WANDERER EXPLORE - LIVE - CREATE SPRING 2019
SMART LIVING IDEAS For a sustainable community SPRING GARDENING TIPS For a blooming good garden BEST OF THE OUTDOORS Making the most of your local hot spots
HOUSING WORLD WATAGAN PARK Exciting new display village on the horizon
Welcome to Watagan Park Wanderer Magazine. Published quarterly with the seasons, inside you will find inspiring stories on living, creating and exploring your neighbourhood, along with local news and upcoming events. Enjoyed best outside with a cuppa!
At Watagan Park, we believe in the
We live for a safe and worry-free lifestyle,
outdoors and the lifestyle it has to offer.
and community is an important part
With the Watagan Mountains in the west
of that. To build a community, people
and Lake Macquarie in the east, natural
need to be outside, meeting neighbours
reserves, big backyards, trails, picnic
and joining the conversation, which
spots, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches to
is why we have designed Watagan
explore and mountains to climb, families
Park with integrating thoroughfares
have more opportunities to get outside
that connect each area of the
and live a healthy and peaceful lifestyle.
community, and nice, quiet streets for neighbourly cricket games.
Visit us... Sales Centre on corner of Whistler Drive and Armitage Way, Cooranbong
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm or by appointment 1300 888 888
wataganpark.com.au
Tell us... We’d love to hear from you!
Whether you’d like to contribute to the next issue or have your say about what you would like to see in the estate, please email our Head of Marketing Kristy Lee at kristy@johnsonpropertygroup.com.au Proudly published by Johnson Property Group (JPG). JPG is one of the largest private developers of residential land in New South Wales. Combining a passion for creating vibrant and sustainable communities with a vision for the future.
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The joy of spring It’s time to venture outdoors and embrace nature blossoming once again. We’ve packed this Issue full of activities, local sites to visit and events you can check out with the whole family. Plus we’ve got a few little extras, including a mouthwatering hummingbird cake recipe and some tips on how to keep flowers fresh around your home.
Living Smart Festival
At Watagan Park, we’ve been working away over winter to bring even more features to the estate and are thrilled to announce that our current release and small boutique
Learn about environmental issues and foster a love of the outdoors with this year’s festival at Speers Point Park!
housing are now 50 per cent sold!
The Living Smart Festival is the first of its kind for Lake Macquarie City,
Construction of Stages 2.8 and 2.9 is
encouraging sustainable practices in the lives of our community.
now complete and new land lots have
also been released, which will see another 50 families join Watagan Park. We have also welcomed a new manager to the Watagan Park Landscaping team, Russell Pearce, and our display village is well underway, with many of the display homes starting to take shape. We’ve brought on a few new building partners,
“We wanted to engage with the community around environmental sustainability and believed a celebratory event, such as a festival, would be a great way to connect sustainable living messages with the community,” shares Neil Keene, Communications and Engagement Officer at Lake Macquarie City Council. In the early years, the festival operated on a smaller scale, with local community organisations and groups running stalls with information on how they were helping to improve the environment, as well as live music and food vendors. Over the past few
including New Living Homes, MOJO Homes,
years, the festival has grown immensely, attracting over 20,000 visitors of all ages.
Metricon, Thrive Homes and McDonald Jones
The Living Smart Festival offers plenty of activities and attractions, including
Homes to bring even more variety to the estate. Last month we held our first Home
Compass Series Seminar: Laying the
Foundations for your Future. The seminar
was held in partnership with My Choice Home Loans, BMT and Housing World Watagan Park, and covered the current property climate, navigating the sea of home loan options, FHB and investor grants and concessions, as well as how to maximise your investment returns with tax depreciation. If you missed out on attending, we have information packs with slides and handy tips from the night that we can send you. For a copy, contact Kristy at kristy@johnsonpropertygroup.com.au
Keith Johnson, Managing Director Johnson Property Group
workshops and talks from guests such as Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia, food from local vendors, competitions and giveaways, farmers markets, and kids activities to keep the little ones entertained.
