Riverside Coomera

A Seachange change is as good as a holiday

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You know you are doing something right when your buyers love the Seachange lifestyle so much they move from one resort to another. That’s exactly what Matty and David Flavel did when they moved from Seachange Emerald Lakes, where they had lived for two-and-a-half years, to Seachange Riverside Coomera. “We were drawn to the community at Emerald Lakes and all it had to offer but then we decided Coomera was for us in terms of the more rural-like setting, as opposed to the Lakes’ more cosmopolitan one,” Matty said.

 

And while they’ve now also been living in Coomera for two-and-a-half years, it doesn’t mean they will be going anywhere else any time soon. “No, we’re not planning on another move … this is it … we like it here too much,” David said. One of the main drawcards, according to Matty, was the thriving community literally on the doorstep and especially having people they can rely on and friends they can relax with. “The concept and the facilities are fantastic. We love the lifestyle, that it’s on the river and it offers an incredibly quiet, country-style life,” she said. “It was the country atmosphere that really drew us here because it is like a rural setting but so close to everything still. We love it.”

 

 

The couple have been making the most of Riverside Coomera’s facilities with David regularly lawn bowling and playing bocce while Matty enjoys line dancing and arts and crafts. They also enjoy swimming in the village’s two pools, walking around the nearby Coomera Lakes, trivia nights and dinners out with their new group of friends. In addition, they are able to have solar power at Coomera and now never receive an electricity bill. In fact, they are actually owed money!

 

“We really enjoyed living at Emerald Lakes. It was a different atmosphere than here, a different neighbourhood feel,” Matty said. “It’s got a much more rural feel here – it’s like the city vs country. We loved Emerald Lakes – in fact, David still plays golf there – but we also love it here and we won’t be moving again.”

 

What is Pickleball?

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A perfect sport for all ages, pickleball is beginning to make its mark in Australia. It’s truly the ideal for summertime – a combination of badminton, tennis and racquetball.

 

US Congressman, Joel Pritchard, invented pickleball in 1965. After returning from a round of golf, he and a group of friends couldn’t find the equipment to play badminton, so they fashioned some paddles and found a whiffle ball, with that, pickleball was born. And how did it get its name? Legend has it Joel Pritchard’s family dog, Pickles wouldn’t stop chasing the ball and running away with it!

 

Pradella Property Ventures’ Mia Pradella feels as though pickleball was the perfect sport to be added to the variety of options available to residents at Seachange Upper Coomera. “We wanted something both unique and inclusive for the residents at Seachange Upper Coomera and pickleball was the obvious choice.” “Pickleball enables players of all ages to play against each other and stay competitive,” said Ms Pradella.

 

Played on a court roughly one-third the size of a badminton court, pickleball uses a modified tennis-style net, wooden or graphite paddles and a lightweight plastic ball. Not only is it easy to learn, it can also be played at any age. While many of the other popular racquet sports require speed and power, pickleball relies more on finesse. This makes it the ideal outdoor sport for those living in over 50’s villages. Pickleball is a great game to play with a group of friends and also provides fantastic all-round fitness. It exercises all of the major muscle groups and can help improve mobility, balance and agility.

 

So whether you’re a longtime player or a complete novice, call a friend and meet them at the pickleball court. Game on!

 

 

The Rules of Pickleball 

  • The rules of pickleball are similar to tennis or badminton
  • Similar to badminton, you can only score while serving
  • Each game is first to 11, winning by 2
  • The ball must be hit 3 times before it can be volleyed
  • You cannot volley the ball while standing in the area closest to the net
  • All players must serve underarm

 

 

 

Celebrations a breeze for Sue

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What better way to celebrate turning 60 than to have a retro fancy dress party harking from the days of mini-skirts, paisley, flares and beehives? Sue Howie did just that when she booked the Country Club at Seachange Riverside Coomera for 40 guests. “When you’re born in the ’60s and grew up in the ’70s, it seems appropriate to do a ’60s and ’70s fancy dress party,” Sue says. “About 99 per cent of the guests were dressed up, which was a great conversation starter, and we put together our own ’60s and ’70s music list and played it through the clubhouse speakers.”

