New Year's Eve at the Astra

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our resident-run New Year's Eve gathering was well-attended, and everyone had a lovely relaxing time. We gathered in the evening, all bringing a plate and drinks... and what a feast we had!! It was a wonderful way to finish off the year and to herald in the new one. A get-together like this gave us a great opportunity to reflect on 2022 at the Astra. We had lots of varied social events, from tried and tested classics (St Patrick's Day lunch, Christmas party, wine tasting, morning/afternoon/high teas...) to new and exciting activities (Zumba, art workshop, jazz lunch, fashion show...), to informative talks and presentations. We began our new carpeting works, replacing the carpets in the lounge, games room and on the fifth floor, and finished off our refurbishment of the foyer. We welcomed new residents into the building, and new members onto the Executive Committee. Too many other highlights to mention, but now we are looking forward to a happy, healthy and fun 2023. From us all at Bondi Beach Astra, Happy New Year!

Christmas Party 2022

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We got dressed up and gathered in the lounge for our first Christmas drink, on this beautiful early summer day. We all really felt need for a break and a chance to celebrate! There was a definite festive spirit in the air as we went round to the Tratt for our dinner of turkey and ham and all the trimmings. Alasdair, Joe and their whole fabulous team did a great job as always – the food was delicious, the atmosphere convivial, the wine flowing. Suitably full, we returned to the lounge to the beautiful sounds of John Campbell and Lorraine Delaney - our wonderful musicians for the night. After a break for speeches and the drawing of the lucky door prizes, some of us took to the dance floor, while others stayed chatting and enjoying their drinks and desserts. What a lovely time to spend with friends, neighbours and colleagues. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us, and to those who had a hand in organising the night. Special thanks go to John and Lorraine for staying with us to the end and providing a fabulous celebratory atmosphere. And to Sam and Natasha for providing the great selection of lucky door prizes. All in all, a fantastic send off into the hectic whirlwind of the season. Cheers!

Piano Afternoon

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Local pianist Thomas Hamilton came to regale us with an hour of 40s and 50s tunes. He brought out all the post-war classics and delighted his audience by taking requests. It was a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, listening to music, snacking on some salty and sweet treats, and catching up with friends. Tom was friendly, and of course passionate about his music. We loved having him, and it whetted our appetites for more live music…coming up at our Christmas party.

INS Lifeguard Medical Alarm Presentation

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It’s never too late to stop learning! We were grateful to have Jo from INS Lifeguard come to the Astra to talk to us about our medical alarm system. We have had this system in the village for a few years now, but there are so many more things that we can do with it, and it is always good to have a refresher. Jo ran us through what our system does, how it works, and how to test it regularly. She also told us that the pendant/watch button is waterproof, and she advised us to wear it in the shower as well as around the house.

The nurses at INS are available 24/7 and are there to help with emergencies, but also to provide welfare checks and just a chat if we need someone to talk to. Jo also provided information about services that are extra, for example a button that is GPS enabled that can be worn out and about in case of a fall. There are online portals for residents and village managers, to make sure that INS has all the most up to date information, and which can give us extra information if we want it. The presentation was well attended and those that came got a lot out of it. Thanks to Jo for coming and answering all of our questions, and to all the residents who came to listen to her.

Melbourne Cup 2022

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

What a lovely day at the races! We were so happy to gather on cup day to have lunch, catch up, and watch the race. Flora did an amazing job of organising and running the event, on very little notice (unfortunately Anna was sick and not able to attend). She brought delicious food and festive drinks – there was something for everyone. The lounge was beautifully decorated with bright colours and horse racing themed cutouts, and the fabulous clothing, hats and fascinators of the residents added to this festival atmosphere. After lunch Penny and Rob organised the sweeps, and we moved into the games room to watch the TV coverage. The race itself was exciting, the ups and downs and surprises keeping us all on our toes! Congratulations to everyone who had a winning horse, and thanks to all those that came to celebrate the Melbourne Cup with us. Special thanks to Flora for doing such a great job of putting on this important event. Always a highlight in our calendar, and always lots of fun.

Wine Tasting Afternoon

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Goran from Regional Wines of the World visited us with a cooler full of wine, ready to impart his knowledge to a rapt audience. We had such a fun time tasting the wines and learning about grape varieties, regions, and methods of production. We began with a medium-dry white wine, then went through the drier whites and finally the sweeter whites. We finished on a dessert wine, before washing out our glasses and our palettes in preparation for the reds. We tasted lighter reds, then a nice rose, and finished up with some more full-bodied reds. The final taste of the day was a sherry, which went down very well with a lot of the residents. We all had a great time, even those of us who don't drink a lot...it was just enjoyable to chat with friends over a small taste of wine and some salty nibbles. Thanks to Goran for coming out and giving us his time and expertise. It was lovely to see (and taste!) so many different wines from all over the world. What a great start to the afternoon - good wine, good friends, and good conversation!

