Could the Fraser Coast become Queensland’s next great food region? Exploring how local growers, sustainable agriculture, new industries and smarter infrastructure could create jobs, support small businesses and shape the region’s future.
Reflections, photography and longer-form writing that sits a little deeper. Personal stories, creative work and observations that don’t always fit neatly elsewhere.
A childhood friend’s simple question, “What’s news?”, stayed with me long after our school days ended and helped shape my path into journalism, storytelling and a lifelong desire to help others.
Home Is Where the Heart Is, But Where Is Home?
WHILE sorting through some of my mother’s belongings recently, I found a small piece of my childhood. It was a wall hanging I’d made when I was about 10: a piece of mustard-yellow cloth, a white heart stitched into the centre and the words Home is where the heart is.
It was hardly a masterpiece. But for years it hung on the lounge-room wall of the old workers cottage where I grew up in Barcaldine, a house that had been moved to town from the Pine Hill/Bogantungan area in 1886 as the railway pushed west from Rockhampton. It was already carrying plenty of stories before our family added its own.
At some point, long after I’d left home, my little cross-stitch disappeared. I hadn’t thought about it in years. Then, there it was again among Mum’s things, preserved for reasons she probably never thought necessary to explain.
And suddenly those simple words seemed much less simple.
A childhood cross-stitch I made at about 10, recently rediscovered among Mum’s belongings.
I have lived in 15 houses so far. There were moves associated with my late husband’s work, moves dictated by circumstance and others made by choice. Each time, belongings were packed into boxes, transported somewhere else and unpacked into another collection of rooms.
Perhaps that is why I’ve tended to think of houses as simply bricks and mortar rather than something to become too attached to. Give me somewhere to put my books, photographs and familiar things, and I’ve generally believed I could make a home almost anywhere.
I started practising early. As a child, I built cubby houses; some rather more structurally questionable than others. A few involved digging holes in the ground and putting sheets of corrugated iron across the top. Building regulations were apparently fairly relaxed in my corner of Queensland in those days, particularly when the developer was 10.
Since then, my definition of temporary accommodation has broadened considerably.
I’ve house-sat in other people’s homes and spent extended periods camping, when canvas walls and a zippered doorway marked the boundary between home and the outside world. I’ve slept in ship’s cabins and train sleepers, motels and hotels. More recently, Airbnbs in places as different as Toowoomba and Japan have briefly become home base.
Somewhere along the way, I came to believe that home was something we carried with us. I still believe that, mostly.
Moving frequently has scattered my memories across a surprisingly wide map. Certain houses belong to certain stages of family life. Friends and neighbours belong to particular towns. A kitchen can remind me of one period, a garden of another. There is no single building that contains the full story of my adult life.
But the older I get, the more I think there is another side to that childhood saying. Home may be where the heart is, but the heart needs somewhere safe to call home.
There is enormous security in knowing the place where you sleep tonight will still be yours tomorrow. Home ownership, when it is achievable, offers more than an asset on a balance sheet. It can provide stability, autonomy and the freedom to shape a place around the way you live.
Perhaps we don’t fully appreciate that security until we consider how easily it can disappear.
My younger brother, Harry, has worked in homeless shelters and has seen people arrive there whose lives had once appeared perfectly secure. Homelessness is not always the culmination of years of disadvantage. Sometimes life simply turns with frightening speed.
An accident. A head injury. An illness. A job lost because someone can no longer work. Mortgage or rent payments fall behind. Then what?
Harry has often talked about the importance of family in those moments. Someone with people around them may have a spare room to retreat to, a couch to sleep on, help navigating paperwork, or simply someone prepared to say, Come here until we work this out.
For people without that network, the same crisis can have a very different ending. It makes me think differently about community, too.
We tend to talk about homes as individual possessions: my house, my unit, my property. Yet none of us really lives within four walls alone. We live in streets, apartment buildings, townhouse complexes, neighbourhoods, towns and communities. The quality of those connections matters.
Perhaps creating better homes, then, isn’t only about designing beautiful interiors, although I remain firmly in favour of comfortable chairs, good lighting and a splash of colour. Even simple changes can make everyday surroundings more enjoyable, as these resort-style coastal apartment ideas demonstrate.
It is also about creating communities in which people can afford to stay. Housing that is secure, appropriate and within reach at different stages of life. Neighbourhoods where people know one another well enough to notice when something is wrong. Families and friendships we
continue to nurture even when distance separates us.
And perhaps it means recognising that a home doesn’t need to be grand to be precious.
The old cottage of my childhood certainly wasn’t grand. Nor was the little mustard-yellow cross-stitch that hung on its lounge-room wall. Yet more than half a century later, Mum had kept it. Now it has come home with me.
I suspect I’ll hang it again, not because it suits any particular decorating scheme, but because somewhere between that old cottage and the 14 houses that followed it, those rather wonky childhood stitches acquired a meaning their 10-year-old maker couldn’t possibly have understood.
Home is where the heart is. But perhaps home is also where we feel safe enough to put down our bags, close the door and know that, for tonight at least, we belong.
How a Casual Lunch Deal Turned Into a Complex Building Rescue
“We accidentally bought the building.”
That’s how developer and builder Glen Winney at Win Projects describes the beginning of what became one of Hervey Bay’s most ambitious and complex building rescues. It started, he says, over lunch.
Winney was meeting with boat club figures when the conversation turned to the old Sporties building at 8 Pier Street, Urangan; a landmark many locals would remember as One Stop, Twisties Nightclub or, in later years, Sporties Club.
The upstairs had fallen quiet after COVID. The building was ageing. The future was uncertain. Then came the offhand comment.
“I’ll buy it,” Winney joked.
By the end of lunch, it was no longer a joke.
