Diving into active living at new Sports Hub

October marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Ross Woodford, his wife, Linda, and their border collie Darcy, as they prepare to move into their brand-new two-bedroom home in Halcyon Promenade. 

The couple has every reason to be excited. Thanks to a friend who already lives in the community — and who first introduced them to Halcyon Promenade — Linda and Ross have attended several social events and connected with other residents and soon-to-be neighbours. 

“This will be our first time living in an over 50’s community, and it will be great to see some familiar faces when we move in,” Ross says.  

From starting out as a 15-year-old clerk in 1964 at the Brisbane Magistrates Court, Ross officially retired in December after serving as a magistrate in more than 18 towns. 

“We were ready to downsize, but the hardest part was giving up my library. I kept as many books as I could and put about 100 aside that I’d like to donate to the Halcyon Promenade library when it opens,” Ross shares.  

Ross Woodford enjoying a game of billards in the recently opened Halcyon Promenade Sports Hub.

Ross and Linda enjoyed designing their new home and were very hands-on during the selection phase, adding plenty of personal touches and clever modifications.  

“We’ve installed wooden shutters and electric blinds that drop down at the push of a button. We chose the tiles, the matte black taps, the paint colours and finishes — we picked it all out,” Ross says. 

He laughs, “Well, to be honest, Linda picked most of it out, and I just nodded.” 

Location played a significant role in the Woodford’s decision to buy a home in Halcyon Promenade. 

“We wanted to be close to the freeway with easy access to the rest of the Sunshine Coast. It’s convenient for our family to visit, plus it means I can easily go for a surf or take Darcy for a bushwalk,” Ross says. 

Linda and Ross live a very active lifestyle, so the recent opening of the new Promenade Sports Hub is perfect for them. 

“The Sports Hub has blown me away! I kept calling it the ‘Sports Shed’,” Ross laughs, “but this is way beyond my expectations — it feels like a resort.” 

“Have you seen the swimming pool? Our new home is right across the street. Linda and I both swim, so when summer rolls around, that's where you’ll find us.”  

Halcyon Promenade Homeowners breaking in the new Pickleball courts with some friendly competition.

The pool isn’t the only thing that caught Ross’s attention. Part tennis, part ping-pong, it’s easy to see why pickleball has taken off in recent years.  

With three courts to choose from, Ross, a keen tennis player in his younger days, was eager to try out this new-to-him activity during the Sports Hub’s grand opening. 

“Because the ball doesn’t bounce as much, it’s going to take some getting used to, but it was great fun. It’ll definitely help keep up my fitness levels, but I'm sure we’ll also come down here often just to grab a coffee, play a bit of snooker, or find a spot to read.” 

With the countdown officially on, Ross and Linda are one step closer to becoming part of a thriving community and embracing the active lifestyle they love—right on their doorstep.