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WelcomeWith Oceans Edge Marketing Manager Paul Bantoft

It has been a spectacular winter season in Palm Cove with warm sunny days and plenty of visitors out enjoying the outdoors lifestyle we all take for granted in Tropical North Queensland. The weather certainly reflects the sense of optimism I can feel around the place as strong occupancy rates keep Palm Cove busy and the building activity

continues here at Oceans Edge.

It’s not just a feeling that the market is about to start moving again, the figures are out to justify that optimism. According to Herron Todd White, Cairns is at the bottom of the residential property cycle. The independent property advisor’s July Cairns Watch reports Cairns rental housing vacancy trends are continuing to reduce as a result of on-going demand and the lack of new supply. The vacancy rate for houses was 1.9 per cent during June 2012, while units lowered sharply to 2 per cent which means the overall market vacancy rate is on the verge of a sub-2 per cent stress level.

The report also showed the trend in average tourist accommodation occupancy improved considerably during the March 2012 quarter reaching 66.1 per cent, which is a further positive step for the industry. The passenger volume trend at the domestic terminal continues to rise to record levels, with the trend having increased over the past nine months by 9.3 per cent.

Anecdotal reports from Palm Cove’s accommodation properties indicate the holiday destination is in the middle of its best season in several years which is evident from the number of people I have seen enjoying our warm winter weather at the beach and in the restaurants recently.

Our community at Oceans Edge is growing with 54 Ocean Drive completed and homes under construction at 57 and 58 Ocean Drive. This month we talk to the owner of one of these magnificent homes being built by the lake and reveal some of the exciting new plans four builders have designed for Oceans Edge.

Palm Cove’s first Jazz on the Green for the year was a big success. It is held every second month on the Oceans Edge golf course and I hope to see you at the next one on August 26.

▶ In thIs Issue

Oceans Edge Sales Centre, Coral Coast Drive, Palm Cove Phone (07) 4059 2766 www.oceansedge.com.au

THE

The Newsletter of Oceans Edge Palm Cove

THE

Race to survive

Get fit

New look for Palm Cove entrance

Neighbours unite

New designs unveiled

Jazz up a lazy Sunday

A rainforest backdrop sets the scene for Cath Willacy’s dream home at Oceans Edge

RAINFOREST RETREAT

LandscapeLandscapewith grasseswith grasses

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A rainforest backdrop sets the scene for Cath Willacy’s dream home at Oceans Edge.

Rainforest retreatCath Willacy had a firm deadline in mind when she wanted to build at Oceans Edge. She had to be in her new home at 58 Ocean Drive in time for the total solar eclipse on November 14 as she had plenty of friends wanting to travel to Palm Cove for the best vantage point to witness it.

“I’ve become known as the Eclipse lady,” she laughs. Eastbuild Designer Homes took on the challenge and will have Cath moving in to her dream home on October 14.

“Builder Ron Easterbrook has been very consultative all the way through and he has been a delight to work with as the house has developed. “He employs the best tradesmen, they are all craftsmen and what impresses me is they take enormous pride in their work,” she says.

Cath discovered Palm Cove as a holiday destination when she was working in Hong Kong for the bank HSBC and moved permanently to the beach five years ago.

“I love Palm Cove and its village which is small, very friendly and you can walk everywhere, so you don’t need a car,” she says.

While living in a nearby apartment, Cath found her perfect block at Oceans Edge on the lake overlooking the rainforest.

“I think I have the best block of land, it has the most beautiful view into the rainforest and feels isolated although it has neighbours all around. It is only a three or four minute

walk and I am at the beach or the restaurants of Palm Cove,” she says.

She chose Eastbuild after admiring the work underway at a neighbouring house on the lake and inspecting the home which scooped Home of the Year, Custom Built House of the Year and Outdoor Project of the Year at the Housing Industry Association North Queensland Awards late last year.

