When Shane and Robyn Bell freed themselves from a life of time-consuming home upkeep, taking up a low maintenance, lock-up and go lifestyle at GemLife Bribie Island, they never anticipated the adventure awaiting them.
Little did they know that they were GemLife’s 500th residents, and to celebrate the milestone, GemLife surprised them with a hot-air balloon trip.
“It was incredible, hot-air ballooning is something we’d always wanted to try and it just happened to be our 49th wedding anniversary the week that we went,” said Shane.
“It was a very special way to start our new life at GemLife.”
Three years ago the couple bought a house on Bribie Island to escape the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast but quickly realised their new house was holding them back.
“My parents lived on Bribie Island years ago and we always thought it was a lovely place so three years ago we bought a house on the island,” said Shane.
“We travel a lot and found that the work involved to keep the house maintained and finding people to come look after it while we travelled was too much, so we decided to try another over-50s resort.”
After visiting the resort, the Bells were certain they had found the perfect place.
“We’re really looking forward to settling into our new home, which is just beautiful, and being able to use the facilities like the pool, cinema, ten-pin bowling and the gym without having to leave to leave the resort or worry about maintaining them,” said Robyn.
“We also love the atmosphere of the resort. Everyone is very friendly and there are people with a range of ages and many more people closer to our age than people expect.”
Keen explorers, Shane and Robyn were also drawn to the security of the resort, the on-site storage for their motorhome, and the ability to hit the road at a moment’s notice.
“We’re very excited about being able to hop in our motorhome and leave without worrying about the security or maintenance of our home,” said Robyn.
“We love to explore Australia. Most recently we’ve been to Tasmania and the Kimerblies and once we’re settled we’re planning to revisit Tasmania and Western Australia,” said Shane.
With Robyn a keen runner and Shane a Harley Davidson rider, the active couple are also keen to explore their new home on foot and by bike this year.
