ROB AND CAROL WITKISS TRAVEL THE COUNTRY, TAKE A TRIP TO BRITAIN AND MAKE SURE THEIR FURRY GRANDSON WINSTON DOESN’T MISS OUT ON POP AND NANA TIME WHILE THEIR NEW GEMLIFE GOLD COAST HOME IS COMPLETED.
The adventurous couple are no strangers to the Gold Coast.
“We had a house in Pimpama overlooking the golf course and, as avid golfers, decided to look at a GemLife over-50s lifestyle resort nearby and the Gold Coast resort had everything we wanted,” Rob says. “When they told us our home would be finished in early 2024, we considered our options and put a plan together.”
“Our holiday to England was already booked for August 2022, so we decided to sell up and buy a motorhome,” Carol says. “After doing the math, it cost the same as renting a $650-per-week house so we thought, why not travel for a couple of years enjoying ourselves.”
This gave them the freedom to travel Australia-wide upon their return from overseas.
“Our trips have ranged from local places like Scarborough to Toowoomba, then off to Victoria visiting family and friends. We then worked our way up from Lakes Entrance in Victoria, right up through all the little coastal towns to south of Sydney,” Carol says. “We also went to Katoomba, the Hunter Valley, Evans Head and then home again, so a three-month trip roughly. Our next stop will be Perth.”
There is a special reason for their return to Queensland, and it’s not just to catch up with their two daughters.
“Living a nomadic life means we also get to spend weeks on end babysitting little Winston in Brisbane,” Carol says. “He’s a French bulldog and one of our ‘grandbabies’. Whenever our daughter and her family are away on business or holidays, we come back to take care of him and he’s ours for the next few weeks.
Carol and Rob enjoy their time with little Winston and say he’s just like a regular grandson, only furry and hyperactive.
“Winston is very naughty but very funny. He’s mostly white and sits out in the sun and stares at us like, ‘I’m not being burnt nana, I’m just fine’, and I look at him and say, ‘get in the shade’,” she laughs. “Walking him is hilarious too. He may only be small but boy, is he strong!
“We are going to have the best of both worlds once we move into GemLife. Winston is just in Brisbane with one of our daughters, while our other daughter is Gold Coast-based. The golf course is eight minutes away from the resort and, with the golf simulator, we will be able to play when it rains. Plus, we can take our motorhome out anytime we want.”