What followed was a years-long journey to transform the 50-year-old complex into what reopened last week as The Place, a mixed-use precinct with commercial businesses below and nine warehouse-style apartments above.
But as Winney quickly discovered, saving an old building is rarely as simple as it looks.
The Place occupies one of Hervey Bay’s most significant locations, just metres from Urangan Pier and the Esplanade.
Why Demolition Would Have Been Easier
For many developers, knocking down the old building would have been the obvious option. Faster. Cleaner. More predictable.
But Winney says that was never really the point.
“It’s easy for a developer or builder to just rip it down and build something new and shiny,” he said.
Instead, he wanted to keep something that mattered to the area.
The Place Urangan had lived many lives. Before the current structure, the site was home to Stevenson’s Grocery and a local bakery. Later, it became One Stop, a practical shopping hub for Urangan locals.
Upstairs, it hosted weddings, birthdays and community events before transforming into Twisties Nightclub during Hervey Bay’s nightlife boom, then later Sporties Club.
For many locals, it wasn’t just a building. It was part of growing up. Winney saw value in that. But preserving history came at a cost.
The building’s evolution from Sporties Club through closure and eventual redevelopment.
The Hidden Problems Under the Floor
Developer Glen Winney speaking during the official reopening of The Place.
Once work began, the real surprises started. And they kept coming.
First came the stormwater. Workers discovered major stormwater infrastructure running directly beneath the building, forcing a complete redesign of drainage through the car park and surrounding areas.
Then came the electrical mains. The main power supply, Winney discovered, ran underneath the neighbouring building, a major complication that stalled upgrades and triggered a long process with Ergon to reroute power and install new infrastructure.
Then there was water. The original supply lacked enough pressure to meet modern fire requirements. That meant rerouting mains, digging beneath concrete and installing a major pump system.
Each discovery pushed the project further away from a cosmetic renovation and deeper into what Winney describes as a full-scale rebuild.
“It was honestly challenges day in, day out,” he said.
And that was before they even tackled the biggest hurdle.
Nine Apartments, Nine Fire Compartments
The upstairs space once operated as one enormous commercial function and entertainment zone; about 1,500 square metres in total. Converting that into nine apartments meant rethinking everything. Especially fire compliance.
Under modern regulations, each apartment needed to become its own fire compartment, a huge challenge inside an older building designed for open, communal use.
“Everybody from the fire department right through said, ‘No, you can’t do it,’” Winney said.
The solution required specialist fire engineers from Brisbane, steel reinforcements beneath trusses, new fire walls, vermiculite fire-proofing sprayed across structural braces, and complex separation between hallways and units.
It wasn’t glamorous work. But it was essential. And it changed the entire internal logic of the building. What was once one giant social space became nine distinct homes.
Removing decades of additions revealed the true complexity hidden within the ageing structure.
Untangling a 1974 Body Corporate
Then there was the paperwork. And in many ways, that proved just as complex as the physical build.
The Place operated under an old 1974 body corporate structure; one that had been altered, patched and complicated over decades.
There were easements running through spaces that no longer existed. Passageways on title that had disappeared. Areas legally recognised that no longer matched the physical building.
To make the redevelopment work, Winney and his team had to effectively dismantle the old arrangement and rebuild it.
That meant creating three separate body corporates: a principal body corporate, a residential body corporate and a commercial body corporate. The process took around a year.
For anyone who has ever dealt with strata paperwork, it’s a reminder that the legal structure behind apartment living can be just as important as the walls themselves. In this case, it was foundational.
The redevelopment sought to create a neighbourhood hub where local businesses and residents could coexist.
Building Around Business
One of the trickiest parts of the project was that life downstairs never entirely stopped. Businesses remained. Trades worked around operating tenants.
Eastons Anglers Den, a long-standing fixture in the precinct since the early 1990s, was deliberately retained to preserve some of the site’s long connection to the Urangan fishing community.
Winney says keeping that continuity mattered.
At the same time, new businesses moved in, including Core Condition Pilates & Massage Studio, Chemart Chemist, SPAR Express Urangan, The Bottle-O, Miss Macaron and Invisible Orthodontics.
It meant The Place wasn’t rebuilt in isolation. It was rebuilt while business carried on. Messy, noisy and complicated. But alive.
The Place apartments were designed to offer a different style of coastal living to the traditional suburban home.
A Different Kind of Coastal Living
Developer Glen Winney inside one of the new warehouse-style apartments.
For Winney, the final result is about more than preserving history. It’s about changing the shape of how people live in Hervey Bay.
He believes the region needs alternatives to the traditional three and four-bedroom suburban model.
The apartments at The Place are aimed largely at owner-occupiers; people wanting walkability, lower maintenance and flexible living. Some live locally. Others split their time between Hervey Bay and places like the Sunshine Coast.
The industrial design, with its high ceilings, loft elements and exposed character, deliberately nods to Urangan’s past as a working port and industrial area. It echoes the cranes, rail sidings, cargo sheds and steamships that once made nearby Urangan Pier one of Queensland’s busiest regional export ports.
It’s not the kind of apartment style commonly seen in Hervey Bay. That, Winney says, is exactly the point.
After 50 years, The Place has been many things: shopping centre, nightclub, social club and local institution. Its latest chapter may be its most practical yet; not because it erased the past, but because it decided the past was worth carrying forward.
Urangan’s industrial heritage was built around the pier, shipping and export trade. Elements of that working history influenced the warehouse-inspired design language adopted at The Place redevelopment.
Curious about apartment-style coastal living?
The Place reflects a growing interest in walkable neighbourhoods, lower-maintenance homes and lock-up-and-leave living on the Fraser Coast.
