Having recently downsized from a very large house at Mount Warren, former bankers John and Rose-Marie Sullivan are loving the lifestyle at Amber by Living Gems and have enjoyed personally styling their brand-new home. “We’ve been busy putting our stamp on our wonderful new house to make it our home,” Rose-Maree said. “A great feature of the Amber design is the practical entrance which we’ve styled to encourage you to drop your bag, hang your coat and stow your umbrella. We’ve enhanced this space by adding a windswept mural wallpaper.” The avid world travellers, who share a special love of Italy, have many mementos collected over the years which they’ve incorporated into their styling. “Our dining and lounge suites were designed in Italy, while the wallpaper mural in our dining room allows us to feel like we are dining in Tuscany every day and it is certainly a conversation starter. “The design of our home, along with the relaxed Amber lifestyle, lends itself perfectly to...

Community garden launches ‘MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK’ AS THE ADAGE GOES, AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF HANDS GOING UP TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE AMBER BY LIVING GEMS GARDENING GROUP. As the popular over-50s resort is nearing completion, Living Gems is donating six high-rise garden beds to Amber residents to turn into a community garden. Homeowner Craig Moffitt said he put out a call to interested residents asking if they’d like to become members of the community gardening team and about 14 people turned up to the first meeting, which was a great result. Craig was approved by the Amber by Living Gems Home Owners’ Committee to be team leader of the community garden. “We expect the gardening group will continue to grow,” said Craig. “At the first meeting we talked about a gardening plan which will include processes for things like quality control, keeping residents informed, what to plant, and so on. “We’ve organised plots for climbing plants like tomatoes, leaf plants like lettuce,...

WHIPPING UP A GOOD MEAL WHILE TRAVELLING AND CAMPING OUT CAN BE MOST REWARDING. GemLife Chef Matt Conquest said one of his favourite roadtrip recipes is picanha or beef rump cap. “Cooking a picanha in a camp oven (or Dutch oven) is a great way to get a tender, flavourful meal. One of the best things about it is that picanha is an impressive, yet relatively cheap cut that can impress your fellow travellers as well,” he said. Picanha Rump Serves 2 | Cooking time: 2 hours Ingredients 1.5 to 2 kg rump cap 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, sliced 2 celery stalks, sliced 1 cup beef broth 1 cup red wine (optional) 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary (or a mix of both) 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening the sauce) Method Preheat your camp oven. If using charcoal, prepare a base of hot coals. You’ll need to place some coals underneath and on top of the...

The lust for travel and adventure is alive and well at Amber by Living Gems where many homeowners are making up for lost time when it comes to seeing some of Australia’s, and the world’s, most captivating places. Experienced travellers Lisa and Rob Newton and Mark and Jeanne Montagnani shared some of their favourite destinations, what makes them so special and why they recommend others pay them a visit on their travels. For Lisa and Rob, retirement has given them more freedom to do what they love most and that is to travel Australia. “We’ve got the time now and are making the most of it,” said Lisa with a smile. She says one of the best trips they have had was last Easter when they were driving down to Adelaide for the big AFL Gather Round which brings together all AFL teams for the ultimate festival of footy. On the way down they visited many country towns including Lightning Ridge and Burke, which...

Amber by Living Gems homeowners are the founding members of a new charity, Heart Health Queensland, which is giving heart attack survivors and their carers a new lease on life. The charity, which was established in February 2024 by Amber by Living Gems homeowners Adrian and Lyn Lee-Archer, with the support of Amber residents, is providing valuable support services to members and the public. “For people who have suffered a heart event, it’s a trying time for them and their carers, so we provide ongoing support, education, and encouragement,” Adrian said. “With so much information being given to them at the hospital, and medications to take, it gets very confusing. While we can’t give medical advice, we are able to help raise awareness and explain things in a way that is easier to understand. “We help with rehabilitation programs after surgery, help hospitals fundraise for equipment, and we speak to any interested groups, such as over-50s resorts, retirement villages, Rotary, Apex, Lions, and Probus...

Classic cars, timeless icons of automotive history, have become a common sight at Amber by Living Gems where some residents are passionate owners of early model vehicles that turn heads wherever they go. Among them are Steve and Jacqui Andrews who can often be seen behind the wheel of a bright yellow two-door, left-hand drive 1966 hardtop Ford Fairlane 500 which they purchased five years ago. “Being coloured yellow means you can see us coming,” laughed Steve, who is a regular at Ford car shows around the country. “We all get dressed up and while I’m not the Fonz (from Happy Days), I certainly look the part.” Steve says he is mad about cars and motorbikes. He’s had a Harley Davidson since 2007. The couple, who have been married for 44 years and moved into their new home at Amber by Living Gems last November, love everything about their 1966 Ford Fairlane. “It’s just so unique with its chrome windshield and rear window mouldings, chrome rain...

