Lifestyle

Shock Turns To Delight For New Seachangers

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When Michael and Margaret Bowe put the home they had lived in for 48 years on the market they were in for an enormous shock. Thinking their Clifton property would take 12 months to sell, they were astounded when it sold the very next day! Suddenly the rush was on to find a new home, not just for themselves but also for all the belongings that they couldn’t take with them as they downsized to something more manageable.

 

“We were a little bit worried. Our eldest son Anthony joked we could live in his caravan! Luckily, our daughter Sue-Anne knew someone who lived here at Seachange Toowoomba. She brought us here for a visit and it was lovely,” said Margaret, 71. “We found our house straight away, loved it and bought it immediately. We were lucky to find the right one here in Seachange so quickly. “We did try another over 50s community, but we just loved Seachange.”

 

 

The couple moved in June 2021 and have been spending their time taking part in all the resort activities on offer. It was a big change for the Bowes who went from having a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house on two acres to a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a small garden within the over 50s lifestyle resort. Michael, 70, who was one of 14 children and had lived in Clifton for 70 years, initially found the move a bit challenging but quickly made plenty of new friends and is happy and active in the community.

 

“When we first spoke about putting the house on the market, we were not thinking it was going to sell so quickly but when it did, I dug my heels in and said I didn’t want to leave,” Michael said. “But the house sold straight away so we had to do something. We went to some different places to look and then we came to Seachange. The very first thing we noticed was the very friendly staff and how they welcomed us into the office. “I was very nervous at first and it probably took me about four weeks before I started really settling in and I got to know some very friendly people … it’s been great ever since. “I have no regrets and I still go out to Clifton and play golf once a week.”

 

 

Margaret said it had been easy to make new friends and she was thoroughly enjoying taking part in all the activities. “On Mondays it’s bowls, Tuesdays we go to Drayton for line dancing and Michael goes to the gym, Wednesdays there’s singing. On Thursdays Michael plays snooker and I go to line dancing practice, and Fridays there’s other things on. Plus, every second week there’s Friday happy hour at the country club,” she said. “We are really social and keep ourselves busy. We’re certainly not bored and we have seven grandchildren we love spending time with as well. It’s nice to get back to everything after Covid.

 

“And even though we went from having two acres in Clifton with a big garden, I still have my garden here and grow herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and shallots. “We don’t have a single little regret. Even when we are in the Toowoomba township I say ‘let’s just go home to our house’. I love it.”

 

 

 

Dream of Artistic Life Coming True

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School children often dream of growing up to become doctors or nurses, firemen or policemen, truck drivers or pilots. For Fran Harlow it was to become an art teacher. Sometime, however, life gets in the way and when Fran left school she also left art behind. That was until she moved into Seachange Coomera and rediscovered her passion after joining the resort’s art club which meets twice a week.

 

“I’m one of the original members. We’ve all become a lot more experienced than we were initially. Our first coordinator has left but before that he took us on an amazing journey and path experiencing different types of art,” Fran said. “We now have a new coordinator and she’s wonderful and so giving of her time. We are so lucky to have her, and she has a wealth of experience. She’s shown us so much and we are all very grateful.”

 

Fran said it was wonderful to be able to return to the world of art after so many years and she enjoyed expressing herself through creation. “It’s really good to come back and rediscover my passion. We mainly use acrylics and I prefer the Impressionist art style where I might take a tree or person or object and express it in the way that suits my personality,” she said. “I can do something from the heart … If I use a lot of bright colours, that’s how I feel that day. I really love Monet and I started off one painting in that style … and it was woeful but then it ended up quite beautiful. At one stage I put it under the sink in the art room and let all the colours wash off as they were too bright. I subdued the brightness and sponged off some of the colours and it became a very subtle piece and I even surprised myself.”

 

“It was a very enjoyable process. I’m really happy with quite a few of the pieces that I’ve produced.” Fran said the art club classes were now addressing Realism, alongside playing with light in the painting and capturing the nuances it exudes. “You’d be amazed at how the original idea can change so dramatically. You can start off with an idea in mind and that can turn into something that you are not so happy with, or it can change into something entirely different … a joyous piece,” she said.

 

Third Time’s A Charm For Janine

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It was third time lucky for Janine Sheehan when she moved into Seachange Toowoomba in August. Not once, but twice, had she moved in three years trying to find the perfect place to live where peace and quiet were in abundance.

 

Upon parting ways with her husband, the 62-year-old moved into a terraced home in Springfield Lakes but was soon to find the thin walls and over-excited children banging on them all hours of the night made living there rather unpleasant. Janine began looking further afield and after seeing advertisements for Seachange Toowoomba, she attended a morning tea and sales presentation to find out more.

 

“At the time there was just a little building at the front, and they were excavating the grounds, but I was very impressed and put a deposit down,” she said. “However, I did end up changing my mind as my son Jack has autism. He stays with me on weekends and needs room to be able to wander around a bit, so I didn’t feel there was enough space at the time. “Also, I hadn’t settled with his father at that stage, so I wasn’t ready to go ahead.”

 

Janine eventually did settle on a three-bedroom townhouse in Toowoomba’s Wilsonton area but once again found it wasn’t ideal. “It was a lovely unit but when the COVID-19 lockdown hit, the block behind me sold and construction started on a childcare centre. I didn’t realise when I bought there that it was a commercial area – it had just been called a ‘support zone’ so I found myself living next door to dust and dirt for months on end. Then the childcare centre opened from 6am to 6pm …. “And, of course, because of the zoning I realised at any time other blocks could sell and more commercial enterprises be built around me. “It was a stressful time because everything was going up in price so I decided to go and take another look at Seachange Toowoomba.”

 

Janine found at the time there was only one home available ready for immediate occupation and after a viewing “smacked down” a $1000 deposit that same day.
And it was lucky she did as another lady arrived the next day wanting to purchase it. Janine’s Wilsonton townhouse sold for the highest price ever in the suburb and she moved into her new two-bedroom home in August. “When I saw it I thought it was lovely and just what I wanted. It was bigger than the first duplex I had looked at before and had plenty of space for my son to walk around. “I’m very grateful and fortunate it was available as the people who came after me had to wait for building works to be completed. “I love it, the facilities, playing tennis, the heated pool … although I’m so busy I don’t always have the time to enjoy them but when I slow down it will all still be there.”

 

Janine volunteers at the RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre which holds open days once a month. She also takes Jack to special art classes once a week and enjoys gardening at her new home. “I was a bit worried about having a smaller garden, but my numerous plants all did fit into the space beautifully and to my surprise I have enough garden space to plant up more if I wish,” she said. “And it turns out I already knew, indirectly, the next-door neighbour while on the other side are friends of my old neighbours. “People really make you feel comfortable here. You have all the facilities for a quality lifestyle, a safe gated estate and a community who is happy to get to know my son when he is here.”

 

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

 

 

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.”