“It’s a celebration of living smart, living the good life. It’s about gathering together to enjoy our great outdoors, eating good local food and continually learning about how to better look after ourselves and the environment that sustains us all.” To kick off their tenth anniversary event, the Feast for the Senses dinner will be making a return – an alfresco meal prepared by local MasterChef contestant Steph de Sousa using fresh, local ingredients. There will be even more activities, workshops and stalls than ever before, with the festival now extending to Sunday. “We want the community to come away from the event entertained, inspired, and informed enough to make small or dramatic lifestyle changes to help our city become a more sustainable community,” says Neil. The Living Smart Festival will be running from Friday September 27 to Sunday September 29 at Speers Point Park. To find out more about the event, head to lakemac.com.au/living-smart-festival
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Housing World Watagan Park The display homes at Housing World Watagan Park are on the horizon! In our next issue, we will be excited to announce when the display homes will be set to open. Construction on the display homes is well-underway and the new Watagan Park display and sales office is also progressing well with rendering starting. The quality of work and impeccable designs are second to none, with a vast array of 16 display homes from leading builders including McDonald Jones Homes, Beechwood Homes, MOJO Homes, Metricon Homes, Oracle Platinum Homes, Thrive Homes and New Living Homes. All offer unique designs and floorplans, catering to the needs of young singles, couples, young families and down sizers alike. MOJO Homes will be building two display homes at Housing World Watagan Park – Harmony 29 and Symphony 29. The Harmony 29 is a four bedroom dual-living design that offers a multi-generational living space at the front of the home for adult children, grandparents or guests. The dual-living element offers the luxury of privacy whereas the main house is the perfect design for entertaining guests or for a family night in. The Symphony 29 is truly grand in size and scale with four bedrooms, a home theatre, centralised kitchen, open plan living & dining and a grand outdoor area. It has all the instruments required for a growing family, inspired by living passionately. For more information or construction updates follow the Watagan Park Facebook Page at facebook.com/wataganpark MOJO Homes display home construction
James Chamberlain, House and Land Manager from MOJO Homes shares some background about MOJO Homes as well as some advice on choosing your builder and the perfect home design for you. Why did MOJO Homes decide to display at Housing World Watagan Park? We believe Watagan Park will be one of the best masterplanned communities in the Lake Macquarie area. Our partnership with Johnson Property Group continues a long-term relationship and a reflection of shared values and beliefs. Johnson Property Group takes great pride in the way they develop their land. They use sandstone retaining walls to create near-flat blocks which makes building a new home a lot easier – a unique attribute of Watagan Park that people often overlook when buying land.
What features do MOJO Homes have that suit the Watagan Park estate in particular? We have the most impressive nautical styled display homes in the market place to suit the Lake Macquarie area. From choice of materials and floor plan layout to the fixtures, finishes and styling, our display homes attract customers from all over to discover how they can bring their dream home to life.
What home styles/options are available for people looking to build a MOJO Home at Watagan Park? Dual Living designs are becoming more common in the estate where you have a granny flat and a single storey home all under one roof. Meaning you can have your adult children living with you for much longer or rent it out for additional income, offering you flexibility and freedom to live as you please based on your lifestyle and life stage.
What should First home buyers or investors consider when choosing their builder and home design? The builders reputation, inclusions, value for money and fixed price quote up front.
What are the most common mistakes you see from first time builders and how can they avoid these? Not getting finance approved for construction finance at McDonald Jones Homes display home construction
the beginning of their building journey. Also not signing a fixed price quote up front & not researching the company’s background and performance online. The Product Review website is a great forum to discover detailed reviews and photographs of our customer’s experiences.
What type of lifestyle/s do MOJO homes appeal to? A MOJO Home appeals to savvy buyers who don’t want to live in a variation of a home they’ve seen before; who want a home stamped with their own creativity; and who are drawn to MOJO’s signature design, sophistication and style.
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ESTATE
Market update Property prices have continued to grow in Lake Macquarie with a 13.89% increase, despite general growth decrease across Australia. Sydney property growth has dropped -17.1% and similarly in Melbourne at -15.8%. With interest rates at a record low, there is an extraordinary opportunity to break into the housing market right now, particularly in Lake Macquarie. As an example, buyers have been able to secure brand new homes at Watagan Park for just $425 per week through My Choice’s exclusive interest rate. Added bonuses like the Breathe Easy Value Package with up to $38,888 worth of free inclusions, are making it even easier for buyers to get into the market with up to $5,888
of interest covered on your land purchase*, $8,000 worth of façade upgrades*, up to $12,000 of free front yard landscaping* and $13,000 of site levelling with sandstone retaining walls. Refer to the wataganpark.com.au for T&Cs and more information.
