Home Owners Community News

Every music lover’s dream – a mecca library of vinyls.

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Graeme Howie is a true music lover, amassing an enviable collection of more than 3000 vinyl records over the past 15 years. The act of collecting vinyls can be incredibly personal. For Graeme, he loves collecting boxes of records and treating it like a ‘lucky dip’ and exploring the different genres of music. “When I first started collecting, I used to go to garage sales and pick up boxes of about 100 vinyls for 20 bucks,” said Graeme, who recently bought a brand-new home at Seachange Coomera Riverside with his wife, Sue. “I like everything, but I love the 70’s and 80’s.”

 

Recently, Graeme played lawn bowls with a friend who gifted him 200 records that were sitting in her garage. “I scored Skyhook’s Living in the ’70s & Ego Is Not a Dirty Word. I have wanted those records for ages,” said Graeme, chuffed. “I bought her a bottle of wine, of course, to say thank you.” It wouldn’t be a classic collection without some of the greats such as Abbey Road by the Beatles, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, and even some Boney M.

 

“One of my favourite vinyls is a misprint of AC/DC,” said Graeme. “A misprint has the same songs on both sides; it’s pretty cool.” Graeme is still setting up his collection after moving to Coomera Riverside to be closer to their family. “I want every vinyl to be in alphabetical order. It could take me days. It’s a task that will require a lot of care and attention,” said Graeme.

 

Listening to vinyls on a turntable is a truly timeless experience as it offers a different appreciation for melodies and sounds. “Nothing quite compares; I just love the sound of records,” said Graeme. “I actually have a record player with a USB port, and I can download the vinyls onto that and listen to them in the car, that’s how much I love the sound.”

 

The novelty of owning a record player and throwing on some classics transcends through generations. “I set my niece up with a turntable and a few vinyls, and she thought it was the best thing ever,” said Graeme. “She now has her friends over all the time, and they just listen to the vinyls while drinking wine.” Vinyls don’t go out of style as they have a collectible and nostalgic quality to them, which nowadays is a rarity and something of which Graeme is most proud.

 

If you are fortunate enough to run into Graeme, it’s definitely worth asking to see his incredible collection and getting lost in music history.

 

Roving Twilight Concerts are a hit at Seachange

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It was wonderful to have both Channel 7 News and the Gold Coast Bulletin visit Seachange Arundel on Friday to cover our Roving Twilight Concert.

This was the second event of its kind at Seachange Arundel and a great opportunity for our home owners to come together and enjoy some fun and frivolity while staying safe and practising social distancing.

Talented performers Tracey Leigh and Glenn Shields serenaded our community from the street from 4pm-6pm while home owners kicked up their heels and had a dance.  The festive atmosphere was enhanced by the addition of a “holiday at home” theme with prizes for best dressed and best decorations.  There was some fierce competition amongst our more creative residents…stay tuned for the results.

At Seachange Toowoomba the slight chill in the air didn’t stop the fun as Raquelle Pedler brought her Jazz tunes to the streets for their outdoor concert.

A few of the best dressed…

 

Seachange Home Owners to Safely Commemorate Anzac Day

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There was a wonderful article in the Gold Coast Bulletin today about one of our Home Owners at Seachange Arundel and the plans for Anzac Day at resort this week.

Clive Mitchell-Taylor OAM, a Vietnam Veteran who leads the 12-strong ANZAC Day committee, said they were gearing up for what they hoped would be their largest ANZAC event to date, despite COVID-19.

It will have the key elements of a traditional ANZAC Day service but rather than head to their community’s cenotaph, residents at Seachange Lifestyle Resort will be able to watch a Facebook livestream from the safety of their own living rooms.

“This is the first time we have hosted the event in such a way, however we have a duty to protect our residents and the staff who work here,” said Mr Mitchell-Taylor, who served for 33 years in the Australian Army including a year in Vietnam.

“We have more than 30 veterans in our community and our ongoing mission to publicly acknowledge military service to our nation is stronger than ever during these unprecedented times.”

The special event, beginning at 6.20am on Saturday, will include The Ode, Last Post, a minute’s silence, The Rouse, raising of the Australian National Flag to full mast and the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems. Wreaths will then be laid at the Cenotaph on behalf of the Seachange veterans, the Seachange community and Seachange management. Residents may place their personal floral tributes at the Cenotaph later in the morning.  Seachange have also arranged a coffee van to be available during the morning to enable those who lay tributes to enjoy  a coffee in exchange for a gold coin donation with proceeds going to the Southport RSL.

“Residents are then encouraged to light a candle and stand in their driveways, while our community manager drives a piper around the resort. I believe this will be a special time to remember the fallen and those still serving.”

Seachange Lifestyle Resort Operations Manager Mia Pradella said she was focused on maintaining a sense of community at the resort, with safety of residents at the core.

“The value of living in a safe and supportive community like ours has never been greater,” said Ms Pradella.

“We want our residents to have the best possible lifestyle and continuing to support them with events and activities like this is key.”

Each of the Seachange Resorts has something special planned for Saturday to enable the communities to come together safely commemorate.

Social Media for Beginners

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With the COVID-19 situation limiting the amount of in person contact that people can have, it is important to maintain contact with friends, family and neighbours in safe ways. One popular option is social media. There are many different social media platforms available today, each have their pro and cons. Facebook is one of the more popular alternatives and makes it easy to keep in touch with friends and family.

We understand that Facebook isn’t for everyone and that each individual needs to decide whether or not they think it is right for them. The below links and articles have been provided to help get those who want to join started and to be aware of the best ways to stay safe when using Facebook.

Instructions for getting started on Facebook
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Facebook-Profile

The below are some good links with tips for staying safe on line
https://beconnected.esafety.gov.au/
https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Safe-on-Facebook

If you are on Facebook or are joining, make sure you add yourself to the Seachange Home Owners facebook Group by visiting the below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seachangelifestyleresortscommunity/?source_id=192165557496952

Interested in learning a language?

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Are you heading overseas for a long holiday once the pandemic is all over? Or have you simply always wanted to learn a second language? Maybe you want to impress your friends the next time you order at a fancy restaurant? Did you know that you can learn a lanuage online for free with Duolingo?

Duolingo is the free language education platform selected by Apple as iPhone App of the Year 2013, by Google as Best of the Best for Android 2013, and by TechCrunch as Best Education Startup. It’s no wonder that Duolingo has become the most popular way to learn languages online in only two years. A recent independent study found that when using Duolingo for 34 hours, students learnt the equivalent of one university semester of language instruction.

Better yet why not ask a neighbour to join you in learning a language?  Its a perfect skill to practice over the phone.  Email marketing@pradellaproperty.com.au if you have any tips for learning a language or are looking for another home owner to practice with and we will try to match you up.

 

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.