Featured in the Cove | Issue 94 January – February 2023
When Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters architects, planners and management first sat down to consider the design elements and inclusions for this, their most opulent and prestigious over-50s community to date, one thing was clear. Modern over-50s will not settle for an outdated ‘retirement’ approach to living. Their diaries are actually quite full and they are finally putting themselves and their health and wellness first.
With more than 45 years’ experience in designing, building and operating lifestyle communities along Australia’s eastern seaboard, Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters planners have learned that the modern over-50s homeowner wants more out of this next stage in life. For these homeowners, it’s not necessarily a time to downsize but more so a time to ‘right-size’. Yes, homes need to be low maintenance, but they also need to have the luxury fittings and fixtures that this demographic has worked hard throughout their lives/careers to now enjoy. Homes also need to have the space to allow extended family and friends to come and stay, while also supporting those recreational activities that make these years so rewarding. But more so, there’s been a definite and recognisable shift in the over-50s demographic to prioritise health and wellness. They’re committing more regular time to being active and working out. Yoga, Pilates and tai chi classes are not simply one-offs but are now consistent inclusions on the weekly activities list. Meditation is more mainstream than it has ever been before.
To answer this call, Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters has placed special emphasis on creating the most opulent and considered community facilities ever seen in an over-50s community here in Australia. The resort itself is nestled right alongside the award-winning, Greg Norman-designed Pelican Waters Golf Course on a swathe of stunning waterway behind the Sunshine Coast’s finest beaches, so even before construction began, this resort was always going to be a natural Mecca for golfers, watersports enthusiasts and adventure seekers. But when you talk about jewels in crowns, Palm Lake Resort Pelican Water’s main community precinct, The Springs Country Club, is an absolute sparkling diamond.
With a rooftop bar, resort swimming pools as well as exclusive dining and social spaces, The Springs Country Club also offers a Palm Lake Resort first – the Mirador wellness centre.
Mirador is a purpose-designed wellness area within the greater Country Club precinct. It’s the first time in Palm Lake Resort’s 45-year history (and a first among the 28 community lifestyle resorts that make up the Palm Lake Group’s national portfolio) that such a dedicated approach to wellness has been embraced. And the reaction from over 50s so far has been nothing short of incredibly positive.
Milon gymnasium
Milon gymnasiums have made an impressive addition to the newest Palm Lake Resort addresses and Pelican Waters homeowners will also enjoy the Milon experience. Users have embraced the circuit of slick electronic exercise machines. Each homeowner has their own personal Milon smart card that they insert in each machine as they progress around the circuit, giving each machine that user’s set-up requirement. One circuit takes 17.5 minutes to complete and users are encouraged to complete 2-3 circuits per week for optimum health results. The smart cards also store homeowners’ health information and exercise progress in the cloud, which can be made accessible to those homeowners’ own chosen health professionals, if they desire. It’s just another way Palm Lake Resort can support their homeowners’ respective health team.
Pool and spa
Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters has been designed around a Palm Springs theme. The epically chic main outdoor pool deck overlooks adjacent natural waterways and Pelican Waters Golf Course. If you can drag yourself away from the poolside cabanas (and the swim-up bar!), this is the perfect location for swimming laps. And for those seeking more aqua exercise options, simply head indoors where a second, climate-controlled heated swimming pool provides the location for weekly aqua fitness classes.
“Water-based fitness is beloved for its many health benefits, and not just by those older participants,” says Di Clapp, who has been teaching water classes for 30 years and heads up the aqua exercise program at Palm Lake Resort Caloundra Cay. “There are so many styles of water-based fitness available now, all serving different – though equally beneficial – purposes.”
Aqua aerobics is an undoubted favourite right across the Palm Lake Group, and H20 Pilates is also popular. Ideal for those who have issues with weight-bearing exercises, aqua fitness helps increase muscle strength without straining.
“Aqua aerobics – along with many other styles of water-based fitness – removes the force of gravity which, when combined with the buoyancy provided by the water, helps you feel lighter and nimbler,” says Di. “One great benefit of working out in the water is that it keeps you cooler, so there is less risk of overheating. Water also allows for more adaptability in terms of the intensity of your workout. It is very easy to maximise the force of the water resistance to suit your strength, thus tailoring your workout.
“To the untrained eye, water-based training can look like it doesn’t take much effort but there are so many benefits to working with water, and when you do it right, you will feel them.”
Yoga and Pilates rooms
To the delight of many modern over-50s, Mirador will offer separate dedicated spaces for homeowners’ yoga practise and Pilates workouts. For the first time in any Palm Lake Resort, Pelican Waters will also offer premium reformer Pilates machines so homeowners can take their Pilates journey to the next level.
While the dedicated space and equipment is one thing, Palm Lake Resort is also committed to providing expert instructors and personal trainers to oversee homeowners’ workouts and wellness sessions.
Wellness lounge
Beyond the bending, stretching and sweat, Mirador’s wellness lounge is the place to take a well-earned moment to pause and regroup. Whether that’s before your yoga practise, after your Milon gym circuit, or at any time of the day (just because), this wellness lounge will help homeowners centre themselves. With gentle relaxation music as a constant backdrop, homeowners are encouraged to pour themselves a sparkling water from the Billi tap and find a comfortable lounge. This space is the gentle way to top up your zen.
Sauna
Any wellness centre is not complete without a sauna and, as expected, Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters will offer the most premium sauna experience around. The benefits of sauna use are manifold. From relieving sore muscles, helping your body eliminate toxins and clearing the skin, to reducing blood pressure, stress and pain, time is well spent in a sauna.
And more…
Mirador offers some of the country’s best health and wellness spaces and the most premium equipment but, to Palm Lake Resort, it’s also the little things that count – and that make the Pelican Waters difference. Changerooms and amenities have been well considered and homeowners will also have their own personal locker within the Mirador wellness centre so it’s easy for them to feel like this space is an extension of their own.
Overall, there’s little doubt that Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters will be the answer to the resort community lifestyle so highly valued and sought out by a modern demographic of Aussie over-50s. While the word “iconic” has already been bandied about, in reference to Palm Lake Resort Pelican Waters, one thing is for sure. This is one coveted over-50s address – and this is your time.