Neville and Hazel Barr
Stage 2.8 & 2.9 Release Stageplan
What are you looking forward to most about your new home? We’re really looking forward to getting out of our rental. Having our own home will be so good. We’ve been looking at the design for eight years now!
What excites you about living in the Watagan Park community? I can’t wait to live in the quiet surrounds and enjoy the tranquillity of the area. We’ve spoken to a lot of neighbours in the area and all of them really like it. We regularly drive up from the Central Coast to see the land and look around, and we really enjoy it. Driving around the area, it all has a country-style setting which we love.
Do you know anyone in the area or are you looking to make some new friends out in the community?
We recently spoke with Neville and Hazel Barr, who purchased a block in Stage 2.8 and took advantage of the free front yard landscaping and site levelling component of the Breathe Easy Value Package. They took some time to chat with us and share their journey. How has this Bonus Offer helped you make your build possible? The free front yard landscaping and all the extras has certainly taken the pressure off the total cost of the build, so that’s a great help. I’m excited to get in touch with the Watagan Park landscaper to talk about options for our front garden, which there’s allowance for in the offer.
We’ll make some new friends. Yesterday we met a new couple who have built up on the road behind us, and they’ve built the same house, so I assume we have a bit in common!
If someone were to ask you about Watagan Park, how would you describe it? It’s a very clean, quiet, up-and-coming community. Everything is nicely kept; it’s governed to make sure everything looks very nice. It’s not hodgepodge. This is going to keep the high standards and make sure that the value of our property, if we ever want to sell, is going to be kept high. We love welcoming new families into the community. Did you know there is a Watagan Park Residents Facebook page run by residents? With over 500 locals it’s a great place to share your experiences and get to know others in the community. Join the page at facebook.com/groups/1712634942309878
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Say hello to Russell
How long have you been in the landscaping industry? I have been in the industry since 2001. I started out with a landscape construction apprenticeship. From there, I worked for the Office of Australian War Graves and developed skills in greenkeeping and expanded my stonemasonry capabilities. During that time, I completed my Diploma in Horticulture, and from there I went back
Introducing Watagan Park Landscaping’s new Landscape Manager, Russell Pearse! Read on to find out more about him and learn some of his top tips for maintaining your garden and have it looking its best over spring.
to the private sector and soon started my own business.
Why did you want to work for Watagan Park Landscaping? I saw it as an amazing opportunity to work with a high quality team that aims to provide a high quality product. It also allows me to use the full spectrum of my skills, from construction and maintenance through to bush regeneration and land management.
What does Watagan Park Landscaping offer that is different to other landscaping businesses? We offer a service that tailors itself to meeting the client’s needs. We will often ask questions that others will not, so that we can provide the service that the client is truly after.
How do you feel you can help residents of Watagan Park with their landscaping needs? I believe my vast and varied experience is a tremendous asset. Listening to the client’s needs and desires are of the utmost importance. And I also believe that I can help them to connect with the outdoors in a way that suits them.
What do you love most about working in this field? I enjoy being able to transform a blank slate, or even a tired and overgrown site, into a beautiful and functional area – and the fact that you do it with your own hands. It’s very satisfying to take a drawing or a plan, and turn it into a real world experience.
Russell’s spring gardening tips 1. Fertilise lawns and plants ideally every two weeks with Seasol or a similar product. Use it in a pump sprayer for easier and more direct application. 2. Weed fortnightly along with regular Seasol
applications. You should use both sprays and hand weeding for the best results. Organic weed killers are available now too. As an extra tip, if you can’t get out and do a full weeding session, remove flower/seed heads that have sprouted as this will reduce the spread of weeds.
3. Always mulch, and approximately 75mm is best.
Over 100mm is too thick, and 50mm or less is too thin.
