Nothing announces the arrival of summer and the holiday season quite like the tradition of the great Aussie barbie – it’s an iconic national pastime that brings people together over sausages, steaks and salads.
From customised barbecue pavilions to poolside and country club alfresco barbies, all GemLife resorts feature barbecue areas for residents to perfect their grill skills.
A big fan of barbecuing, GemLife Maroochy Quays resident Graham Kelly said barbies were great for getting people together in a relaxed environment to enjoy a drink and a chat.
“I like to barbecue – it’s good fun. I just bought a new rotisserie for my own barbecue at home, and I’m keen to try out the Summer House barbecue,” he said.
“I used to live in South Africa for a long time and barbecuing is a big tradition there too. One of my favourite meats is a type of sausage called boerewors. It’s sold by the metre instead of weight, and is an important part of the barbecue culture there,” he said.
“It can be bought at South African speciality stores and must have a minimum 90 per cent meat content, in addition to the herbs and spices. It’s perfect for a barbie and I’d recommend people trying it.”
To take advantage of the warmer weather, Friday sausage sizzles have become a recent fixture on the GemLife Bribie Island social calendar, with different social groups taking turns firing up the barbie.
Resident and member of the social committee Cathy Cooper said the sausage sizzles were proving to be a big hit and were combined with the popular Friday raffle and opening of the bar in the evening.
“The idea was people could relax, socialise and enjoy a drink, and not have to go home afterwards and cook,” said Cathy.
She said the resort’s three barbecue areas – one poolside, another on the country club’s lakeside alfresco area, and a barbecue pavilion in the recreation precinct – were popular with the residents for everything from birthdays and anniversaries to simple get-togethers with family, neighbours and friends.
“With restrictions easing in Queensland, I know they’ll be well-used over the summer and holiday season,” she said.
GemLife resorts all feature barbecue areas with outdoor dining. These areas are fitted-out with high-quality Beefeater five-burner built-in barbecues with temperature control.
The barbecues also have integrated stainless steel convection roasting hoods with temperature gauges and warming racks.