 

The party was made even more special by the presence of both Sue’s sisters, Ann and Ros. Ann travelled more than 1000km from Mollymook, in NSW, to pay a surprise visit while Ros merely had to stroll down the road to get there. “When Graeme and I were looking to buy into Seachange Riverside Coomera in January last year, Ros was actually paying us a visit while she was holidays from Leeton in NSW,” Sue said. “She came with us to help us make up our minds whether we should buy. Then two days later her daughter Bridget, who lives in Lismore, also wanted to have a look and it was her who suggested Ros could be really happy here too. “We moved here in June and Ros bought a place four houses down from us and moved here in November. Now we see each other every day and we go for walks or swims together. There’s not a day goes by we don’t see each other.”

 

Sue Howie (middle) with her sister Ros (left) and Ann (right)

 

Residents at Seachange are encouraged to use all of the facilities on offer, and have the opportunity to book spaces like the Country Club for private functions. Sue’s husband Graeme took care of catering, starting in the morning and using the clubhouse facilities to pull party treats together. “We borrowed crock pots from all our neighbours and put pulled pork in them and left them to slow cook all day serving them with tortilla wraps and coleslaw and we also cooked roast beef which we served with bread rolls and gravy. It was perfect,” she says. “The country club has awesome kitchen facilities and it made it so easy to hold a fabulous event. What’s more, we even used the Country Club fridges to keep all the drinks at the perfect temperature. “Most people were outside because it was so lovely and we also played barefoot bowls, which was awesome. It really is a great venue for a party.”

 

Meet our new sales Consultant at Riverside Coomera – Rhonda Frisoli

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While it is true that Seachange Riverside Coomera’s new sales consultant Rhonda Frisoli has big shoes to fill with the departure of Susan King, she is more than up to the job. Rhonda has worked in the industry for more than 10 years and has a real passion and understanding of it. “I love the industry, the concept and the people,” she said. “This site at Seachange Riverside Coomera is amazing. It’s very special with facilities that are world standard. I like the boutique community. “The presentation at Seachange is outstanding. You can see in the construction of the homes there is real pride with a lot of thought and forward-thinking in the designs.”

 

 

Rhonda said upon completion of development, the resort would have a total of 124 homes, of which 70 were already sold. There are currently 110 residents. “I’ve only been here a short time and I feel like I’ve been here forever. I’ve been so warmly welcomed. Everyone has a story and it’s been great hearing them and meeting new people,” she said. Since arriving, Rhonda’s days have been jam-packed with enquiries and she’s thriving on the fast pace and challenges of her new role. She said she was looking forward to meeting plenty of current residents as well as assisting prospective ones into their new homes.

 

Seachange Puts Your Future First

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Future proofing homes and ensuring they can be adapted to suit the differing needs of residents has always been a key focus for the creators of Seachange Lifestyle Resorts. Pradella Property Ventures’ Mia Pradella said all Seachange homes were designed and constructed using liveable housing design principles. “We understand that the needs of over 50s change over time so have been focused on ensuring our homes are designed without the need for customisation and remodelling,” said Ms Pradella. “For example, some of our design features include ease of access, hob less showers, step free pathways and bathrooms fitted with grab rails. These core features have future proofed our residents’ homes.”

 

Seachange Riverside Coomera resident Carol Todd has a lift installed in her house. “We were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a house here at Seachange that has been adapted toward the needs of my husband and myself,” said Mrs Todd. “It was a deciding factor in making the decision to move to Seachange and we couldn’t be happier.”

 

 

The homes at Seachange Lifestyle Resorts are created in a way to help provide peace of mind for whatever the future may hold, and allow residents to live independently and safely.

 

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.