in a sublime setting Oshens away

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

The beautiful Queensland coastal town of Yeppoon is 38km north-east of Rockhampton and in the relaxed, soothing surrounds it’s a long way further from care.

Yeppoon offers easy access to Great Keppel Island and the Southern Great Barrier Reef, as well as stunning sunsets and calm, warm waters that are suitable for swimming all year round.

Andrea and Bill Stokje took over Oshen Holiday Apartments there in 2019 and have taken the property from 48 percent occupancy to the mid-70s. They oversee 62 apartments overlooking the idylic Keppel Bay.

“We offer wonderful accommodation from studio apartments to a three-bedroom penthouse,” Bill told Resort News, “with the majority being one-bedroom suites.

“Most of the guests come from out west (the mining areas around Emerald and Moranbah) because it’s not that far for them to travel but such a contrast to the places where many of them work. We’re also getting a lot of people from places such as Gladstone and Mackay.

“The scenery here over the bay and the Great Barrier Reef is magnificent, and apart from our studio apartments, all the accommodation here offers uninterrupted views of the ocean.

“We had a little bit of a downturn over COVID but only for a couple of months and at the moment the bookings are very pleasing and getting stronger all the time.”

Andrea and Bill first became involved in management rights in 2013.

“Before that, we had an independent real estate office at Narangba, north of Brisbane,” Bill said. “It was called Narangba Valley Real Estate.”

They left the real estate business to run the Noosa River Retreat.

“When we sold that, we did relief work for 12 to 18 months,” Bill said, “then we were offered a position managing Noosa’s Culgoa Point Beach Resort.

“We ran that until it was sold, and then I was offered a job as the 2-IC at the Islander Resort in Noosa. My wife Andrea went down to the Gold Coast where some of our friends had an apartment at the Iconic. She was talking to someone on the body corporate there, at an afternoon function and they said they were looking for a manager up here at Oshen.

“With our business partners, we came up and had a look at the property and we decided to make the move to Yeppoon. We loved everything about it, and we became shareholders in the property with four other partners.”

Yeppoon does not have the bustling crowds or the traffic snarls of Noosa’s Hastings Street, but it does have a striking coastline that delights the senses - a bright blue ocean, dazzling sunrises and awe-inspiring golden sunsets. For wildlife enthusiasts, there is Cooberrie Wildlife Park, Capricorn Caves and Koorana Croc Farm.

Yeppoon is one of nature’s playgrounds and is situated in a unique part of Australia with something for everyone to enjoy, from the ocean to the bush.

Great Keppel Island makes for a fantastic day trip and there are beautiful picnic spots all along the coastline around the Oshen Apartments.

The property is just a threeminute walk from Yeppoon Main Beach and boasts a heated outdoor swimming pool. All rooms offer a balcony or patio.

While providing a relaxing, carefree holiday, the Oshen’s apartments are still close enough to all the modern conveniences. There is a stunning foreshore walk to the town centre, which has local supermarkets, a bottle-mart and boutique shops. The apartments are also within a 10-minute drive from Yeppoon Golf Club.

The Yeppoon Lagoon is the jewel in the crown of the Yeppoon foreshore precinct. The 2500 square-metre resort-style lagoon pool is right on the beachfront, and includes a shallow children’s play area, a lap swimming area and an infinity edge with views over the Keppel Islands.

There are barbecues and shaded areas in the surrounding parkland which are great for picnics or just a relaxing way to spend a lazy afternoon gazing at astonishing views under the tropical foliage. Entry to the lagoon is free and it is patrolled seven days a week, including public holidays.

Bill said despite the constant attacks on management rights and length of term from outside interests, the management rights industry remains a good long-term business for operators.

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“I think smaller complexes might struggle for a period, but the larger complexes and the big partnerships will continue to grow and thrive so long as they have a good management team and structure,” Bill said. He added that anyone new to the industry obviously has to do due diligence before committ ing to a deal, but he said one of the most important steps anyone in management rights should take is to join ARAMA, the peak body for the management rights industry.

“ARAMA is such a great group and so helpful for anyone in management rights,” he said.

“Another vital thing to remember in management rights is, if you want to make the business work you have to work the business.”

“It’s no good just sitt ing back thinking the business will run itself and think you can retire,” he said.

“It takes hard work and commitment to the complex and most importantly customer service!

“Creating a wonderful customer experience is vital to a successful management rights business”

“You must be proactive and make the business grow.

“Andrea and I have been very fortunate in that we have an excellent partnership crew who have been involved in management rights for 30 or so years now. With their backing, we were also able to invest in Pavillions on 1770, which my son Adam and his wife Sinead now run. We are shareholders in that also.

“Adam and Sinead saw what we were doing in management rights over the last 10 years and about three years ago they decided they wanted to be involved in the industry too. It’s a great business for anyone who has a talent for dealing with people and who wants to work hard to make their business a success.”

Bill and Andrea work hard to create a welcoming environment at Oshen to make sure their guests can put their feet up and just relax.