Architect Richard Weiss, who worked with Eastbuild on another Oceans Edge home, was brought in to design a tropical house that would take in the rainforest views and meet Cath’s requirements for privacy, a large entertaining area, an indulgent master suite

and a couple of wow factors.

“My wow factors are the 100 square metre rosewood ceiling that covers the kitchen and patio area, with 9 metres of bifold doors that can be pulled away, and the infinity edge pool which overlooks the rainforest,” she says.

With two months to go until she moves in to her dream home, Cath is busy meeting with Ron and his team to make last minute decisions on the finer details and admire the progress of the home Ron believes will also become a Housing Industry Association award winner.

The FIT

Get fitZumba and yoga classes are now available at the Palm Cove Country Club Sports Centre at Oceans Edge.

Yoga is Monday 9.30-11am, Thursday 6-7.30pm and Saturday 9-10.30am.

Zumba gold is a low impact class suitable for seniors, beginners and rehabilitation. It is on Fridays at 9.30am or if you want to work a little harder try Zumba fitness on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.30am.

Race to surviveOceans Edge is hosting the Accor Race to Survive Charity Golf Day on October 13 to help raise money for disadvantaged school children in White Rock and Yarrabah in the

Cairns southern corridor.

Novotel Palm Cove, Pullman Reef Casino, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort and the Mercure Cairns Harbourside will be sending representatives to participate in Accor’s Race

to Survive from October 31 - November 2 to “transform the lives of disadvantaged Australians” through Mission Australia.

This year is very special for the Cairns region as part of the targeted $300,000 will be allocated locally by Mission Australia.

As well as the use of the golf course, Oceans Edge has donated Palm Cove Sports and Country Club golf and gym memberships as prizes.

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Sunday August 26 3-6pm

eVeNT Jazz up a lazy SundayTwo big bands and a guitar soloist will entertain jazz lovers at the next Jazz on the Green on Sunday August 26, 3-6pm at Palm Cove.

Organised by the Palm Cove residents’ group, the Palm Cove Foundation, the afternoon of jazz on the golf course at Oceans Edge runs every second month from June to October.

The ever popular After Hours Big Band will headline with guests, The St Augustine’s Big Band and guitar soloist Jordan Brodie.

Entry is $5 and food and drinks available to purchase. Bring your own chairs or picnic blanket. The final Jazz on the Green for the year will on October 27.

The jazz musicians line up for the next performance at Oceans Edge.

The crowd settles in for an afternoon of jazz at the Oceans Edge golf course.

The After Hours Big Band is the headline act at Jazz on the Green.

Landscape with grassesWhat is a grass? Just to be slightly technical, they are Monocotyledonous (this is handy to know when using selective herbicides… I will leave that to the next time).

Usually herbaceous with leaves growing from the base, the true grasses include cereals, bamboos and turf species. Also included are sedges such as nut grass, many marsh and grassland plants, and papyrus.

Be careful what you plant where, as some grasses can get out of control and become a pest. The answer, obviously, is to discover our local species, and to use them for revegetation and for gardens.

There is a huge range of ornamental grasses, in all different colours and forms, just as there are grasses that will handle wet boggy situations (sedges) or hot dry conditions. Grasses are generally hardy and can be used for many different purposes from accent plants in rockeries to nutrient stripping in water courses.

Lomandra hystrix is a hardy clumping plant to 1.5m in height with deep green arching leaves and small cream flowers in spring. They are as tough

The GARDeN

With Oceans Edge Senior Landscaper David Poulsen

Oceans Edge park features Zoysia Tenufolia, a low tropical grass great for rockeries and mounds.

as an old boot so you can cut them right back and they love it. They make a good accent plant and a great contrast with broad leafed plants. Another Lomandra I like to use is Lomandra conterfolia. It only grows to 15cm with fine spiky green foliage and is a great plant in rockeries.

Pennisetum advena (rubrum) it is a showy red plant that grows to 1.5m with many flower spikes which are said to be sterile, so when the flowers fall they don’t spread. These can be cut back heavily when they become untidy and the new growth is spectacular.

