Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we all need to take the time to celebrate our mums and the mother figures in our lives.What better way to show mum some appreciation than by making a special gift box filled with Chef Matt Conquest’s delicious, tastebud-tempting gin and tonic-infused chocolate truffles?Chef Matt’s recipe is as easy as it is delicious, and you can make this gift even more special by boxing it with a handwritten card or buy a gift basket and add a bottle of gin and some dried citrus to use later in a cocktail. Be creative with your own personal touches and flourishes! Ingredients (Makes 12)60ml good tonic water 30ml quality gin 140ml double cream 150g dark chocolate 25g unsalted butter White choclate glaze200g white melting chocolate 1 lemon, finely zested 1 lime, finely zestedMethodLine a plate with baking paper. In a small pot, bring the gin and tonic to the boil and reduce by half. ...

Quality camping for the whole family Make precious memories with your loved ones by adding camping to your family traditions.Camping is a wonderful opportunity to get the whole family together to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine as well as some good old-fashioned games and activities that don’t involve mobile phones or computer screens.We’ve picked some popular camping spots for you and your family to try. Many of these locations are accessible for caravans and RVs.Camping not really your thing? We’ve got you covered. Some of these properties also have luxury ‘glamping’, caravans, cabins and houses to stay in.  Murphy’s Creek Escape Murphy's Creek Escape is in the Upper Lockyer at the foot of the Toowoomba Range, less than half an hour from the centre of Toowoomba and is ideal for a family camping adventure.The campgrounds have recently opened an ‘eco billabong’ swimming area that uses a natural wetlands filtration system instead of building a traditional chlorinated swimming pool.Don't have a tent or...

Mother’s Day gift guide Mother’s Day is one special day of the year where we get to honour and celebrate all mothers, not just for bringing life into the world, but for their maternal bonds, their influence on society, and their loving and caring natures.With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we have put together a handy 2023 gift guide to help inspire you on how to spoil and celebrate mum on Sunday, 14 May. Personalised Mother’s Day canvas from Gossby For something a little bit simpler, yet still unique, Gossby offers personalised canvas work for a special gift. You can order a canvas online with a quick turnaround, delivering within ten days from purchase. You can also customise avatars to match your family and view the completed design before ordering. The site is in US dollars but automatically converts to AUD through PayPal, and at around RRP $75 with free shipping, it’s something a little different for mum.Click here to find out...

It was another fabulous month among the Living Gems communities, with lots of settlements achieved, fun adventures experienced, physical activities accomplished, and some new resort managers coming on board one of the resorts.Living Gems Caboolture Riverfront welcomed Maureen and Kevin Johnson as their new managers last month. The couple was excited to take up their new post and look forward to meeting all the residents over time. Their move was timed perfectly with the resort now hitting its final settlement stage. They will be able to personally welcome the last residents moving into the resort.That’s not all this vibrant over-50s lifestyle resort has been up to. Residents have been busy with more fun times, dancing and singing up a storm. Cathy Beitzel organised another wonderful night of entertainment, and we hear that Lucas Plath and Darren Rosetta were among some of the residents who shared their stunning karaoke voices. Keep the jiving up Team Caboolture!Toowoomba also celebrated several settlements...

Fitness and lifestyle coach shares weight training tipsWith this month’s edition of Thrive focussing on health and fitness, we asked industry professional Josh Kristenson to give us a run-down of how best to achieve a great workout at your Living Gems gym without it being too strenuous or overwhelming.A gym can be a daunting place. The thought of getting back into shape after years on hiatus stops many from even trying to return to exercise. But exercise needn't be difficult. It can be fun and rewarding if you do it in moderation and don’t push yourself over personal limits.“If you are returning to exercise, you need to start slow and ease into it with anything from low resistance training to simple cardio that will help build up a nice pace for yourself,” Josh says.“Do some light sets or reps that you are comfortable with because you will ache a bit and you don’t want to be turned off from your...

See the world at walking paceWalking holidays are one of the best ways to get to know a country and its people – not to mention seeing some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. We’ve compiled an entire bucket list’s worth of trekking travels to explore. North America Yosemite National Park (California, USA) Stunning high sierras are to be found in Yosemite National Park. There are several multi-day hikes to try depending on the time of year and level of experience. For an easy walking, three-day hike, the Ten Lakes Loop covers 32 kilometres and will reward you with stunning views of pristine lakes framed by alpine forests.For experienced hikers, the Hetch Hetchy Loop presents the ideal challenge. This trek will take you between three and four days and follows a route less travelled past beautiful waterfalls and untouched wilderness around O’Shaughnessy Dam and Lake Vernon.Click here for more information  Middle EastDana Nature Reserve to Petra (Jordan) Discover a city forgotten by the world for...

The month of March was massive for our Living Gems community. There is movement at every corner lately, with two successful open days going off with a bang.Living Gems Toowoomba hosted their most recent Open Day, attracting large groups of prospective homeowners. More than 100 people turned up to check out the resort’s immaculate grounds and display homes in the Final Stage.Amber by Living Gems was just as triumphant, bringing even more people out to play. With Stage Two at the resort in full swing, our special launch event had some very excited people on deck. Future homeowners enjoyed inspecting the display homes at this stunning over-50s lifestyle resort that’s now filling up fast. Contract holders are thrilled to see the site works well underway too!Several Amber residents have already started some fun activities, including weekly pool events. Sinking the black ball never looked so good, with eight pool sharks getting together at the Logan Village Hotel to demonstrate their...

Trekking in South East QldYou don't need to renew that passport to do some marvellous multi-day walks. Discover these terrific treks – all within South East Queensland. The Cooloola Great Walk The Cooloola Great Walk is a 102km, five-day trek through the Cooloola Recreation Area taking in giant sand hills, hidden rainforests, lakes and a stunning coastline. This walk is for intermediate to advanced hikers who are well-equipped, and it is highly rewarding.Click here to find out more The Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk This 54km walk is ideal for those who are new to multi-day hiking. This three-day walk takes you through the towering rainforest between Binna Burra and Springbrook National Park. Be sure to bring a camera, along with your camping gear, to capture shots from beautiful lookouts, and of majestic waterfalls and local wildlife.Click here to find out more Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk Discover beautiful waterfalls and take a dip in refreshing rock pools in this 58km walk which takes about four...

Top ten mistakes people make when shifting to community living Planning to rightsize requires careful thought. If you know anyone who is considering moving into an over-50s lifestyle resort, make sure they read this handy list of the top ten typical mistakes people make.1. Making a hasty decision When deciding what to do about the family home, you might find yourself hemmed in on all sides by well-meaning advice from family and friends.It’s a significant step and if you’ve lived in your home for a long time, there are many precious memories there too – along with everything that’s familiar, such as the neighbours and the neighbourhood.You might feel under pressure from your family to sell the home or be urged by a spouse to downsize. As a result, you could feel obliged to make a quick decision to make everyone happy.This is a mistake that could be financially costly as well as negatively impact on your future wellbeing and peace of...