Stepping into a new stage of life

New over-50s resort appealing to downsizing buyers wanting

DOWNSIZING from a family home at Mooroobool to a three-bedroom home at Botanica Resort for Over 50s at Caravonica has been a perfect move for active retirees Lyn and Chris Crooks.

The couple were looking for a simple lifestyle within a friendly community and thought they’d have to move south until they found Botanica — the first development of its kind in Cairns.

And their tip for others looking to downsize is straightforward: make a decision.

“We had a lot of garden maintenance and we were getting over climbing on roofs to clear gutters of leaves and that sort of thing,” Mrs Crooks said.

“We’d been looking to downsize and we didn’t want the impersonal lifestyle of a unit, and we didn’t want to be in a high rise — we were thinking we might have to move out of Cairns.”

The couple have lived in the Far North all their lives and have one son in Cairns and one in Sydney, so they wanted to stay in Cairns, where they say the airport makes visiting their Sydney son easy.

The logistics of downsizing weren’t difficult.

“You just get rid of what you don’t want. We gave a lot away and left a lot for the young girl who bought our house,” Mr Crooks said. “We shared things with family and the rest went to Lifeline.”

They are among the first people to move in to Botanica, a land lease community where residents own their home outright with a perpetual land lease from the owner.

“We have people around us that are like-minded, Mrs Crooks said.

“We wanted that community feel, to go outside and speak to people we know, which doesn’t seem to happen in the suburbs much any more.

“And the facilities — we’re looking forward to pools, libraries and cinemas, and there’s a bike path through to Smithfield shopping centre.

“This is much cheaper than the Sunshine Coast and we love Cairns. We are looking forward to the next step in life.”

Botanica Property Group director Robert Wallace said the $90m development would have nine stages, with construction of facilities including pools, two country clubs, a tennis court, an undercover bowling green and caravan storage under way.

Launched 18 months ago, stages 1 and 2 with 49 sites were snapped up and stage 3, with 18 sites, was released on January 21, with six sites still available.

He said the advantages of Botanica over living in an apartment were multiple.

“(The advantages include) being part of a five-star resort community, feeling safe and secure within a gated resort, being with like-minded people over 50 years old, having no rentals or holiday let properties, no stamp duty payable on purchase and no council rates,” Mr Wallace said.

Asked if there were plans to replicate the concept elsewhere, Mr Wallace responded that Botanica was his focus.