Right across the Palm Lake Group, single homeowners are loving the connections they discover at Palm Lake Resort. Just ask Janine Maxworthy, whose life has changed for the better since she moved into Beachmere Bay.
Janine Maxworthy has only called Palm Lake Resort Beachmere Bay home for nine months but, already, she feels like whole new person.
“My biggest motivation for moving here was to help against loneliness,” says Janine. “I was quite lost after losing my husband, then my mum. My brother-in-law and his wife had been living here for some time and I decided it was perfect.”
But the first weeks away from her children and old life in New South Wales were overwhelming. Janine even wondered whether she had made the right decision.
“I felt quite lost – it was such a change,” admits Janine. “But one day I decided I had to change my mindset. There was so much here for me, I had to make the most of it.”
She had come to Palm Lake Resort Beachmere Bay in search of community and support. Why, she wondered, wasn’t she getting out there and embracing it?
“I had always stuck with my husband and my family, so it would have been easy for me to stay in my shell – I thought it would be too hard to make friends,” says Janine. “But once I decided to throw myself into it, I haven’t looked back. The friendships I’ve found here are just beautiful.”
Before, Janine never thought she would want to head up to the Hamptons Country Club for Friday afternoon Happy Hour – now, you’ll find her volunteering behind the bar.
“It’s lovely! I get to talk to so many people and make friends I mightn’t have met otherwise,” she smiles. “Plus, I love being able to help out. I’ve attained my Safe Food Handling Certificate so that I can volunteer more in the kitchen and at barbeques.”
Janine has also surprised herself by trying (and loving) lawn bowls, participating in coaching sessions and playing games on a regular basis. Next, she says she’ll try pickleball.
“I’m trying activities I never thought I would do,” says Janine. “There is so much on offer. But more than that, I think it’s the people here who make me want to get out and enjoy it all.
“Living by myself where I was before, I always felt like a third wheel. But there are so many people here on their own – we’re a very likeminded bunch.”
Janine especially enjoys the resort’s regular ‘PLOTO’ (people living on their own) outings, which give her a chance to meet new people and see new places in the area.
“The people here are just beautiful. There are so many lovely couples, too – some of whom are my best friends here,” she says. “When I had to go back down to New South Wales for my mum’s memorial – which had been postponed many times due to COVID – they were all messaging me to check in.”
And as much as Janine loves the community she can find just outside her door, she also loves having a beautiful home to come back to when she needs some peace and quiet.
“The fact that I have company when I need it and a sanctuary to come back to when I want some alone time – it really is the best of both worlds. There are no negatives.”
Of course, her sanctuary is made even better by the presence of her two dogs.
“My little dogs get me outside, and I take them for walks around the resort and Beachmere Sands, too,” says Janine. “There are so many dog owners here, and we all stop for a chat.”
Moving to Palm Lake Resort Beachmere Bay was about more than finding a new home – though Janine does love that
her home is exactly how she likes it. She says that meeting new friends and trying new things has given her a sense of purpose during a time when she felt lost.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself, but I’ve learned to make my place in life,” she says. “Doing something like this – something completely new, where I didn’t really know anybody – allowed me to come in as a whole new entity.
“If you’re thinking about a move like this, just do it. Life can be so lonely, especially when something happens that makes you feel like you don’t know where you belong. Having amazing company and the solace of my own beautiful home has been so important. It’s just perfect.”