To touch base with Russell and the team at Watagan Park Landscaping for your landscaping needs, head to wataganparklandscaping.com.au
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CREATE
Making the move With the build complete and your new home ready to be occupied, there are a couple of steps left before you make the big move. Tick off each of these checklist items for a stress-free transition into your forever home. Get rid of items you won’t need Regardless of the season, it’s time for some spring-cleaning. To make your move all the more easier, shed any unwanted, old or broken
Update your contact details It might be a good time to let people know where you’re moving to. It’s up to you when you want to share this information with family and friends, but it’s ideal to update your details with your insurance company, bank and superannuation fund in advance, and set up a mail redirection with Australia Post for when you move in. Also, you should change over your details on the electoral roll and for any subscriptions you want to continue.
Work out where you want to place furniture
items well before the delivery truck arrives. That way, you’ll have less
Before you start packing up the delivery truck and making the trip
to sort out in your new home.
over to your new place, you should come up with a plan for where
Tidy up Keep the kitchen benches clear and the mop handy, as dust particles from the build will continue to settle on surfaces over the first few weeks. A good shampoo of the new carpets is a great way to freshen them up and help lift some of those pesky loose fibres that clump in the corners.
Set up home and contents insurance Now that you’ve built your dream home, it’s important to make sure that it’s protected. Home and contents insurance will provide your residence with financial cover should damages or theft occur. There are a number of different cover options available depending on which insurer you go with, so shop around to find the right one for you.
Organise as many connections as possible Get all the grunt work out of the way by setting up your utilities, phone and internet connections in advance where possible. This will make settling into your new home more of a breeze – you won’t be sitting
you want your furniture to go. You wouldn’t want to get to your brand new home and be stuck with a giant bookcase and nowhere to put it! Be mindful of where all your bigger items need to go, and maybe even measure each piece to make sure they all fit together in the designated room. You could even make use of an app such as Homestyler Interior Design, which is free on the App Store or Google Play and allows you to visualise how furniture and decor will look in your home. For more apps, check out page 12 of Watagan Park Wanderer’s Autumn Edition.
Label and arrange boxes by room Now that you’ve worked out where your furniture is going, it’s time to pack up the smaller items. It’s a good idea to keep a list of which items are going in each room, and tick them off as you move in. Make sure you label each box with the room it’s intended for. You might want to prepare a ‘first night’ box as well with all the essentials (bed linen, keys, pyjamas and clothing, etc.) so that they’re easier to find without having to unpack everything on your first day.
on the phone for ages when you’ve got 20 boxes left to unpack. LIVE
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Calendar of events lift out
What’s on
Pull out this calendar, fill in your upcoming activities and events then pop it on your fridge.
Get outdoors and amongst your community by joining in on the latest events with the help of this lift out calendar!
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SUNDAY
9 SEPTEMBER
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
5
6
Tim McGraw Live at Hope Estate
Mattara Festival of Newcastle until October 13
Feast for the Senses Living Smart Festival
30
School holidays commence
1 OCTOBER
Mend it – School Holiday Session
2
Cyanotypes – School Holiday Session
3
Gardening for Kids and 3D Splat Drawing – School Holiday Session
4
Art in the Park
Lake Mac City Farmers Market
Living Smart Festival
Living Smart Festival
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Lake Macquarie Superboats
Trinity Point Apartments Launch
Labour Day
Lake Mac Food & Wine Festival
School holidays conclude
Greater Bank Fernleigh 15
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1 NOVEMBER
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Melbourne Cup Day
LOOK OUT FOR OUR SUMMER ISSUE COMING SOON
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SATURDAY
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Dami Im ‘Dreamer’ Tour
Rob Thomas ‘Chip Tooth’ Tour
Grapevine Gathering 2019
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER 3D Splat Drawing – School Holidays Thursday October 3
Charlestown Library 10am-1pm
Lake Macquarie City Farmers Market Saturday September 14
Speers Point Park 7:30am-1pm Grab the freshest produce from local growers at the Lake Macquarie City Farmers Market, along with some delightful treats and handmade items.
Kids aged 7-14 years can come along and use the creative SPLAT tool to design their very own tree house. There are two sessions running: 10am-1pm (7-10 years), and 12pm-1pm (10-14 years).