Visitors wanting to experience that lifestyle for themselves before buying may enjoy a stay at Oaks Hervey Bay Resort and Spa, within walking distance of cafés, restaurants and the Urangan waterfront.
Disclosure: This article contains an affiliate link. If you make a booking through that link, Jocelyn Magazine may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. These partnerships help support independent storytelling focused on place, property, local history and coastal living.
How The Place Urangan Went from Nightclub Icon to Coastal Living Hub
THERE are few buildings in Hervey Bay that can stir memories quite like The Place in Urangan.
Mention the address — 8 Pier Street — to a long-time local and chances are you’ll hear a story. Shopping at One Stop with Mum. Weddings upstairs. Dancing at Twisties. Friday drinks at Sporties. Over five decades, this corner of Urangan shaped itself into the memory bank of a growing coastal city.
Now, after a major transformation, The Place Urangan has opened a new chapter.
Officially reopened on 30 June 2026 by Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour, the landmark has been reborn as a mixed-use precinct, blending a vibrant commercial hub on the ground floor with nine warehouse-style apartments above. It’s a bold move in a region still dominated by traditional suburban housing.
For local developer and builder Glen Winney, the project was about more than construction.
It was about keeping a piece of Hervey Bay alive.
“We need more alternative accommodation here,” Winney said during the reopening.
“We’ve got plenty of three and four-bedroom houses, but if we’re going to attract a better market — people who want to live here or even holiday here — they need something different.”
That “something different” now sits above a ground-floor collection of businesses that serve both locals and visitors, from health and wellness to convenience retail.
It’s a practical shift; one that reflects how coastal living itself is changing.
- Some links in related Jocelyn Magazine articles may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Place in Urangan has reopened as a mixed-use precinct, blending commercial spaces with nine warehouse-style apartments above.
Why The Place Urangan Matters for Hervey Bay’s Future
Standing on the balcony overlooking Urangan, it’s easy to see why this location matters.
The marina, the pier, the esplanade and everyday conveniences all sit within easy reach; exactly the sort of walkable lifestyle many downsizers and part-time coastal residents now seek.
Mayor George Seymour said the redevelopment represented the kind of adaptive thinking Hervey Bay needs.
“This corner has always been really important for Urangan,” he said.
“To see what’s happened here is really special; to see it alive again.”
Seymour, known for his deep interest in Fraser Coast history, reflected on his own memories of the building.
“I have a lot of really fond memories of being up here, playing pool, enjoying music, having drinks,” he said.
Quoting Winston Churchill, Seymour added: “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”
It was a fitting line for a building that has worn so many identities.
Before it became One Stop, the site housed neighbourhood essentials like Stevenson’s Grocery and a bakery. back when Urangan was still a much smaller fishing and pier community.
Later came weddings, community events, the nightclub era of Twisties, and the much-loved Sporties Club.
Each chapter reflected the needs of its time. This latest one may be the most practical yet.
A nod to Urangan’s industrial past
Developer and builder Glen Winney.
The apartments themselves offer a style of living rarely seen previously in Hervey Bay.
Winney describes them as warehouse-inspired, with soaring 4.8-metre ceilings, loft-style spaces, generous storage and double garages; features more commonly associated with inner-city industrial conversions than seaside Queensland.
“It’s very much an industrial design,” he said.
“I actually wanted even more industrial when I started.”
But modern fire and compliance regulations meant some of that raw aesthetic had to be softened.
Still, the industrial feel remains as a deliberate nod to Urangan’s working past.
“Urangan was very much an industrial area, so it’s a nod to that history,” Winney said.
That balance between heritage and reinvention is part of what makes The Place feel grounded.
Win Projects staff (from left) Ashleigh Roberts, Bri McManus and Neisa Rasmussen welcome guests to the official reopening of The Place in Urangan.
Community at the centre
Among the businesses operating downstairs is Core Condition Pilates & Massage Studio, owned by Timi Delahunty.
Her business moved into the precinct just over a year ago, and she says the location has brought more than just foot traffic.
“We love the lifestyle,” Delahunty said.
“We get to walk into a really beautiful space every day.”
But it’s the community that stands out most.
“There’s a good sense of community around here. We come in, get macaroons, the supermarket’s there, the pharmacy’s there. It’s turned into something really nice.”
That sense of neighbourhood connection may be one of the strongest assets of The Place. Not just because it offers housing, but because it places daily life within arm’s reach. For a city increasingly discussing density, downsizing and walkability, that matters.
Perhaps that’s the success of this redevelopment. The Place Urangan hasn’t erased its past. It has built on it.
For those who danced there, celebrated there, or simply passed through over the years, the building still holds its stories. Only now, it has room for a few new ones.
As well as Core Condition Pilates & Massage Studio, the ground-floor precinct also includes a mix of everyday essentials and specialist businesses, including SPAR Express Urangan, The Bottle-O, Chemart Chemist, Miss Macaron, Invisible Orthodontics and Eastons Anglers Den, creating a practical neighbourhood hub for locals and visitors alike.
Timi Delahunty from Core Condition Pilates & Massage Studio says the precinct has created a strong sense of community.
A collage of The Place Urangan’s latest chapter, featuring the new warehouse-style apartments, shared spaces and historical images that trace the building’s 50-year evolution in Hervey Bay.
Planning your own Hervey Bay stay? Browse accommodation options in our local stay guide.
Hervey Bay Resort Approval Tests Growth vs Nature
FOR YEARS, coastal communities across Australia have walked a fine line between promise and pressure.
Growth brings jobs, investment, and the kind of amenity that keeps towns alive. It also places strain on fragile ecosystems, reshapes local character, and raises a simple but confronting question. Who benefits, and who carries the cost?
That tension sits at the heart of the newly approved Esplanade resort at Torquay in Hervey Bay.