Morning Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Our residents enjoyed the chance to chat together over a lovely morning tea last week. We had a carrot cake, a baked ricotta cheesecake and some fancy biscuits to accompany our tea and coffee. It was a nice opportunity for us to come and spend a couple of hours in the lounge catching up and having a laugh, and of course the sweet treats were appreciated too. Thanks to everyone who came along, and to those who helped with the set up and clean up of the event. How nice to be able to spend time with friends and neighbours on a regular basis. Next time we will be doing this over a taster or two of wine…!

Lunch with Live Jazz

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

It was wonderful to have Darryl, John, Jordan, Bella and Mark (aka DC3 & the High Flyers) to play for us after lunch at the end of last month. And what a show they put on! The sound was amazing in our lounge space, and they all played their hearts out. We so enjoyed it. We had a buffet lunch to start, with meats, salads, fresh bread and cheese…plus fruit and mini ice creams for dessert. There was wine for those who fancied a glass or two, and soft drinks for those who didn’t. We even managed a bit of dancing towards the end when we were warmed up. You just can’t beat live music, and our friendly local jazz band really pulled out all the stops. Thank you, and here’s hoping we’ll see you all again soon.

Zumba

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Thanks to the lovely Jana who came to instruct us in our Zumba class this month. We warmed up with some gentle exercise, then we really got into the dancing with samba moves and salsa moves and much more. Working the arms and legs, hips and bum, we got a full body workout! And had fun doing it! It’s a great way to keep moving and to do a shared activity together. Another great Zumba session, looking forward to the next one…

Open Day

/ Bondi Beach Astra/

We did manage to get a bit of sun at our long-awaited open day, and Bondi Beach was looking beautiful despite the inclement weather. It was exciting as we opened our doors again for the first time since the pandemic hit and welcomed prospective residents into the building for an open day. We also welcomed Craig Bennett, President of the Retirement Village Residents Association, to speak to us about retirement living. There were plenty of opportunities for prospective residents to speak to current residents and staff, as well as Craig and members of the Strata Committee. We had some presentations from Craig and Sam, Director of Bondi Beach Astra, which discussed moving into a retirement village. The lunch break gave us another opportunity to mingle, while eating some delicious food put on by the village. After lunch, Flora (Village Manager), Penny (OC Chair) and Rob (Residents’ Representative) gave short talks about the Astra specifically, and there were opportunities for guests to ask questions about the village. Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to come down and see our fabulous heritage listed building and meet our friendly residents. We loved meeting you and hope you will stop by again soon.

Coffee, Cake and Create Art Workshop

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We had our first ‘coffee, cake and create’ art workshop last week, and it was a great success. Local artist Greta came and gave us step by step instructions on how to create a beach scene in acrylic on canvas. We began with tea and coffee and a slice of delicious carrot cake, while Greta explained to us what we were going to do. At each step of the way she was there to help and guide us to our goal. It was wonderful to see how everybody produced something unique and special. Some of us did portrait scenes and some landscape. Some of us had a straight line of sea and a horizon, others had a diagonal line of sea. Some of us had people and beach umbrellas on the sand, others palm trees and vegetation. There were even people swimming in a rock pool, and a boat on the horizon. We learned what colours went into creating the colour for the sand, and those that created the sea colours. We learned some tips and tricks for creating a clean horizon line, and for creating different textures and shapes. It was fascinating to see how a composition comes together in just a few steps. We were engrossed for a few hours in our artistic creations, and it was a lovely way to spend a morning. Thanks to Greta for putting on a great workshop and sharing her expertise, and to the residents who came down to have a play. None of us had done a lot of painting before, so we were proud of our first attempts. It just goes to show that anyone can be creative and have fun!

High Tea

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

There were smart outfits, champagne flutes, dainty sandwiches and full cake stands in abundance at our August afternoon high tea. The food was beautiful – sandwiches and cheese/crackers constructed by willing volunteers, patisserie cakes bought from a local store, and scones made by Anna. Food was enhanced by a cup of tea and coffee, a glass of bubbly, or a soft drink, depending on our residents’ preferences. There was laughter in the air as we caught up with friends. It is wonderful to see so many people using the facilities, and great to have so much support for our social events. Thanks to Jo and Ann who volunteered to help before and after the event, and to everyone who came and made it such an enjoyable afternoon.

Christmas in July

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We braved a cold, wet and windy Bondi afternoon to come together for a pre-dinner Christmas in July drink, and then a lovely festive dinner at the Bondi Tratt. Alasdair, Joe and their team did a wonderful job as usual - the meal was beautiful. Good food, good wine, and good company got the evening off to a great start. When we came back to the lounge John was playing and singing for us, and we enjoyed his musical accompaniment while we ate dessert. After dessert we drew the lucky door prizes, and Sam and Rob wished everyone a Happy Christmas in July. John started up again and we danced until we could dance no more! What a wonderful evening and a special time to spend with friends, neighbours, colleagues and family.