Gardening for Kids – School Holidays Thursday October 3
Toronto Library 10am-12:30pm Suitable for ages five and up, this event will teach kids how to plant veggies and start their very own native garden.
Art in the Park
Friday October 4
Dobell Park 10am-11am Children aged 3-10 years can head to Dobell Park to enjoy a mix of stories and outdoor activities.
Lake Macquarie Superboats Saturday October 19 to Sunday October 20
Locations around Lake Macquarie See event schedule for times Experience two days of thrillseeking excitement with Lake Macquarie Superboats. You can watch the championships, support the junior demonstration runs, or view some jet ski racing as well as enjoy on-land activities.
Feast for the Senses Friday September 27
Speers Point Park See event schedule for times Celebrating the launch of the Living Smart Festival, this event will see guests don their best recycled fashion and enjoy an evening of delicious, sustainable food and live entertainment
Living Smart Festival Friday September 27 to Sunday September 29
Speers Point Park See event schedule for times The Living Smart Festival offers a weekend of workshops, cooking demonstrations, eco-living displays and loads more to raise awareness of environmental issues and foster a love of the outdoors.
Mend it – School Holidays Tuesday October 1 Wangi Wangi Library 10:30am-11:30am
Kids can bring along a piece of clothing to this workshop and learn how to mend or upcycle it to give it new life.
Mattara Festival of Newcastle Saturday October 5 to Sunday October 13
Wallsend Park See event schedule for times This weeklong event is perfect for adults and kids alike! There will be a super-cute petting zoo, carnival rides, fireworks and loads of family entertainment throughout each day of the festival.
Lake Mac Food and Wine Festival Saturday October 19
Speers Point Park 12pm-8pm Located at Speers Point Park, this free event will allow you to buy and taste local produce and enjoy wine and beer tasting while listening to some talented musicians.
Greater Bank Fernleigh 15 Sunday October 20 Fernleigh Track See event schedule for times
Run or walk the iconic Fernleigh track without traffic or bicycles by taking part in this 15km course. There will be plenty of scenic views along the way as you pass through areas such as Glenrock Reserve and the coastal town of Redhead.
Dami Im ‘Dreamer’ Tour Saturday October 26 Belmont 16s Show starts at 8:30pm
Singer Dami Im will be bringing her unique vocals to Belmont 16s to perform an array of hits and fanfavourites from X Factor, the power ballad and international Eurovision smash, ‘Sound of Silence’ and a mix of new material, including ‘Dreamer’.
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Local business directory Growup Business Advisers Small business accounting specialists, personal and business tax returns, self-managed super funds, bookkeeping and payroll management.
Adrian Timmermans 0468 723 363 tax@growupadvisers.com.au
Tahitian Beauty Therapy
Tahisha Dias
Microblading/brow feathering, facial and microdermabrasion, eyelash extensions and more.
0466 217 178 tahitianbeautytherapy@yahoo.com
Kylie’s Family Day Care
Kylie Montgomery
Children three months to five years day care.
0423 933 607
Mini Milestones Family Day Care
kncmontgomery@yahoo.com
Kim Murray 0415 464 305
Construction
office.minimilestones@gmail.com
JAGA Design & Construction
Greg Smith
Stairs, balustrades, decks, house renovations & handyman work.
0450 225 884 greg@jagaconstruction.com
Electrical
Children 0-6 years before and afterschool care Monday to Friday with flexible hours.
tahitianbeautytherapy.com
On Top Solar & Electrical
Sam Lewis
Solar and electrical installations and maintenance.
0488 644 710
Landscaping
Childcare
Beauty Beauty
Accounting
If you live in the Watagan Park estate and would like your business listed in this directory, email your business name, number, email, website, and list of services to: wataganpark@johnsonpropertygroup.com.au
Watagan Park Landscaping
Kelsy Johnson
Landscape design & construction, horticulture, fun yards, lawn and garden maintenance
0439 012 888
otsae1@outlook.com facebook.com/OnTopSolarAndElectrical
kelsy@wataganparklandscaping.com.au wataganparklandscaping.com.au
The businesses listed within this directory are owned by residents or homeowners within the Watagan Park estate. Although all care is taken to promote ethical and reliable businesses, we recommend completing your own due diligence when enlisting the services of a contractor. The social groups listed within this directory have been sourced online based on their proximity to Watagan Park. Although all care is taken to promote ethical and reliable social groups, we recommend completing your own due-diligence before signing up.