Following a lengthy appeal process, the Planning and Environment Court has finalised its decision, approving the development subject to conditions negotiated between the Fraser Coast Regional Council, the developer, and the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Fraser Coast Branch.
It is not often that a development of this scale reaches a point of agreement after legal challenge. In that sense alone, this outcome stands apart.
A broader view of the Hervey Bay coastline, where development and natural landscape meet.
What Changed After the Court Appeal
The Fraser Coast development itself remains substantial. A five-star hotel, residential apartments, and supporting retail and dining will still take shape along the Esplanade. Yet the version that has emerged from mediation is not the one first proposed.
Building heights have been reduced. The residential tower drops from 18 to 16 storeys, while the hotel tower has been cut more sharply, from 18 to 12. Design changes have been made. Lighting conditions have been tightened to reduce impact on the surrounding environment.
These adjustments matter. They reflect a process that has tested assumptions rather than simply endorsed them.
And that is where the broader significance lies.
Why This Outcome Matters Beyond Hervey Bay
Across Queensland and beyond, coastal development debates often fall into familiar patterns. One side argues for economic growth and regional opportunity. The other calls for protection of natural systems and community character. Both positions carry weight. Both can also become entrenched.
What we have seen in this case is something more constructive.
Under Queensland planning laws, community groups have the right to seek a review of decisions. That mechanism can be seen as an obstacle, particularly when projects are delayed or costs rise. Yet it also provides a pathway for scrutiny and improvement.
Here, that pathway led to change.
Birdlife is part of daily life on the Fraser Coast and a key consideration in coastal development decisions.
Development, Environment, and the Role of Mediation
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland raised concerns that were taken seriously enough to reshape the proposal. Expert review and mediation followed. The final approval reflects those discussions.
It is worth acknowledging that outcome. Not as a victory for one side, but as evidence that the system can produce a more balanced result when all parties engage.
There is also a deeper layer to consider.
Sir David Attenborough has long argued that the natural world is not separate from human progress, but central to it. He has often described it as one of the greatest sources of beauty and inspiration. It is a perspective that resonates strongly in places like Hervey Bay, where the environment is not just a backdrop but a defining feature.
That makes decisions like this more than planning exercises. They shape how a region evolves and how its identity is preserved or altered over time.
What Happens Next Will Shape the Outcome
A development of this scale will inevitably change the Esplanade. It will bring new visitors, new energy, and new expectations. It may also alter how the coastline feels for those who live there and for the wildlife that depends on it.
The revised conditions, particularly around height and lighting, are intended to soften that impact. Whether they succeed will not be determined in a single moment. It will be measured over years, in how the development sits within its surroundings and how well its effects are managed.
That responsibility now shifts to the next stage.
Detailed design, construction approvals, and operational planning will determine how closely the finished project aligns with the intent of the Court’s conditions. This is where good intentions are either realised or diluted.
So where does that leave the community?
First, there is reason to recognise the effort involved. The Council, the developer, and the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland have each contributed to a process that has reached agreement rather than stalemate. That is no small achievement.
Second, there is a cautious sense of balance. The core of the development remains, but it has been shaped by environmental considerations that might otherwise have been overlooked or underplayed.
The lifestyle that draws people to places like Hervey Bay remains at the heart of the growth conversation.
Can Growth and Nature Truly Co-Exist?
Finally, there is a shared stake in what comes next.
Hervey Bay’s appeal has always rested on more than infrastructure. It lies in its open spaces, its wildlife, and the slower pace that draws people in the first place. Any new development must work within that context if it is to enhance rather than erode what makes the area distinctive.
The hope now is that this project can do just that.
That a five-star resort and the natural environment can exist side by side. That visitors can arrive for the amenity and stay for the landscape. That economic growth and environmental care do not have to be opposing forces, but can, with careful planning, support one another.
It is an outcome built on compromise. Whether it becomes a success story will depend on how that compromise is honoured in the years ahead.
Less Maintenance, More Ocean: The Rise of Coastal Apartment Living
There’s a shift happening along Australia’s coastline… and it’s not just the tide coming in!
From Hervey Bay to Hobart, more Australians are rethinking what “home” looks like. The big backyard is no longer the default aspiration. In its place: a balcony, a view, and a life that feels just a little lighter.
It’s not about downsizing in the traditional sense. It’s about recalibrating; choosing ease over excess, proximity over sprawl, and, increasingly, the coast over the city.
- Jocelyn Magazine is filled with ideas for coastal living, travel, downsizing, healthy eating and creative pursuits. If we inspire your next purchase through links in this email, we may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Morning rituals change when the ocean is part of your everyday. Photo: Canva Pro.
Why This Shift Is Happening Now
This isn’t just a feeling. It’s backed by broader movement patterns.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has tracked a steady rise in apartment living across Australia over the past decade, while the Regional Australia Institute has highlighted continued migration away from capital cities toward regional lifestyle destinations.
Since Covid in particular, that movement has sharpened. Coastal centres like Hervey Bay are seeing an influx of buyers from metropolitan areas (Penrith being one example noted locally) driven by a desire to step away from congestion and toward something more liveable.
As Glen Winney from Fraser Coast Property Brief observes, this isn’t a short-term spike. It’s part of a longer arc.
Hervey Bay, he notes, sits within a “major lifestyle corridor”, effectively the next logical step north after the Sunshine Coast for buyers looking to stay within reach of Brisbane while gaining breathing room.
The result? A property market that remains strong, not because of speculation, but because of genuine lifestyle demand.
Hervey Bay sits within a growing coastal lifestyle corridor in Queensland. Photo: Canva Pro.
The Lifestyle Equation Has Changed
The traditional Australian dream—house, yard, weekends spent maintaining both—no longer fits everyone.
