Health and wellbeing benefits of downsizingDownsizing the family home after the kids have left the nest is a major life milestone which comes with some surprising advantages that go beyond having less gardening and home maintenance to worry about.If you’re considering making a downsizing move, you’re not alone, says Living Gems CEO Adrian Puljich.“According to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, more than half of Australians over the age of 55 have either downsized or have thought about it,” he said.“And that comes with some downsizing benefits that you may not have considered when it comes to rightsizing to an over-50s lifestyle resort like Living Gems.”A sense of security living in a gated communityLiving Gems resorts are gated communities.“That’s great peace of mind, whether you are at home or travelling,” said Adrian. “But there’s more than just physical security, there is also the comfort of knowing your neighbours by name and that each resort has on-site resort management.”Less maintenance...

Pretty as a picture! Living Gems’ popular photo competition returns for 2024.We’re looking for creative photographs that showcase why the Living Gems lifestyle is simply lifechanging.They can be terrific travel destinations, wonderful wildlife photography or fabulous times with friends. Entries are open to all Living Gems homeowners.The best photograph each month will be featured on the back page of Thrive magazine as well as on Living Gems’ Facebook page.Get snapping! The competition will run until 1 November 2024.Submissions should be sent to [email protected] March Photo Winner This month’s contributor wishes to remain anonymous, but tells us this remarkable photograph of a baby dinosaur stampede was taken at the Age of Dinosaurs exhibition at Winton in Outback Queensland.You could be our next photo competition winner. Just submit your photo to [email protected] for submitting your photos.Photos must be:Be taken by you Be at least 2MB in size Include the location of the photograph, along with any interesting information about the destination.

Welcome to another edition of our Resort Round-up. Living Gems communities are renowned as places where homeowners can keep fit and healthy as well as having lots of fun, with something new happening almost every day.Talk about close calls! Luck was on Aileen McColl’s side on Christmas night when a tornado hit the Gold Coast and sent a large gum tree in the park behind crashing down onto her Living Gems Gold Coast home. The luck was in the fact that Aileen, 62, and her two dogs were at a friend’s home enjoying some festive fare at the time. It wasn’t until she arrived home later that night that the full extent of the damage was revealed.“The gum tree hit my carport, bathroom, bedroom, lounge and dining areas. All I saw at first was the carport but then, when I opened the front door, it was devastation central. The ceilings had collapsed, and broken metal was strewn across the mattress...

Serving up cocktails and canapes is an enchanting way to make Valentine’s Day a memorable occasion and Chef Matt Conquest has just the recipe for success.He recommends preparing Atlantic salmon or ocean trout as part of a tasting board by using cured salmon or salmon Gravlax, making it ideal for serving as an entree or as a canape. Beetroot adds a lovely rose colour to the salmon when cured and it can also be partnered with gin instead of vodka to make a Miss Peacock Gin cocktail.Beetroot and gin-cured salmon can also be paired with dill creme or cream fraiche, capers and caperberries, cucumber and red onion (either fresh or pickled), fresh herbs, bagels, fresh baguettes or crisp breads, toasted French sticks or savoury mini pancakes.When curing the salmon, keep in mind that the longer it is cured for – between 24 and 72 hours – the more moisture is drawn from the fish and the richer the colour. Ingredients Salmon Gravlax cure 500g fresh...

Enduring romance thrives at Living Gems‘Happily ever after’ doesn’t just happen in romance novels. A lifetime of love and devotion is on display at Living Gems communities right across Queensland. This Valentine’s Day, homeowners share their photos and memories of their special day. Rod and Janene Griffith Amber by Living Gems9 March 1974 Married at the Methodist Church, GracevilleRod and Janene will celebrate 50 years of marriage on 9 March. They were married just after major flooding devastated Brisbane in 1974. They can still recall how organisers of their reception at the Boulevard Tropical Gardens on the river at Indooroopilly – where three metres of water had flowed through the reception area and gardens – had to scramble to get the venue ready for their special day. “It poured on the day, and after the reception we only just made it through rising waters to get to the airport to fly to New Zealand for our honeymoon. It’s a day we will...

