to negotiate a $4 million grant from the Federal Government via utilising changes in school categorisation policy (being innovative), which brought money into the school’s operational account. For the building fund, I initiated and had approval to do a greenfield development at Brassall

whereby I project managed the development, which proved successful. I negotiated a grant and external funding to build the new junior school building and complex and bought and sold houses-all bringing money into the building fund. Happy days!”
Adding to her impressive track record, Elaine has also been a financial controller, secretary to the board of public, private and not-for-profit organisations and CFO for both public and private entities.

She has been Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Pradella Property Ventures (PPV) Board for more than 10 years, and says she works with an amazing team and workplace culture. “It’s great being part of the history of the organisation and its decision-making processes,” Elaine says.

“Above everything, Pradella is a positive influence in this industry, being innovative and a role model for other development firms. Lenders know we are 100 percent true to our word and will deliver what we promise every single time. Customers know we will go above and beyond to listen to their needs and deliver community-driven outcomes.”
Asked what winning the 2019 Women in Leadership Award means to her, Elaine says the recognition has encouraged her to use her experience and voice to inspire and encourage young people, particularly women, to see the importance in “behind the scenes roles” and give back to the building and construction industry.

“Often, finance and accounting teams sit in the shadows in our industry,” Elaine says.
“But without us, these projects wouldn’t get off the ground. I want this Award to inspire other women to keep pressing forward being the best they can be. You have a voice and you should feel valued. It has built my confidence not only knowing my contribution matters but that others also believe in me too.

Elaine has sage advice for those starting out in development or looking to pursue a career in the industry: “To be successful, I believe you need to be true to your own core values and have passion in what you do,” she explains.

“My core values are honesty, integrity, professionalism, and respect. Understand your own values and stay true to them. Be keen to learn and listen. And remember, leadership is less about yourself and more about the people around you. When we genuinely care about the wellbeing of people around us in business and life, amazing things happen. The more you invest in them, the more they invest in you.”

 

Seachange Arundel home owner Dorothy Hodder is off to the World Ballroom Championships

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Seachange Arundel Resident Dorothy Hodder was featured on the front page of the Gold Coast Bulletin recently as she prepares to compete to in the World Ballroom Championships in Britain in May.  Congratulations to Dorothy,  she is an inspiration and we are lucky to have her as a part of our Seachange Community.

Full article from the Gold Coast Bulletin below:

AN 80-year-old dancer discovered by a former Dancing With The Stars judge is on her way to competing in the World Ballroom Championships in Britain in May.

And Dorothy Hodder is totally unfazed by what lies ahead.

“It doesn’t matter if I come last,” she said. “At least I will have danced with some stars and I will love the experience of being on that dance floor.

“I am not all nervous.”

To make Mrs Hodder’s entry even more impressive, she will be competing in a glamorous ball gown made entirely by herself.

“It’s hot pink with silver lace and covered in Swarovski crystals,” she said.

“I’ve already spent two weeks working on it and it will take me another couple of weeks to finish it.”

The grandmother of three – who last danced in her twenties in New Zealand – was discovered by dance judge Mark Wilson, a five-times Australian dance champion and Dancing With the Stars judge from 2004-2010.

She and her husband Thomas had moved from Christchurch to the Gold Coast in 2013.

The couple settled at Seachange Arundel but two years later and after nearly 54 years of marriage, Mr Hodder passed away.

“A neighbour asked if I would be interested in doing ballroom dancing,” Mrs Hodder said.

“She had no idea I had done it before and we went to a class with Mark Wilson, who was a judge on Dancing With The Stars.

“I made sure I stayed right at the back of the class, but half way though it Mark came over to me and asked me to dance with him.

“He said I hadn’t lost it – even though I hadn’t danced for 50 years. That’s a long time.”

Mr Wilson encouraged Mrs Hodder to dance in competitions again and put her in touch with professional dancer Daniel Buckley, who at 32, is nearly 50 years younger than her.