For many, particularly baby boomers, the shift is deliberate. After decades of upkeep, there’s a growing desire to simplify without sacrificing quality of life.
Apartment living by the coast offers that balance. Less time spent mowing or fixing, more time walking along the esplanade, meeting friends for dinner and drinks, or simply sitting with a view that changes with the light.
It’s a different rhythm. Slower, perhaps, but also richer in small, everyday ways.
And importantly, it aligns with how people are living now. Smaller households. Fewer occupants per dwelling. A preference for spaces that support living, rather than demand constant attention.
As Winney points out, many buyers are no longer looking for large homes on sprawling blocks in areas where “you have to drive everywhere.” Instead, they want to be within walking distance (less than 500 metres, ideally) of cafés, shops, and the water.
But lifestyle is only one part of the story. There’s also a practical layer that’s shaping these decisions.
Walkable living is part of the appeal. Photo: Jocelyn Watts.
Make the Move Feel Easy
If coastal apartment living is about simplifying life, it helps to have the right essentials in place, especially if you’re travelling between homes or planning longer stays before making a permanent move.
Lightweight luggage, smart packing systems and a “ready to go” approach can make the transition feel effortless.
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Affordability, Downsizing and Smarter Use of Space
In many coastal markets, freestanding homes are increasingly out of reach, especially for buyers arriving from capital cities.
Apartments, duplexes and townhouses offer a more accessible entry point, but they also reflect a broader rethink about how much space is needed.
Downsizing, in this context, isn’t about compromise. It’s about intention.
Well-designed apartments maximise light, airflow, and functionality. They prioritise connection to outdoor spaces—balconies, shared gardens, nearby walking tracks—over sheer internal square metreage.
There’s also a financial logic underpinning the shift. Selling a larger home can release equity, reduce ongoing costs, and create flexibility, whether that’s for travel, supporting family, or simply easing financial pressure.
Even at a market level, there are interesting signals. Winney notes that while banks are attempting to slow lending, the Fraser Coast market remains relatively insulated. The demand isn’t being driven by investors chasing short-term gains, but by people making long-term lifestyle decisions.
And yet, beyond lifestyle and finances, there’s another factor shaping this trend… how people want to feel where they live.
Smaller spaces, thoughtfully designed. Photo: Canva Pro.
Small Space, Thoughtfully Done
Downsizing doesn’t mean doing without. It’s about choosing pieces that work harder and feel better in your space.
From compact cookware to simple styling touches, the right choices can make a smaller apartment feel both functional and inviting.
👉 Browse everyday kitchen and home essentials from Tefal and Mica Lighting
Community, Convenience and a Sense of Belonging
There’s a perception that apartment living is less personal. The opposite can often be true, particularly in coastal settings.
Proximity creates opportunity. A quick conversation in the lift. A familiar face on the morning walk. A shared appreciation of the same stretch of ocean.
In places like Hervey Bay, the esplanade becomes more than a scenic route; it’s a kind of social spine. Cafés, markets, walking paths and beachfront spaces weave together into everyday life.
For retirees, especially those living alone or as couples, this can be transformative. There’s a sense of being part of something without needing to actively seek it out.
At the same time, there’s a growing recognition that coastal apartment living needs to cater to more than one demographic.
As Winney highlights, attracting younger residents is both an opportunity and a challenge. That means creating housing options near the esplanade and town centres; places where people can walk to restaurants, gyms, bars and weekend activities.
Not just somewhere to live, but somewhere to be.
Short stays often become something more permanent. Photo: Jocelyn Watts.
What This Means for Coastal Communities
The shift toward apartment living isn’t happening in isolation. It’s part of a broader transformation in how coastal regions evolve.
On the Fraser Coast, there are clear signs of growth: industrial development is expanding, localised business hubs are emerging, and retail activity is strengthening; often indicators of a maturing regional economy.
The airport, too, is playing its role, with direct flights from Melbourne and Sydney making the region more accessible than ever.
And yet, as Winney points out, infrastructure is struggling to keep pace.
There’s also a pressing need to attract more professionals in essential sectors, particularly healthcare. Lifestyle alone isn’t enough; communities need the services to support them.
In that sense, the move toward coastal apartment living is both a response to change, and a driver of it.
In places like Hervey Bay, lifestyle includes what’s offshore. Photo: Jocelyn Watts.
A Different Kind of Home
Coastal apartment living isn’t about giving something up. It’s about choosing something different.
A home that doesn’t anchor you quite so tightly. A lifestyle that allows for movement, connection, and ease. A sense that life can be simpler and fuller at the same time.
For some, it’s a retirement decision. For others, a midlife reset. And for a growing number, it’s simply a more considered way of living.
The tide, it seems, is turning, not just toward the coast, but toward a different idea of what home can be.
A different pace. A different perspective. Photo: Jocelyn Watts.
Thinking of buying into a body corporate?
Before you commit, it’s worth taking a closer look at how a complex is really operating behind the scenes.
👉 Download the Body Corporate Health Check — a practical checklist to help you spot issues early and avoid costly surprises.
About the author
With several years’ experience as a body corporate secretary, Jocelyn brings a practical, real-world perspective to buying and living in townhouse and apartment complexes.
✨ Create a Space That Works for You
Townhouse and apartment living often comes down to making your space both practical and comfortable. A few thoughtful additions can make a real difference to how a home feels day to day.
If you’re settling into a smaller space or simply refining your surroundings, these partners offer a range of ideas worth exploring:
→ Mica Lighting
Beautiful lighting can help smaller rooms feel warmer, brighter and more inviting.
→ Newentor AU
From mattress toppers to dehumidifiers and portable air conditioners, practical comfort for everyday living.