Zoysia Tenufolia is a low tropical grass great for rockeries and mounds. Just look at our stunning

mounds in Oceans Edge park which are much talked about. A bit of hand weeding and small amounts of fertiliser keeps them going. They are five years old now and the grass has only been cut back once.

Black bamboo Bambusa lako grows to a spectacular feature in 12-18 months and will get to 12m in height in six years. It is a clumping bamboo so is easy to control by breaking off any new shoots to keep clumps small. Planted in a row they make a wonderful screen with their dark culms and light green foliage, but don’t plant near a pool as they drop a lot of waste.

Enjoy your gardening.

Oceans Edge Sales Centre, Coral Coast Drive, Palm Cove Phone (07) 4059 2766 www.oceansedge.com.au

the COnteMPORARY

Three builders have created new home designs especially for Oceans Edge. The homes by Affinity Designer Homes, Eastbuild Designer Homes and Circa 2000 include plans for both the Hillside and Beachlink sections of the master planned community at Palm Cove.

The view of the Coral Sea has driven the design of a pavilion inspired tri-level home by Affinity Designer Homes which is suitable for several of the elevated blocks backing onto rainforest along Freshwater Avenue in Beachlink.

Space and light have been integral to the design of this home which features large timber decks

New designs unveiledwhere you can relax and enjoy the ocean views.

Designed to catch the cooling ocean breeze, the modern home is solar powered, has three generous size bedrooms, a study, separate games room, and open plan living with soaring raked ceilings.

Affinity Designer Homes has two more new home designs in their collection of plans suitable for Oceans Edge. The 405 square metre home is perfect for flat land and the split level home has been designed for a narrow block.

Eastbuild Designer Homes has captured

contemporary coastal living at its best with a traditional 238 square metre pavilion style three bedroom home suitable for flat blocks ranging in size from 450-600 square metres at Beachlink in Oceans Edge.

The seamless blending of internal and external spaces is designed to capture cooling breezes and let you enjoy a wonderful tropical lifestyle both day and night. This home has a large master bedroom, a designer kitchen with European appliances, is fully air-conditioned with fans and has generous 3 metre high ceilings.

Circa 2000 has designed a contemporary three bedroom villa suitable for the flat blocks at Beachlink. It has a study and features a large dining and lounge area which opens on to a patio with a pool overlooking a fully established landscaped backdrop. The home also has a designer kitchen with stone bench tops and European appliances.

to find out more about the new house and land packages at Oceans edge contact Oceans edge Marketing Manager Paul Bantoft on 07 4059 2766.

Affinity Designer Homes makes the most of the ocean views with the design of this home for the Hillside section of Oceans Edge.

Artist’s Impression of completed landscaping to approach along Cedar Road.

Eastbuild Designer Homes.

Stage 1 Palm Cove Caravan Park Landscape Plan - corner of Cedar Road and Williams EsplanadeConcept Design:

•Provideasuitable‘Gateway’tothispopulartouristbeach

•ProvideasuitableboundarytreatmenttothePalmCoveCaravanPark

» includes a new fence with powder coated aluminium fence panels and rendered blockwork pillars (1800mm high)

» high quality landscaping which compliments the existing Palm Cove Esplanade landscape themes

•Landscapeworkstoprovidevisualamenityforthestreetandcreateasenseofarrival

•LandscapingwillbeconsistentwithCouncil’sBiodiversityStrategy2012-2020andensurethatournativefloraisakeyfeatureofthiscouncilfacility•EnsureintegrationwithfutureupgradestothePalmCoveCaravanParkaspartofthePalmCoveCaravanParkMasterPlan•IntegrateWaterSensitiveUrbanDesigntreatmentaspartofbroaderlandscapestrategy

» Integrate with existing drainage patterns

»Provides a sustainable approach to stormwater run-off

»Provides a visually appealing landscape theme

»Responds to council’s Biodiversity Strategy 2012

What is Water Sensitive Urban Design?Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)providesasustainableapproachtotheissueofstormwatermanagement.WSUDuseslandscapesolutionstomanagesitedrainage,andtypicallyincorporatesornamentalfeaturessuchasplantedswales.