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Local social directory If you attend a social group and think it’s worth sharing in this directory, email the group name, email address, website, and a short description to: wataganpark@johnsonpropertygroup.com.au
Watagan Wanderers Bushwalking Club
Hiking
wataganwanderersinc.org.au This group is for the adventurers looking to explore more of the Watagan area. The walks vary to suit different capabilities, and the club also enjoys some bush sports, such as abseiling, canoeing, canyoning and snowshoeing, as well s camping. Membership: $35 per annum plus a one-off $1 joining fee. walksprogrammer@wataganwanderersinc.org.au
Hiking Group Newcastle/Lake Macquarie https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/Hiking-group-Newcastle-Lake-Macquarie Hiking Group Newcastle/Lake Macquarie is a social group for people in the area who enjoy hiking, bushwalking and casual walks. The aim of this group is to explore the outdoors, have fun and meet like-minded people, with most of the events and gatherings happening on weekends. hikinggroupnewielakemac@gmail.com
Fishing
Lake Macquarie Fishing facebook.com/groups/527300177334408 Lake Macquarie Fishing is for the avid fisherman who wants to share their love of the sport with others in the area. The group posts local competitions and prizes, and contains over 8,500 members. You’ll be able to chat to fellow anglers and find out about all the best spots to catch fish as well. Join Facebook group to message
For Mums
Cooranbong Mums facebook.com/groups/337508679925369 Created to connect mothers from Cooranbong and surrounding areas, the group posts social events and activities so you can get together with other mums and bubs to enjoy quality conversations and support. Join to become a part of this encouraging network of over 300 members. Join Facebook group to message
Gardening
Lake Mac Grows facebook.com/groups/1667832506866394 Lake Mac Grows is a community of gardeners who are passionate about growing, sharing and eating fresh local produce. The group’s network of over 1,500 members share their stories, skills and harvest, as well as tips for eating better for less. Join to find out all the best gardening advice for your area. Join Facebook group to message
Driving
Port Hunter 4x4 Club porthunter4x4club.org.au This club is family-friendly and great for those who enjoy social and driving activities. Based in the Lake Macquarie/Newcastle region, their calendar includes social outings, camping trips, driver training and trips with various track classifications to cater for everyone. Become a member and chat about all things 4x4. Join Facebook group to message
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Best spots to enjoy spring Journey outdoors and check out more of the local scene this season. We’ve put together a list of the best spots near you including picnic sites, cafes, gardens, beaches, shopping destinations and so much more!
Green Point Foreshore Reserve This beautiful reserve is located between Belmont and Valentine, and features a lookout and some stunning scenic walks. The site is perfect for picnics with its allocated picnic area and gas BBQs.
Wyee Nursery Cafe Open 8:30am to 3:30pm Monday to Sunday, this cafe is set among beautiful plants and trickling water features. It has lovely light meals and morning/ afternoon teas, and offers gluten-free and vegetarian options.
Hunter Valley Gardens Soak up nature at this stunning site filled with over 6,000 trees, 600,000 shrubs and over one million ground cover plants, as well as waterfalls, statues, murals and much more. Plus there are plenty of dining, shopping and accommodation options available for those who want to do a bit more exploring.
Fernleigh Track Popular for walking and cycling, this pleasant track runs through a bushland setting and links to residential communities in the area. It stretches across 15km from Adamstown to Belmont, and suits all fitness levels.
10 EXPLORE
Trinity Point Marina Trinity Point Marina is Lake Macquarie’s newest world-class marina offering berthing for vessels up to 30m and state-of-the-art facilities including a wave attenuator, marina lounge, 5-star bathrooms, WiFi, marine chandlery and a refuelling dock. Opened in April 2019, it is an idyllic spot to enjoy a picnic on the water’s edge, bask under the trees or get your feet wet with a day out on the water. You can even enjoy a paddle around the lake, with canoes available for hire.