→ Tefal Australia
Well-designed cookware and appliances can make compact kitchens easier and more enjoyable to use.
→ Kakadu Plum Co.
Natural Australian flavours and pantry staples to add something special to everyday meals.
→ Lazy Tiles
Stylish peel-and-stick tiles designed to refresh kitchens, bathrooms and small spaces without the renovation drama.
- Jocelyn Magazine is filled with ideas for coastal living, travel, downsizing, healthy eating and creative pursuits. If we inspire your next purchase through links in this email, we may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Dream Homes with Purpose | Mater Lotteries Prize Homes
THE front door opens onto pale timber floors, high ceilings and the sort of kitchen most of us bookmark on Pinterest. Stone benchtops. A butler’s pantry. Sliding glass doors folding back to a deck positioned for late-afternoon light.
Australia’s charity prize homes are deliberately aspirational. Coastal where possible. Contemporary without feeling cold. Designed for entertaining, relaxing and — importantly — imagining yourself there.
Among the most recognised are those offered through Mater Lotteries, where multimillion-dollar homes are raffled alongside luxury cars and cash packages. At first glance, they resemble any premium property campaign: professional styling, drone shots over pools, carefully composed lifestyle photography.
But unlike commercial developments, these homes fund something far less photogenic — and far more essential.
Proceeds support healthcare services, hospital upgrades and medical research, including maternity, neonatal and cancer care. Behind the polished floorboards and landscaped courtyards sits a direct financial pipeline into patient care.
It’s a model that blends aspiration with impact. Participants buy a ticket not only for the chance to win a beautifully designed home, but to contribute to a broader public good.
There’s something distinctly Australian about that. We enjoy a flutter, but we also appreciate purpose. Charity house lotteries sit neatly between lifestyle fantasy and practical contribution, allowing people to indulge in a little “what if” while supporting services most of us will rely on at some point — directly or indirectly.
*This article includes an affiliate link to Mater Lotteries. If you purchase tickets, Jocelyn Magazine may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. That support helps keep this publication independent and free to read.
A contemporary Queensland home of similar design to those featured in the Mater Lotteries program, blending modern design with everyday liveability.
Where Design Meets Everyday Living
Soft neutrals and layered textures create the inviting atmosphere many buyers imagine when browsing a Mater Lotteries draw.
Spend a little time browsing Australian charity prize homes and certain themes emerge. They’re less about excess and more about ease. Flowing spaces. Light-filled rooms. Kitchens designed as gathering places rather than afterthoughts.
Even when not directly on the coast, there’s often a coastal influence: pale oak flooring, soft white walls, linen textures, brushed brass accents. Indoor–outdoor living remains central — stacking doors opening to covered alfresco areas, pools positioned to catch the sun, gardens designed to be beautiful without being high maintenance.
There’s also a growing emphasis on subtle sustainability. Solar panels are increasingly standard. Cross-ventilation is prioritised. Energy-efficient appliances and glazing are highlighted in promotional material. The homes feel modern, but not extravagant for the sake of it.
From a design perspective, they reflect broader architectural trends shaping Queensland and beyond. The emphasis is on liveability — how a space supports everyday routines, weekend lunches with friends, early mornings with coffee, and the occasional celebratory dinner.
Unlike grand mansions that feel distant from ordinary life, charity prize homes remain relatable. Large, certainly. Well appointed. But recognisably domestic.
And that relatability matters. When we picture ourselves in a space, we aren’t responding only to finishes and floor plans. We’re responding to what it represents: stability, comfort, breathing room. The freedom to host without worrying about the mortgage.
Home, at its core, is about security.
Healthcare is too.
The aesthetics may differ, but both exist to support wellbeing. A prize home might begin as a daydream. The funds it generates are grounded in something much more practical — hospital wards, specialist equipment, clinical research.
How the Mater Lotteries Prize Homes Model Works
Charity house lotteries follow a straightforward structure. A not-for-profit organisation secures or builds a high-value property — often in partnership with developers and sponsors — and offers it as the major prize in a ticketed draw.
Participants purchase tickets at set price points, typically with options for single entries or bundled packages. Additional prizes such as vehicles, holidays or cash may accompany the headline home.
After operational costs and prize expenses are covered, proceeds are directed towards nominated healthcare services, infrastructure upgrades or research programs. In the case of Mater Lotteries, funds support maternity, neonatal, cancer and specialist care.
Reputable charity lotteries outline where funds are allocated, helping create a clearer connection between participation and impact.
Unlike commercial lotteries, where revenue primarily sustains shareholders, charity lotteries embed philanthropy within the model itself. The prize draws attention. The purpose sustains it.
Good Causes
A prize home may belong to one winner, but the impact reaches far beyond the front door.
Proceeds from Mater Lotteries prize homes support maternity, neonatal and cancer care programs, along with vital medical research. In that sense, each ticket represents more than possibility — it becomes part of a shared contribution to Australia’s healthcare system.
Design may draw us in. Care is what endures.
As with any lottery, participation should always be responsible and within your means.
Light-filled bathroom styling reflects the relaxed, contemporary feel common in Mater Lotteries homes.
Why Prize Homes Resonate with Australian buyers
Most ticket buyers understand the odds. The likelihood of holding the keys to a multimillion-dollar home is slim.
That’s not really the point.
The appeal lies in layered possibility — the private daydream of life in a light-filled kitchen overlooking water, paired with the knowledge that, win or lose, the purchase contributes to something tangible.
For couples, there’s a certain pleasure in browsing the photos together. “Imagine that deck.” “We’d never leave that kitchen.” It’s a shared conversation, even if it never moves beyond the screen.
Charity house lotteries occupy a nuanced space between aspiration and contribution. They offer anticipation without requiring a traditional donation mindset. There is excitement, certainly, but also shared purpose.
