What a cracker

Serial movers find their forever home

After moving 23 times in 20 years across a number of countries, Yvonne and Chris Henry have found their forever home.

“This is the best move we’ve ever done,” Yvonne said from her Halcyon Waters home in Hope Island. “We love it here, we’ve really settled into the community and everyone has been so friendly and welcoming.” A truly international couple, Yvonne is originally from Brazil and Chris from the United Kingdom, and the pair met while working for British Airways in Miami, Florida. From there, they spent the next two decades living in Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Vietnam and in inner-city and suburban Sydney before settling in Brisbane. “We were living in an apartment complex in Fortitude Valley and even though it’s incredibly busy, we were looking for a community to feel part of,” Chris said. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, the sense of isolation even in a busy city, really started to hit home. “The only time you really see someone when you live in an apartment is when you’re in the lift and during COVID, you weren’t allowed to be in the lift with anyone,” Chris said. Yvonne added: “It was time for us to find a community because life was getting really boring.” The couple made the decision to sell and move to Halcyon Waters and have jumped into community life with gusto. Yvonne has joined community classes including Zumba, aquarobics and Revive while Chris has been trying his hand at table tennis, lawn bowls and volunteering in the bar. “We’re really enjoying our time here and we have made so many new friends,” Chris said. “It really has been the best move.”

A question to ask yourself when you’re thinking about moving to an over 50s community?

What are you looking for, what kind of community do you want?

Penny and John Hill sold their family home after only one open for inspection!

Penny and John Hill had been thinking about downsizing and put their 2-storey, 4-bedroom home of 26 years in MacKenzie, a southern Brisbane suburb, onto the market earlier this year, asking for expressions of interest.

“We had nine offers and the house was sold within five days,” Penny said. The couple had visited a number of over 50s lifestyle resorts within South East Queensland and liked the idea of community living, the ‘lock and go’ lifestyle and not having to worry about maintaining their large family home. Their real estate agent suggested they take a tour of Halcyon Greens in Pimpama on the northern Gold Coast.

“He was familiar with Halcyon Greens and thought it would suit us and we fell in love with it immediately and put a deposit down on a home,” she said. “We loved the facilities and the homes and the fact they all have a front yard and a garden.” Penny said they were looking forward to moving into Halcyon Greens later in the year, meanwhile they were planning to hook up their caravan and take a trip to the centre of Australia to visit the Painted Desert.

“We’re looking forward to meeting new people and being with people our age,” she said. “We’ve made this decision together while we’re young enough and well enough to enjoy the next chapter. “We want to have a bit of fun while we still can.”

VICTORIAN COUPLE BUY HOME OVER FACETIME

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Australians got accustomed to using technology to carry out their day- to-day activities.

We worked from home, our children were taught via Zoom calls, we had virtual Happy Hour with loved ones through apps like House Party and for Halcyon Waters’ homeowners Paul Earnshaw and Cathy Egan - we even bought houses through Facetime. The couple had been planning to sell their home in the pretty Victorian seaside town of Inverloch and go travelling when the pandemic hit. “We had been looking at over 50s communities in northern NSW, but had decided to go travel around Australia first,” Cathy said. “We put our house on the market and it sold quickly, so we had to be out within 30 days but it was COVID and we couldn’t buy.” Paul has family living on the Gold Coast and a few of them saw the Halcyon television commercial and came to visit the Hope Island community after the couple saw an available home. “Paul’s sister Pat Facetimed us in Victoria on the inspection and had said she was going to play it cool in front of the sales consultant, but then she walked in and said ‘buy it!’,” Cathy said. “We made an offer that afternoon and we arrived as soon as the borders opened on December 1. “We had to order some beds online and we had two camping chairs, but we were here.” Paul said they had immersed themselves in community activities such as tai chi, water aerobics and social activities.

“I’m up at 5.30am most mornings and I go for a walk with the dog,” he said. “We’re really living our life to the fullest here, our schedules are busy but it’s great.”

What a cracker! A Halcyon howdy to our foundation homeowners