Last year, the pair won a competition at Toowoomba and they are now practising four times a week in preparation for the over-71 age group at the world champs.

“I also go to the gym twice a week,” she said.

Mrs Hodder is no newcomer to dance, having done ballet and tap as a child and then ballroom dancing from the age of 15.

She and her dance partner Brian Jones went on to become New Zealand ballroom and Latin American dance champions, representing their country and competing in Australia.

“I retired at the age of 28 and I hadn’t dance since.”

Mr Wilson was effusive in his praise of Mrs Hodder: “She’s a most inspirational woman – she’s been a good businesswoman, looked after her family and has a great sense of humour.

“She has a never-say-die approach to life and we’re blessed to have her in our lives.

“She has huge talent – you don’t go to the world champs if you don’t have it.”

Dorothy Hodder, far left, with friends Valarie Maudsley, Caroline Wood and Rebecca Mudgway Photo: Regina King.

 

Practising Yoga at Seachange

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One of the benefits of making the move to a Seachange Lifestyle Resort is the ability to join in the program of activities and events on offer.  An activity that that is popular with home owners at all Seachange Resorts is Yoga.  The list of benefits of yoga for over 50s is nearly endless.  Practising yoga regularly can improve balance, moderate pain, increase flexibility and even improve sleep quality and fight depression.

Not quite convinced? Here are some of the other benefits of practising yoga for over 50s

It’s low impact

Many fitness experts recommend low impact workouts for the over 50s because in general these exercises put less strain on joints and bones. Yoga is a great example of a low impact workout – it’s gentle enough but still offers some cardio and lots of excellent resistance training and stretching to help build and improve muscle tone.

It can improve your range of motion

Practising yoga just a few times a week can improve your flexibility and range of motion, something that’s particularly important as we get older. Our range of motion naturally declines as we age and carries the risk of greater injury from falls and can get in the way of daily life.

Yoga is a great antidote to that; regular stretching will help improve spinal flexibility and prevent falls by working on your balance – with each class you will be strengthening your lower body, particularly ankles and knees.

It combats arthritis pain

Yoga is an excellent exercise for arthritis sufferers because it promotes strength and flexibility but is still gentle at the same time. Research even suggests it can reduce pain and mobility problems in people with knee osteoarthritis.

 It’s for body and for mind

Exercise of any kind can help improve your sleep quality and relieve stress, and this is especially true of yoga – the practice itself is as much about the body as the mind, and through breathing techniques and meditation, practising yoga can help you deal with stress and anxiety in the process.

Images Below:  Home Owners Practising Yoga at Seachange Lifestyle Resorts Emerald Lakes at a Yoga workshop January 2020.

 

 

Seachange Riverside Coomera, Downsize to Luxury

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More than half the homes in an over 50s riverfront community at Coomera have now sold as downsizers look to their future and embrace an environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Seachange Riverside Coomera is a boutique development of 124 homes set on more than 6ha on the Coomera River.

Marketed as a “Lifestyle Resort” it offers a variety of home designs along with community facilities including a River House recreational centre, a newly completed Country Club, pools, a bowling green and an art studio.

Seachange Riverside Coomera is the third over 50s resort to be developed by Pradella Property Ventures and sales director Alex McMahon said it was designed to offer a sustainable active lifestyle.

The properties include premium finishes, high-end appliances and range in size from 140sqm to 235sqm.

Mr McMahon said the site featured green space on three sides, views to Mt Tamborine and a 20m environmental zone along the river.

The master-planned community also incorporated environmental features such as solar power, natural materials, water retention and landscaping.  “What this demographic wants is good quality homes in a pristine location, and if you can build a sustainable development you reduce the cost of living for residents in the future.” Mr McMahon said.

He said buyers now had a greater understanding of the difference between over 50s communities and retirement villages.

“When we started in the industry 10 years ago we had to educate people, but now a new wave of buyer is coming through.  Where once residents tended to be over 70, our youngest is 53”