When the idea of home intersects with the need for healthcare, the result becomes more complex than simple prize promotion. It becomes a small, voluntary way to support services that underpin every community.
For readers who enjoy exploring beautiful homes and understanding the stories behind them, you can view the current prize properties and learn more about how the program operates via Mater Lotteries.
As always, it’s worth reading the details carefully and deciding whether participation aligns with your values and circumstances.
The architecture may be striking, but the real structure is the network of care it helps sustain.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mater Lotteries Prize Homes
What are Mater Lotteries prize homes?
High-value properties offered through ticketed charity draws. Proceeds support hospital services, medical research and healthcare programs, including maternity, neonatal and cancer care.
How does a charity house lottery in Australia work?
Participants purchase tickets for the chance to win a featured property and other prizes. After costs are covered, remaining funds are directed to nominated healthcare services or research programs.
Are charity prize homes different from commercial lotteries?
Yes. While both involve ticket purchases and prize draws, charity lotteries embed a philanthropic objective within their structure. Revenue contributes to healthcare funding rather than shareholder profit.
Can you view current Mater Lotteries prize homes before entering?
Yes. Current prize homes are showcased online with photography, floor plans and inclusions so potential participants can review the property and draw terms before purchasing tickets.
Curious About the Current Mater Prize Home?
If you’d like to see the latest Mater Lotteries prize homes — and how this charity house lottery supports maternity, neonatal and cancer care — you can explore the current draw details below.
→ View the current Mater Lotteries prize home
(Affiliate link — supporting Jocelyn Magazine at no extra cost to you.)
About the author
With around five years’ experience as a body corporate secretary, Jocelyn brings a practical, real-world perspective to buying and living in townhouse and apartment complexes.
Clochemerle: What’s with the pissoir in the town square?
WHEN I was a boy, I think my mother had a problem with toilets. Not the functions but the architecture.
Mum was quite “distressed” by the outhouse, which was situated some 10 metres from the house, out in the back yard.
Hence, the one horror story she recounted of my early childhood was that I would habitually knock on the outhouse door, while she was in there, and ask, rather loudly, “Mum, what are you doing?”
I was an otherwise perfect child if the lack of other or worse stories was any indication. I was inquisitive.
Clochemerle and the politics of a pissoir
Equally, I remember her anguish and annoyance when a BBC production of a French story, Clochemerle, written by Gabriel Chevallier (3 May 1895 – 6 April 1969), appeared on our television guide.
Clochemerle was satirical, originally political, which, I suspect, the BBC funded as a shot at the French.
It involved a small French town in the Beaujolais region, which put in a public urinal, a “pissoir”, in the town square, outside the Catholic Church.
Mum mumbled imprecations against the BBC for weeks.
Toilets, childhood and civilisation
They’re funny things, toilets, aren’t they? More funny peculiar than funny Ha!Ha! Though not if you’re a little boy of a certain age or, sometimes, not so young.
In a way, though, they define civilisation. The earliest sewer systems known were in the Indus Valley; a technology present in almost every house in the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro more than 8000 years ago. The Romans had them.
More than 5000 years ago, the dwellings at Skara Brae, in the Orkney Islands, were all connected by a sewerage system.
Gabriel Chevallier, the author of Clochemerle, was born on May 3, 1895, in Lyon, France, and died on April 6, 1969. Chevallier’s work is celebrated for its satirical wit and keen insights into human nature, particularly in the context of small-town life and the quirks of provincial France.
Thomas Crapper and the great toilet myth
I would like to clear up one misconception before I sign off. It is an urban myth that the flushing toilet was invented by Thomas Crapper.
Though he held patents on numerous toilet-related inventions, Thomas did not invent the flushing toilet.
His greatest claim to fame is that he invented and patented the ball cock system that made flushing toilets more efficient and is still in use today.
The wily amongst you will no doubt have discerned another connection between Mr Crapper and toilets.
Yes, it does seem that a form of his name has come down to us in a colloquial term for the function one performs when using the toilet.
As with all things, there is some debate about this, but let us leave the topic entirely, as I’m sure my mother would have wished.
A pissoir similar to the one featured in Clochemerle, the satirical French tale about a small town thrown into uproar over a public urinal.
Editor’s note
This article was first published in the Maryborough Herald in 2020, when Jocelyn was editor. Following the closure of the paper, the original article is now available via The Courier Mail’s site. It has been lightly edited for Jocelyn Magazine.
About the author
Peter Woodland is a contributor to Jocelyn Magazine. A former teacher and school librarian, his interests include computing, geography, palaeontology and good food.
Why I Chose an Oaks Hervey Bay Staycation — and Properly Switched Off
THERE’S something a little rebellious about checking into a resort when home is just 15 minutes away.
No airport queues. No packing the car like you’re fleeing civilisation. No “did I leave the iron on?” spiral halfway down the highway. Just a short drive, a familiar stretch of road, and then, somehow, the unmistakable feeling that you’re on holiday.
That was exactly the point of my Oaks Hervey Bay staycation. I wasn’t chasing novelty or ticking off destinations. I wanted rest. The kind that doesn’t require recovery time afterwards. A break that felt earned, not exhausting.
And yes, I live locally in Hervey Bay. Which turned out to be an advantage.
*This article contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It’s how we keep creating helpful stories and guides for you.
Even from the street, Oaks Hervey Bay signals a slower pace — palms overhead, cafés below, and the ocean just across the road.
A holiday without the hard work
This wasn’t to be a review in the glossy-brochure sense, and it wasn’t a whirlwind escape designed to impress Instagram. It was a deliberate decision to holiday close to home — to step out of routine without piling on the stress that often comes with getting somewhere “properly away”.