Palm Cove Caravan Park - Stage 1 Landscaping Improvements

View 1 - Existing approach along Cedar Road View 2 - Existing corner between Cedar Road and Williams Esp.

Clockwisefromtopleft:thegroupofcoconutpalmsthathavenaturalisedindrainagechannel,thesurfacedrainanddrainagechanneltobeincorporatedwithWSUD.

Sightlines-futurepedestriancrossing Sightlines-CaravanParkentrysign

Theaboveplanshowssightlinesforboththefuturepedestriancrossing(WilliamsEsplanade)andPalmCoveCaravanParkIdentificationSign(CedarRoad)

View 1 - Artist’s Impression of completed landscaping to approach along Cedar Road View 2 - Artist’s Impression of completed landscaping at corner between Cedar Road and Williams Esp.

Palm removalsSeveralcoconutpalmswillneedtoberemovedaspartofthisstageoftheCaravanParkImprovements.Theseremovalsarenecessaryto:

•Provide clear sightlines to pedestrian crossing to be installed at entrance to Williams Esplanade as part of future Caravan Park Improvements (refer to plan right)

•Provide clear sightlines to Palm Cove Caravan Park identification sign at end of Cedar Road (refer to plan right)

•Improve drainage flows along existing overland channels, and protect existing drainage infrastructure

•Facilitate the installation of a Water Sensitive Urban Design feature to improve site drainage and establish sustainable landscape values

•To lessen canopy cover to improve light penetration to site to facilitate further planting, including the establishment of lawns to the Williams Esplanade frontage

•It should be noted that none of the trees or palms to be removed were identified as being of significance by the recent ‘tree survey’.

•Council’s arborist has recommended that we remove those palms damaged by tree climbing associated with the de-nutting process (scars to the trunks shorten the life of the palm and can result in tree failure.

•Young cocnut palms which have not been affected by bad tree climbing practices will not be removed and provide long term amenity to this key beach location

PROJECT FACT SHEET

DRAFT - FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Neighbours uniteOverwhelming community support has enabled Neighbourhood Watch to be established in Palm Cove with 121 residences on the database within the first month.

Retired police officer Mark Ellwood is running the group which will meet monthly on Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm for an hour or less until Christmas and then quarterly next year. The next meeting is September 4.

Peppers Beach Club and Spa Palm Cove has donated the use of a function room for the meetings.

“We don’t have major crime issues here, but no suburb should let its guard down. It’s about reminding people to be careful, to lock their houses and keep their keys secure,” Mark says.

“We had 60 people at the first meeting and 73 at the second which is indicative of the support we are receiving.”

The official launch for the Palm Cove/Clifton Beach Neighbourhood Watch will be Tuesday, October 9, 6.30pm at Peppers Beach Club and Spa Palm Cove.

“I thank Chris Northam and Stacey Leigh from Peppers Beach Club and Spa Palm Cove for their unending hospitality and generosity to the Palm Cove/Clifton Beach Neighbourhood Watch. Their community spirit has been unflagging from the very start. We are indebted to them,” Mark says.

For more information contact Mark ellwood at ellwood@bigpond.net.au.

New look for Palm Cove entranceThe Palm Cove Foundation is working with the Cairns Regional Council to improve the landscaping near the Palm Cove Caravan Park to ensure the area is a suitable gateway for the popular beach.

President Daryl Franklin says Stage 1 of the concept design for the corner of Cedar Road and Williams Esplanade would provide a suitable boundary for the Palm Cove Caravan Park with a new fence consisting of powder coated aluminium fence panels and rendered 1.8m high block pillars.

“The design includes high quality landscaping which complements the existing Palm Cove Esplanade landscape themes, provides visual amenity for the street and creates a sense of arrival at Palm Cove,” Daryl says.