Redhead Beach At the northern end of a nine-mile stretch of coastline lies the iconic Redhead Beach – a breathtaking spot for swimmers and surfers alike. There’s even an on-site cafe housed in the Lifesaving Club that you can enjoy.
Respect All Markets Cooranbong On the third Sunday of each month, the Respect All Markets is held at Cooranbong Park between 9am and 2pm. Here you’ll be able to pick up some local produce, handmade items and loads more!
Newcastle Memorial Walk Not only does this walk commemorate the centenary of ANZAC, but it is also the perfect location to catch majestic humpback whales with 360-degree views that stretch over the Pacific Ocean. The peak of this 430m boardwalk, is a great vantage point.
Darby Street Located in the heart of Newcastle, Darby Street is home to a mix of local fashion and homewares stores, such as Betty Mim and Scout. You’ll also find plenty of cafes and restaurants to stop at and grab a coffee or a bite to eat along the way.
Alison Road For somewhere a bit more local to you, why not check out Alison Road, Wyong? This street has some boutique stores as well as a shopping complex you can peruse.
EXPLORE 11
Piece of cake Watagan Park Landscaping shares some After being raised on Weet-Bix, we’reof their best advice for caring for your garden still finding new ways to make useduring of this the cooler months, ready for thriving growth classic breakfast staple as adults. And in spring. Sanitarium has come up with the best alternative—bake it into a cake! This
Winter tasty pruning Weet-Bix Hummingbird Cake with
Long-lasting spring blooms There’s something soothing about coming home to a bouquet of fresh blooms. We all know how their heavenly scent and vibrant colour can not only spice up your space but also lift your mood so we’ve put together a few pointers on how to create a beautiful, long-lasting arrangement all spring. Pick the Right Flowers, At the Right Time
The dormant months are ideal for and trimming perennial Orange Frosting ispruning the perfect afternoon
plants. You also prune the young vast majority shrubs and hedges teacan treat for the andofold alike. during this time. If you’re thinking about trimming your trees, now is perfect for evergreen and deciduous varieties. Inspect the tree
Ingredients
thoroughly and cut back only failing or decayed branches. Unless 1 1/2 cup (70g) plaininflour 4 Weet-Bix you are absolutely confident your tree pruning capabilities, we
3/4 cup (140g) a brown sugar cup sultanas recommend consulting reliable landscaping1/2 company. Have them 2 tsp baking powder 2 eggs remove any dead trees or high branches prior to winter if possible. 3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2leaves tsp cinnamon Remove and debris
Orange frosting
150g lite cream cheese 1/2 tsp salt Throughout winter, it’s important to remove leaves from your 1/2 orange, juicelawn and zest 1/2 cup (120ml) apple sauce every few days. Leaves and debris that sit on2the surface of your lawn tbsp margarine, melted 227g crushed pineapple, drained prevent sunlight from reaching the grass blades underneath. Less 2 cups icing sugar 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped sun equals less growth, which means your grass won’t look as lush 1 cup grated carrot, firmly packed and healthy.
First, you should pick flowers that are notoriously long-lasting. Some
Method Prepare planting beds for mulch
long-lasting flower types include lilies, ranunculus, orchids, and other
As spring get a to head startLine on your plantingofbeds: 1. approaches, Preheat the oven 180°C. the bottom a
blooming branches. Hot tip: lilies not only last a long time, but they smell amazing! Second, buy your flowers at the beginning of their bloom cycle, before they have started opening up. You’ll see the full bloom cycle of the flower and they’ll last a lot longer!
Less Is More Different types of flowers have different care requirements, which can be more work than you bargained for. According to Brookelyn Roman of Scotts Flowers, you should pick one or two types of flowers and only single stem (same stem cut of the same variety of flower), “...because these stems actually create their own biome in the water that they feed off of, but it might impact other flowers you bring into the bouquet.”
Stem Cutting Is Important We all know to cut the flower stems before you put them in water, but did you know you should continue to trim them as the days go by and change the water regularly? Change the water every few days then trim the stems before they go back in and you’ll keep on top of both jobs. Just remember to run the stems under warm water and cut with a knife or garden trimmers at a 45-degree angle.
