Life begins at 50

Over 50 and making new friends…

25 August 2016 | by Halcyon

Do you ever watch your grandchildren in the playground making new friends? They find a kid who looks roughly the same age, enter the playground and start playing with that kid, that’s it, it is all so easy! As we get older it’s a little more complicated to just walk up to people and start a conversation let alone strike up a friendship.

Our lives these days are so busy with work and family that when we do find ourselves with some spare time we realise that we don’t have anyone to play with! Well rest assured there are a few ...

Why would you move interstate when you’re over 50?

19 August 2016 | by Halcyon

So you’ve found yourself with an empty nest but you’re busier than ever, you’ve got plans all the way til Christmas 2018! You’re earning so many frequent flyer points visiting family and friends that you haven’t seen for years or maybe traveling to warmer places in winter, either way you seem to be spending more time interstate than at home!

This is a scenario that so many over 50’s find themselves in when they get to that stage in life when the kids have moved out or won’t move out unless you move out, work is not taking up most of ...

Cruise into your next adventure…

12 August 2016 | by Halcyon

Australians love a holiday (tell us something we don’t know!!) more specifically they love a cruising holiday… More than one million Aussies (that’s 4.5% of the national population) took a cruise holiday in 2015.

There’s no doubt that you have thought about going on a cruise, it’s hard not to given it’s major breakthrough in the Australian tourism market in 2004. So people have been talking about it… a lot, the old saying “you either cruise or you don’t” rings loud in my ears.

There are the common misconceptions of a cruising holiday that hold you back. There’s more to a cruise ...

What’s next for super?

05 August 2016 | by Halcyon

Here’s a summary of the super changes…that will come into effect from 1 July 2017 if passed by the parliament, we will also focus on the changes being made to the transition to retirement policy, so you can have a better idea in terms of what’s happening to your nest egg.

Snapshot of changes…

• Reduction in annual concessional contribution caps, with an ability to carry forward unused caps.
• A lifetime non-concessional contribution cap of $500,000 to replace the annual caps and bring-forward rules.
• A limit on pension phase balances of $1.6 million per person (for new and existing income ...

Good neighbours

29 July 2016 | by Halcyon

It’s always been very easy for home owners at our lifestyle communities to become friends, given that most people living here have similar interests or develop similar interest as a result of living where they live, but now we are seeing it go one step further with groups of friends making the move together.

It does make sense, friends often experience life shifts at roughly the same time, kids leaving home, working shifts from working 70 hours a week to a more sane level, grand kids come along, travelling, a desire to be able to leave whenever you want and the ...

Luxury by the water

23 July 2016 | by Halcyon

Article appeared in the Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin, 23 July 2016.

Absolute waterfront and on-site boat mooring are drawing in baby boomers to this exclusive community.

Since launching to the market in June 2014, 74 properties totalling $55 million have sold at Hope Island’s over 50s community Vision by Halcyon.

The average sale price is $750,000 with baby boomers jumping aboard the aquatic lifestyle. Only one of the community’s 21 canalfronting residences remains after buyers honed in on the opportunity to live on the waterfront.

Halcyon joint managing director Bevan Geissmann said Vision’s luxury waterfront homes represented some of the best over 50s living ...

Benefits to keeping active over 50

22 July 2016 | by Halcyon

Did you know that on average one in four people between the age of 65 – 74 exercise regularly! Also… once you turn 30 if you don’t work on your muscle mass, you could lose 10% of mass every decade… Ok, we will stop mentioning these extraordinarily interesting facts and start talking about all the wonderful things that happen when you do exercise.

Whether you are already exercising on a regular basis or are planning to start here are some tips that will surely add years to your life and life to your years!

Just remember exercise doesn’t have to be a ...

7 great reasons to take a winter break

15 July 2016 | by Halcyon

For many of us in Australia, winter has well and truly settled in, cold weather, rain, bleak skies. So now is the perfect time to lock and go and just take a break from everyday life…

You may not believe this, but there are so many great benefits when travelling in winter, to see them just look beyond the weather forecast.

Here are just some of the perks of setting off on an adventure:

1.     Beat the winter blues
If you have a mindset that holidays must be filled with warmth and sunshine, ask yourself why. Perhaps this thought has restricted your desire ...

It’s so easy being green…

08 July 2016 | by Halcyon

In terms of green building and sustainable building practices, Australia is at the leading edge, using design and planning processes that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient

Over the past two decades Australia has led the way in green initiatives, one could say that because of the harsh Aussie environment we have been forced to think outside the box and deliver innovative solutions when it comes to building and designing green.

It’s only natural that this initiative would flow through to the every day home owner.

First off, lets look at the benefits of building green:

LESS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

HEALTHIER PLACES TO LIVE

FUTURE-PROOFED ...

Recipe: Roast Beef

01 July 2016 | by Halcyon

Ingredients
1kg eye-fillet of beef
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to brush
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
30 thin slices flat pancetta, rind removed
2 cups roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup (250ml) Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz
1 bay leaf
2 cups (500ml) Campbell's Real Stock Beef

Method
Step 1:
Trim fillet of all fat and sinew, reserving the trimmings. If the fillet is the tail end, fold the thinnest end underneath to ensure even cooking. Make small incisions in beef with a sharp knife and push ...