2023 has been a busy year in our active communities.What a year 2023 has been! Our wonderful communities have had fun socialising and going on travel adventures. But more than that, our homeowners also show great heart with fundraisers and practical support for vital local charities.Last year kicked off to a great start with fresh and modern new branding for Living Gems, along with a new website and the launch of Thrive, a glossy magazine for and about our amazing Living Gems residents, current and future!Over the past 12 months, the beautiful new Country Club at Amber by Living Gems really started taking shape and it won’t be long before it is ready for its grand opening in early 2024. The $10.5 million double-storey facility will become the heart of this lovely community.Throughout the year street parties have been the order of the day as new homeowners were enthusiastically greeted by their neighbours. Lots of friendships have been formed with...

Pretty as a picture! Living Gems’ popular photo competition returns for 2024.We’re looking for creative photographs that showcase why the Living Gems lifestyle is simply lifechanging.They can be terrific travel destinations, wonderful wildlife photography or fabulous times with friends. Entries open to all Living Gems homeowners.The best photograph each month will be featured on the back page of Thrive magazine as well as on Living Gems’ Facebook page.Get snapping! The competition will run until 1 November 2024.Submissions should be sent to [email protected] January Photo Winner You could be our photography winner of the month and have your photo featured here, just like Sandy Gillis from Living Gems Maleny.She sent in this beautiful shot of trees in all of their colourful autumnal glory.Guidelines for submitting your photosPhotos must be:Taken horizontally At least 2MB in size Taken by you

Christmas is the time for giving and if you’re stuck for inspiration, Santa’s little helpers have given us a sneak preview of some fun, interesting and practical gifts many will find under the tree this year.Coconut Bowl Gift Set for Two $52.70 Start the summer holidays with a tropical vibe with a coconut bowl gift set for two. The set includes coconut cups, bowls, wooden fork and spoon, bamboo chopsticks and straws. This gift not only looks great, but it is also environmentally friendly! Every purchase results in a tree being planted. So far, Coconutsy has planted more than 1500 trees from the Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay. Available from: coconutsy.com.au/products/gift-set-for-two Festive Spiced Biscuit Candle $59.95 Keep the warm and cosy spirit of Christmas close with a limited-edition festive candle from Glasshouse Candles. The visually appealing packaging by Michelle Pereira gives a hint of the sweet and spicy scent within. Top notes of orange, almond and caramel are balanced by the mid notes of cedarwood, cloves,...

Welcome to another edition of our Resort Round-up. There is never a dull moment at our Living Gems communities with so many activities and fun thing happening all the time.The skeletons came out of the closets, the ghouls were awaiting, and the zombie wait-staff served such delights as ‘chilled monkey brains’ and ‘blood transfusion bags’ at Living Gems Caboolture Riverfront recently.The Halloween-themed dinner was in full swing and ghosts, spiders, witches and other frightful characters were everywhere to be seen.The king and queen of the night were named with the voodoo high priestess and pirate skeleton (aka Maus and Kev, the resort managers), taking out the crowns and goblets on the night.Entertainment was by the residents with many taking part in karaoke throughout the evening.The residents of Living Gems Pacific Paradise have breathed new life into their Country Club by making it a hub of artistic expression.Every month they take turns displaying new art, turning the club into an ever-evolving...

This is our last photo competition entry for 2023! Thank you to everyone who shared their wonderful snaps with us over the past 12 months. We’ve enjoyed seeing some fabulous destinations, favourite local spots, macro shots, action photos, best pet shots and lots more from our homeowners.Each month, one winning photo will be chosen from across all Living Gems resorts and featured on the back page of Thrive magazine and shared on the Living GemsFacebook Page, so get your exclusive bragging rights ready and share your masterpieces with us.Send your submissions, with your full name, resort name and where the photo was taken, to [email protected] December Photo Winner Congratulations to this month’s winner, Valerie Cole from Opal by Living Gems in Logan Village. This lovely country idyll is well-known to homeowners, as it is in their own backyard!Submission GuidelinesPhotos must be:Taken horizontally At least 2MB in size Taken by you