WHEN TRISH KNOWLER’S HUSBAND, MIKE, SUGGESTED THAT THEY START LOOKING AT OVER-50S LIFESTYLE RESORTS, SHE WAS FAR FROM IMPRESSED BY THE IDEA.
“Quite simply, I didn’t want to go into a ‘retirement village’,” said the grandmother of six.
“I lived in suburbia for 50 years. Everything I knew about retirement villages was that they were cramped and dark places – not somewhere I could see myself living, after all I’m active and only in my early 70s!”
Mike suggested looking at GemLife Highfields because the former Gold Coast couple love the Toowoomba Ranges, and both agreed the area was the ideal tree-change location.
“I can chuckle now, but I must confess to having had quite a negative attitude when we first came to look at GemLife Highfields.
“Rachael (Sales Manager Rachael Benham) was so lovely and welcoming. She offered to show me some of the homes and by the time I’d seen the third one, I was ready to change my mind.”
The rightsized GemLife homes were everything Trish was looking for and soon she and Mike were signing a contract for a lovely three-bedroom home which they moved into last August.
“Everything was so spacious! Realistically, Mike and I knew that we only needed a two-bedroom home, and this has three, so we can easily have family and friends stay over if we wish,” she said.
“And we actually have a backyard! That was something I thought I would have to give up when downsizing from a suburban home, and now I still get to shop for plants.”
After living in Coomera Waters and Ormeau, the Knowlers wanted to make sure the crisp mountain air would be to their liking, particularly in winter.
“Mike and I deliberately came up here in winter to make sure it wouldn’t be too cold, and it was fine – an excuse to wear a coat – and besides, GemLife Highfields’ homes also have electric fireplaces!” said Trish.
The homes were not the only thing which impressed. Within a short time of settling in, Mike and Trish were regulars at the award-winning Country Club.
“We’ve started playing golf and I’m into water aerobics at the pool and we play ten-pin bowling with our granddaughter when she’s visiting,” said Trish.
“We’ve tried the tennis courts, but we haven’t joined the tennis group yet. There are so many events happening at the Country Club that we’re looking forward to enjoying.”
The Knowlers’ three children and their families live in South East Queensland which makes family visits even more special.
So, what are the Knowlers looking forward to in 2024?
“We’ve done a lot of overseas travelling over the years and when we moved to GemLife Highfields we realised that there was a lot of Queensland we haven’t seen, so that’s what we have planned for the coming year – places such as Tara and Tenterfield in New South Wales,” she said.
“Another thing I’m looking forward to is a quilting retreat that takes place twice a year in Warwick.”
And how does Trish feel about over-50s lifestyle resorts now, and particularly GemLife Highfields?
“I couldn’t be more delighted,” laughs Trish. “I’m certainly glad I changed my mind.”
GemLife Highfields Stage Six is now selling, featuring five of our most popular three-bedroom home designs with beautifully curated colour-scheme options and two facades to choose from.
Starting from just $695,000, these Stage Six homes boast between 231.28sqm and 254.3sqm of living space, including two bathrooms, sizable alfresco areas, an impressively generous array of standard inclusions and designer finishes, plus an eco-friendly 6-star energy rating.