Zumba Fiesta!

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Our second Zumba class of the year was a great success. This class was taken by Karen, a very experienced teacher and gold Zumba certified. We started by warming up to some slower music, getting our minds and bodies around the basic steps. Then the tempo increased, and we enjoyed moving and singing along to the music. There was hip action and isolation of movement, clapping and clicking, wiggling and shaking, and plenty of laughter!  To wind down we did some stretching and let ourselves dance in a more mellow way. Well, mellow for Zumba! We all had a fantastic time – it is lots of fun and a surprisingly good work out. What a wonderful way to spend a cold, wet Bondi morning.

Fella Hamilton Fashion Show

/ Fella Hamilton Bondi/

What a wonderful afternoon we had at Fella Hamilton in Bondi Junction. Mariam and Hillary put on a lovely spread for us – cheese and biscuits, little cakes, and sparkling wine! We felt very special! We sat in a separated area to watch the show, and after we browsed in the main store. Silvy and Anna were the afternoon’s models (Anna stepping in at the last minute to replace Chris, who was unfortunately unwell). They modelled 5 outfits – from pants and jumpers, to jackets, scarves and necklaces. Each resident who came took home a goodie bag, and a few of us bought items on the day. Thanks to everyone who came because it wouldn’t have been as special without you. We are looking at having another show later in the year for the summer season…

My Aged Care Clinic

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Amanda from Prestige InHome Care held a My Aged Care clinic at the Astra for residents to attend, to ask questions and to understand more about the system. It was a great turnout, and we learned a lot. My Aged Care is a complicated system, involving different tiers of care provision and many types of care from cleaning to shopping to round the clock care. Even though we are an independent living village, many of our residents get the benefits of some form of care. Amanda’s company provides assistance to people who are wanting to access different care packages. She explained the differences between the packages, and how to apply for each type. She explained the benefits and drawbacks of the My Aged Care system. It was an extremely informative session, and lots of people asked questions. Amanda had provided a lovely gluten-free mandarin cake for morning tea after, so we had a cuppa and a chat with cake while mulling over what we had heard. Thanks to Amanda for coming out to us, and thanks to everyone who came to find out more.

Seniors Fitness Balance Exercise Class

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Paloma from Seniors Fitness in Bondi Junction came to give us a balance and falls prevention class. We worked our bodies all over, initially using resistance bands to build up strength in our muscles. We finished the session balancing in different ways – feet apart, feet together, feet one in front of the other. Wobbling was our friend! We learned that if you don’t wobble, you’re not testing yourself enough – wobbling means you are using those balancing skills to their max. Thanks to Paloma for a great class, and to everyone who came. It was a really good session that everyone found useful.

Rageism Beauty Workshop

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were excited to finally welcome Kathrine from Rageism Beauty to the Astra, after having had three unfortunate circumstances in the last two months that meant we had had to reschedule. It was worth the wait though! Kathrine was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and we were interested to hear the beauty tips that she gave us throughout the session. Darryl put her hand up to be our helper and get made up, and Kathrine talked us through each stage of the process. Because there weren't too many of us we were able to get one-on-one advice, and those of us that were there had a lot of fun and were really engaged the whole time. We were all thrilled with how natural and lovely Darryl's makeover was, and how we had all learnt something by being there. Hopefully, if there is more interest later in the year, we can get Kathrine back to give us some spring beauty tips...

Goodbye Paul, Welcome Flora!

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

We were sad to say goodbye to Paul, our fearless manager of the last few years, as he moved to take up a new job closer to home. Many thanks go to him for all that he has done for Astra residents in his time here, and we had a morning tea to see him off and wish him all the best before he left. The residents enjoyed chatting with him, having a cuppa, and meeting our new manager, Flora. A huge welcome to Flora! She has come to us from a background in property management and is excited to get stuck into the retirement village life. Please say hi to her if you see her around the Village and if you have a funny story to tell, she’d love to hear it!

Cleo's Author Talk - In Search of Bertha

/ Bondi Beach Astra Lounge/

Thanks to resident Cleo for agreeing to give an author talk about her book 'In Search of Bertha'. We are very lucky to have so many accomplished and creative people at the Astra! Cleo gave a really interesting and informative talk about her search to ‘find’ a member of her family. She was inspired to do it because some years ago, after a brush with her own mortality, she realised that the family knew little about her grandmother Bertha. It was a fascinating trip into the past, complete with photographs, and we learned something about outback Queensland and the early wool industry. We finished up with afternoon tea and cake, and an opportunity to chat further about the talk.