The beauty of a local staycation is the mental permission it gives you to slow down. If you forget something, it’s not a disaster. You don’t need contingency plans or emergency purchases. In fact, about six hours after checking out, I realised my smart watch charger was still plugged in beside the bed. One quick stop at reception and it was soon back in my hand. No drama. No courier fees. No silent self-recrimination.
That ease seeped into everything else.
The Oaks apartment itself helped. A kitchen meant breakfast didn’t require clothes with buttons. A laundry meant packing light. A spa bath meant lingering longer than strictly necessary. And the pool — well, I don’t have one at home, which made it feel like a genuine luxury rather than an amenity you politely ignore.
The downstairs apartment opened directly onto the lagoon-style pool, framed by tropical gardens that felt a world away from suburban routines. It was the sort of setting that encourages long swims, unhurried afternoons and the radical act of doing nothing particularly well.
Pool days, visitors and sensible boundaries
Sliding doors open to a private terrace at Oaks Hervey Bay, where indoor comfort meets poolside calm.
One of the pleasures of staying so close to home was being able to share it, within reason.
I invited family to visit during the day, and as long as I was with them, they could enjoy the pool too. There are clear limits around how many people can be in the apartment at any one time, which is fair enough and worth checking with reception if you’re planning visitors. Fire safety rules aren’t optional, even on holidays.
The shared amenities by the pool made it easy for day visitors to change after a swim, and access was refreshingly practical. While reception is officially accessed from Hibiscus Street, it’s just as easy for visitors walking along the Esplanade to pop in without feeling like they’re sneaking through a back door.
The overall vibe is relaxed rather than restrictive — the sort of place that trusts adults to behave like adults.
Eating out, without overthinking it
One of the great pleasures of staying somewhere well-located is not having to plan meals with military precision.
Breakfast or lunch at Salt Café Urangan was an easy choice. Sitting right on the Esplanade, it’s the kind of place where locals and visitors blur together — ocean views, a steady rhythm of foot traffic, and that holiday hum that doesn’t demand conversation but rewards it if it happens.
For dinner, Bayswater Bar & Grill delivered exactly what you want at the end of the day: good food, an unpretentious atmosphere, and the Urangan Pier doing its thing in the background. Both venues are part of the Oaks complex, but importantly, they’re open to everyone. You don’t have to be staying at the Oaks to enjoy them, which keeps the feel grounded rather than gated.
Beyond that, the Esplanade does what it does best. Cafés, takeaways and restaurants are either within walking distance or a short drive away. Choice without overwhelm. Convenience without compromise.
The early morning waft of sizzling bacon from Salt Café Urangan has a habit of slowing your stride.
Art where you don’t expect it
Staying at the Oaks Hervey Bay also stirred up a memory from years ago, long before it was the Oaks.
Back when I was working as a photographer, I’d hired a function room in this very building to set up two mobile studios and photograph senior students before their formal. Walking the corridors again, now at leisure rather than in work mode, was oddly grounding.
What stood out this time was the artwork. Along the corridor leading to the function rooms, local pieces line the walls, a confident nod to the region’s creative life.
Among them are works by Ashleigh at Ashleigh Manley Gallery, a short two-minute walk from the Oaks resort and a rewarding stop for anyone interested in local art.
If you’re inclined to explore further, there’s plenty nearby:
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Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, with rotating exhibitions
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Gallery 5, hosting monthly member shows
It’s easy to underestimate your own backyard — until you give yourself time to notice it properly.
Local artworks line a passageway at Oaks Hervey Bay, turning a simple walk between rooms into a cultural pause.
The spa you don’t have to book (but might)
Adding to the relaxed atmosphere is Mineral Earth Wellness Spa, located within the complex.
I didn’t book any treatments on this particular stay. That, in itself, felt like a small luxury. Knowing it was there without feeling obliged to indulge in a spa treatment was oddly freeing.
That said, I’ve visited before for a special event and treated myself to a facial, makeup, manicure and pedicure. The experience was unhurried and genuinely restorative, the sort of place that understands the difference between pampering and care.
For those who want to lean into full holiday mode, it’s an easy way to deepen the sense of escape. For those who don’t, it’s simply another reminder that this kind of stay can flex to suit your mood.
Why this kind of break matters
By the end of my Oaks Hervey Bay staycation, what struck me most wasn’t any single feature — not the pool, the food, or even the location — but the absence of strain.
This was a holiday that didn’t ask for endurance. It didn’t require navigating timetables or adapting to unfamiliar logistics. It allowed rest to arrive gently, without fanfare or fuss.
Sometimes the most restorative breaks aren’t about leaving your life behind, but stepping sideways out of it, far enough to breathe, close enough to feel safe.
For anyone feeling overdue for a pause, a local staycation like this can be surprisingly powerful. Especially when it’s done well.
A calm, uncluttered bedroom at Oaks Hervey Bay, designed for proper rest.
Planning your own Oaks Hervey Bay Staycation
For current availability and offers, it’s worth checking the Oaks Hotels & Resorts website to see what’s on at the moment.
Oaks Hervey Bay
569–571 Charlton Esplanade, Urangan QLD 4655
Reservations: 1300 161 624
Reception: 07 4194 9700
Reception hours: 6:30 am–9:00 pm daily
(Public Holidays 7 am–7 pm)
Email: herveybay@theoaksgroup.com.au
Travel Essentials
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→ Explore travel insurance with AllClear
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(These are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
About the author
Jocelyn Watts is a Fraser Coast–based writer and photographer, and the editor of Jocelyn Magazine, where she writes about food, travel, place and the subtle details of everyday life.
This Oaks Hervey Bay Staycation was self-funded and not provided as part of an influencer or media arrangement.