It’s International Friendship Day on July 30 and at Amber by Living Gems, the humble ukulele and the recently opened Country Club, with its five-star facilities for active over 50s, are bringing people together.   The Country Club features a snooker parlour and games room, heated swimming pool and spa, sauna, games rooms, ten-pin bowling alley, tennis court, and golf simulator. There’s also a bar and lounge, barbecue pavilion, conference room, and cinema with surround sound. Homeowner Larry Clifford, who is a former army signals warrant officer and real estate agent, is loving the Country Club facilities and recently surprised himself by starting a ukelele group about four months ago – having never before played the instrument. “A couple that live in the resort dropped in to see us, and they had a ukelele. After a few drinks they played a few songs and my wife Irene and I really liked it, so we thought we’d get one,” Larry recalled. “I’d been learning guitar for...

From a ‘Christmas in July’ to a Brett Whiteley art show and a tribute to Australia’s iconic princess of pop, Olivia Newton John – there is plenty of things for Amber by Living Gems homeowners to attend in Logan this July!   Get your friends together and check out some of these events near you.   Christmas in July, Friday, 12 July Join in the fun of Amputees Queensland’s Christmas in July delicious two-course buffet luncheon on 12 July. The menu includes a selection of roasted meats, vegetables, gravy, bread rolls and desserts. Enjoy raffles, lucky door prizes, a best dressed Christmas attire competition and more. Bring your friends and family. Cost is $15 each for members and $25 for non-members. When: Friday, 12 July 2024, 11.30am for 12pm start at Ben Matthews Playground Community Centre, 47-55 Ellen Street, Logan Central. RSVP: Monday, 8 July 2024 on 3290 4293 or email [email protected] Visit Facebook   Sundays in the Market Hall at Distillery Road Market, Sundays About 20 minutes’ drive from Logan...

Line dancing is back on the agenda with Amber by Living Gems’ homeowners boot-scootin' right into their impressive new Country Club. “We were in the temporary clubhouse for about 18 months doing line dancing, and then I took over coordinating it when the new Country Club opened,” said Marjie Graham, a former hairdresser who teaches both line dancing and fitness classes at Amber. “I love the music in line dancing and the fact you’re getting in fitness, balance, and coordination is a bonus,” she said. Marjie also runs an aerobic fitness class at the resort and a chair exercise class. There is also another aerobics class that is run, too, so all together there are classes on three to four days a week. Marjie, 81, said she liked to keep moving and loves the facilities and lifestyle at Amber by Living Gems. “I started line dancing about two years ago after trying dances from YouTube. It is very similar to the fitness classes, only to...

LAMINGTONS HAVE BECOME SUCH A FAMOUS CULINARY ICON IN AUSTRALIA THAT WE NOW CELEBRATE NATIONAL LAMINGTON DAY ON 21 JULY EACH YEAR.   Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901, Lord Lamington receives credit for creating the lamington, but it is home cooks like Carol McClure, of Amber by Living Gems, who have kept the tradition alive to this day. "Lamingtons are something I have been making since I was a young child and I use a recipe which has been handed down through our family. It's a very old recipe book called the Edmonds Cooking Book from New Zealand," said Carol. When Carol's two sons were young, she would cook the special treats for the annual lamington drives at school and when fundraising for the scouting movement, in which the family was involved. "They are great for when we have visitors and I've also been cooking them for my husband John since we were married 54 years ago. He just loves them," said the...

THE HARD WORK OF AMBER BY LIVING GEMS RESIDENTS, FRIENDS, RESORT STAFF, AS WELL AS THE LOGAN COMMUNITY AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, HAS RAISED $3,300 FOR THE QUEENSLAND CANCER COUNCIL. Homeowner Barbara Whiteside was doing the big job of coordinating a Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser for the charity at Amber, however, it unfortunately had to get cancelled when the winter lurgies swept in. “Many of us have either been touched by cancer or know someone who has been, and it’s an important cause with so many homeowners or their families involved in the event’s preparation,” she said. “While the event didn’t go ahead on the day planned as too many of were sick, we still held the raffles and lucky door prizes afterwards to raise money. We had more than 40 generous donations, and it was so pleasing to see so much support for the cause.”