Main Beach, Australia
Member since
2022Exchange dates | Duration |
---|---|
June 03, 2024 - September 03, 2024 | 3 months |
We intend to base ourselves in Europe to visit our daughter and her family in the UK |
A very comfortable 2 bedroom apartment just a short 20 minute walk to Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast
My wife and I live in Brisbane but use our Main Beach apartment almost every weekend (or even mid-week) throughout the year as a true second home either by ourselves, with friends or as a base to visit our son plus our young grandchildren. The only exceptions are when we are traveling either elsewhere in Australia or overseas. We also have regularly let my daughter's young family, good friends or extended family members use it and its young children's games, beach and swimming pool gear during short term holidays.
Our level 2 unit is on the preferred north eastern corner of Sunbird Beach Resort which has a outdoor swimming pool, an indoor heated pool, sauna, tennis court, gym and squash court to keep you active regardless of the almost perfect year round weather.
Our Family
- 2 Adults
- 2 Children
- 1 Exchanges made
Occupation
- Recently retired civil engineer and major infrastructure program manager (Mike) plus retired family company director and former school teacher (Tracey)
Our Home
- House Type: Holiday home, second home
- Floor: Level 2
- Environment: By the sea
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 2
- Sleeping Capacity: 6
- Living Area: 90 m2
- Total Area: 100 m2
In my house
- Pets - Not allowed
- Small children - Allowed
Exchange Types
- Long-term exchange wanted
- Non-simultaneous exchange
- Home exchange
Indoor
- Hot tub or jacuzzi
- Air conditioning
- Baby equipment
- Toys and games
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Clothes dryer
- Television
Outdoor
- Balcony
- BBQ
- Sauna private
- Garage
- Private swimming pool
- Bicycles: 2
Facilities
- No smoking
- Lift/Elevator
Our Destination Wish List
- Open to any destination
- United States
- New Zealand
- North Africa
- Eastern Europe
- Western Europe
- United Kingdom
Spoken Languages
- English
Our Neighbourhood
Nearest Airport: Gold Coast - 24 kms
Main Beach is now a mix of residential and family orientated holiday apartments plus is little more low key than the hustle and bustle of nearby Surfers Paradise (the Gold Coast epicentre) . However, it is well serviced with a wide range of restaurants only 2 blocks away in Tedder Avenue or more relaxed dining at the nearby Surf Life Saving Club or Southport Yacht Club.
Our apartment is also just across the road from the patrolled surf beach plus, as motor enthusiasts would appreciate, on turn 11 of the GC500 V8 Supercars road circuit (plus within the race precinct).
For public transport, buses pass along Main Beach Parade (closest stop within 100m) that can take families without a car to all the 4 theme parks (Seaworld, Movieworld, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld) plus the Gold Coast Light Rail is about 7 minutes walk to gain access to the entire GC "strip" attractions including the Gold Coast Casino and Pacific Fair Shopping Centre at Broadbeach
For anyone familiar with South East Queensland, the "green behind the gold" Gold Coast hinterland is a short day trip away to places like Beechmont, Mount Tambourine and the Lamington Plateau where visitors can experience subtropical rainforests, waterfalls, great bushwalking (gentle to advanced) as well as range of great accommodation options from camping to luxury 5 star resorts for longer overnight or weekend stays.
The Gold Coast Airport is about 1/2 hour drive away (suitable for domestic, SE Asia and NZ flights) whereas international travellers from further afield mostly use the Brisbane International up along the Pacific Motorway M1 or by rail (less than 90 minutes away) directly connecting to the light rail.
Occupation
- Recently retired civil engineer and major infrastructure program manager (Mike) plus retired family company director and former school teacher (Tracey)
Children
- Girl - Age: 36
- Boy - Age: 38
Pets
- We do not have pets.
About Our Family
Tracey and I (Mike) are now active early 60's "grey nomads" (as we call travelling retirees in Australia). We currently live in West End, Brisbane (the capital of Queensland) where one of greatest joys was having fun with our daughter's family and their 2 sons (2 and 4 year olds). In late 2022 though, they have been transferred to the UK so that we aren't tied to Brisbane as much and which gives us the opportunity to again "see the world".
Down at the Gold Coast though, our son's family with our other grandchildren (boy (almost 10), girl (6) and new-born boy (16 January 2023) are the anchors which keep us tied to South East Queensland (apart from its fantastic year-long weather, recreational activities and being the best place in the world....just ask anyone who has made the effort to get here!!!).
Lifestyle
When at home in Brisbane or at the Gold Coast, our lifestyle is a similar mixture of active (e.g. golf, street and bushwalking, occasional gym sessions tennis plus short caravanning trips in South East Queensland) together with spectator options including sports (AFL, cricket, rugby league and union plus cinema, theatre and musicals.
We have previously travelled to many regions of the world for short holidays when we were working "full time". We prefer a mixture of active holidays (e.g. we've climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, skied in Japan and North America plus cycled in Vietnam) combined with some R&R afterwards like a cruise on the Nile, an African safari or a week at a beach resort in Thailand. Now that the world has "reopened" and we have more time we would like to stay overseas for longer durations.
Additionally and the major reason while we are looking at home exchanges now is that our daughter and son-in-law plus our 2 youngest grandsons were transferred in late 2022 to the UK (near London). Therefore we are initially targeting there and the rest of Europe so that we keep in close and regular contact with them. We are particularly hopeful we get to Wimbledon plus some London theatre events during any UK visits in 2024. On the active side, skiing plus walking anywhere in Europe are also on our agenda intermingled with seeing all the tourist sites the region has to offer.