Other quick tips -- Remove wilting blooms from the water as they can poison others. -- Avoid direct sunlight. Flowers love sunlight, but too much for too long will make them wilt. -- Use the flower food the florist gives you, your blooms will thank you. -- Buy locally as they will be fresher and travelled a shorter distance.
12 CREATE
1. Prune all20cm shrubs, treesform andtin perennials in your planting beds. spring with baking paper.
2. Remove all leaves and other debris. 2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, and add 3. After your beds are clear, define the edges of the planting beds the crumbled Weet-Bix. 3. Add the fruit, eggs and grated carrot. Mix until the dry ingredients are just mixed into the wet ingredients. Pour into the prepared cake tin. 4. Bake for 30-45 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing. 5. To make the icing, beat together the cream cheese, orange juice and zest, margarine and sugar. Spread over the cooled cake. For more mouth-watering recipes, check out sanitarium.com.au/recipes
Meet your neighbours
A breath of fresh air Kieran and Emily were excited to join Watagan Park for their first build, and love the community and natural surrounds of the estate.
Building at Watagan Park was a breeze for the couple. They
Many first-home buyers are making their way out to Watagan Park
Homes and we couldn’t be happier with them. The team at JPG were
to build, with its beautiful scenery and welcoming community vibes. Kieran and Emily are one such couple who knew this estate would be the perfect place for them to create their forever home. Kieran is a technical support officer at an engineering company in Newcastle and Emily works as a spa and wellness coordinator at a wellness retreat in the Hunter Valley, so the Watagan Park area served as the perfect location for them to build. “For a while, we were tossing up between building a new home and buying an older home and renovating it. We decided to build a new house as it was more cost effective for us,” shares Kieran. The pair first heard of the estate through friends, and were drawn to the area’s quiet and relaxing atmosphere. “We have friends that had already built in the area, and every time we came out to visit them, we thought, ‘Wouldn’t this be a nice place to build a home?’”
opted to set up their home through MOJO Homes, and from there, construction was a smooth process. “We started building in December 2018 and had no dramas at all. We built with MOJO also very helpful throughout the whole process,” says Kieran.
Both Kieran and Emily are over the moon with their new home at Watagan Park, and would recommend it to others looking for a relaxed community and plenty of natural scenery. “It’s quiet, peaceful and a breath of fresh air – a great place to live!” Now that their home is finished and they are all settled in, Kieran and Emily have been enjoying all the features the estate has to offer their lifestyle. “We’re able to be active in the outdoors and, being so close to the Watagan Mountains, we can go hiking, camping and explore the local area, while still not being too far away from everything.” You can see how their journey of building at Watagan Park went on Instagram @the_commitment_build. ESTATE 13
Build your dream home * from just $425 per week Land from $238,888 | House & Land from $497,800
Choose lifestyle and family. Call our team today to discover your future at Watagan Park.
Now it’s possible to invest in your family’s future affordably without sacrificing lifestyle or connection. Savour all the benefits of living close to nature while enjoying the convenience and amenity of the city. Enquire about our fully serviced, near flat 511sqm to 747sqm blocks just released in Stage 2.8 and 2.9 with frontages up to 18.2m.
Artist’s Impression
With My Choice’s exclusive interest rate coupled with a suburb growth rate of 13.89% and a low vacancy rate of 1.85% – you have the winning trifecta at Watagan Park.
Home Owner Investor
3.54% 3.81% *
Sales Centre: Cnr Whistler Dr & Armitage Way, Cooranbong Open Mon-Fri 10am-3pm, Sunday 9am-5pm or by appointment
*
wataganpark.com.au Call 1300 888 888
*Based on a P&I loan amount of $408,547.20 over 30 years with minimum deposit of 20%. Home owner comparison rate is 3.63%. Investor comparison rate is 3.90% Disclaimer: The information here has been provided for the sole purpose of assisting potential buyers of land in respect to the estates described. It includes information prepared by various consultants on behalf of Johnson Property Group including architects, engineers and property consultants. Johnson Property Group have not independently verified this information nor have we formed any opinion as to its accuracy. We recommend potential buyers make their own investigations and enquiries and they not rely upon representations or conducts of (whether expressed or implied, oral or written) Johnson Property Group or any of their representatives.