A home for family, fun and friends

This stylish waterfront residence has been the ideal space for owners Billy and Jackie Cross to raise a family and fulfil their love of entertaining

FOR a fun-loving social couple with two young boys, home for Billy and Jackie Cross has been as much a space for family as for entertaining.

Having purchased their Broadbeach Waters plot with a knockdown house in 2009, the couple worked with Bayden Goddard Design Architects to bring their vision to life.

Their sprawling LA-inspired mansion has a relaxed elegance about it, with multiple areas for relaxation, exercise and play.

“It’s a big house with a lovely open plan, but the spaces still feel intimate,” said Mr Cross, who credits wife Jackie for the styling.

“Having two young boys, it’s been an amazing place for them to grow up in.”

Full height stacker doors allow the indoor living areas to flow easily onto alfresco entertainment spaces, where the aspect takes in a pool, a tennis court and main river.

“We’re on nearly 2600 sqm of land with a park across the road and the main river at the back,” said Mr Cross.

“Laying out there watching the boats and jet skis go by on main river is a really relaxing place to be and a great space for entertaining.”

An outdoor kitchen is equipped with teppanyaki facilities and three wine fridges, in addition to the temperature controlled 2000-bottle cellar inside.

Entertaining is second nature for the vivacious entrepreneur, who shot to fame in the 1980s as the founding member of hit male stage show Manpower.

Mr Cross went on to run a string of nightclubs in Surfers Paradise and Las Vegas, where his Thunder From Down Under show has been a roaring success.

Waking up to a gym, steam room and massage room have made home workouts a breeze, while sons Nick, now 17 and Josh, 21 made the most of the tennis-come-basketball court over the years.

But the hands-down favourite feature goes to the man cave, which Mr Cross describes as “one of the best on the Gold Coast”.

It’s kitted out with a bar, wine fridges, classic pub pool table and seven televisions for the ultimate sporting feast.

“You can watch the races, footy and AFL at the same time,” Mr Cross said.

“It has been a great space to have the boys over for punting sessions on a Saturday or late night parties.”

An annual Australia Day gathering has been a longstanding event on the Cross social calendar, but with their sons now grown up, life is moving into a new phase.

“We’ve bought the penthouse in White at Main Beach, so we’ll be starting a new chapter close to the restaurants and cafes there,” Mr Cross said.

“I’m excited and emotional. I love the aspect of walking to the shops to grab coffee and bagels from the bakery in the mornings, and late night Thai or Italian.

“But at the same time we’ve spent 12 years in this house so we will miss it.”