Hitting the Right Notes: Life & Music in a Bundaberg Retirement Village
Music, Mates & Magic: Geoff & Vi’s Life at Argyle Gardens, Bundaberg
We sort of found this place by accident. See, we come from Mackay and always liked the Bundaberg area. When we came in, Leo showed us around—and he showed us the music room. I said, “Nobody's playing here?” and he said, “No, nobody plays here.” I said, “Well, if we buy a unit in here, we’re going to be up there… no ifs, buts, or ‘can we?’” And it just started from there.
Music is a big part of our lives. This is a magic place because we play here, we store the gear here, and we've got a rent-a-crowd. We love playing for old people—well, I'm not old yet!
We do everything from the '50s to the '90s—Eagles, Beatles, Linda Ronstadt… We’ve got about 450 songs and I try to rotate them. But no doof doof! That’s our rule.
I spend a lot of time on stage watching people's feet—if the feet are moving or the hands are clapping, you know they're enjoying it. Sometimes I go off with the fairies and forget where I am, and Vi gives me a nudge. “Hey, where are you? Come on!”
Some of our residents are like wound-up springs. As soon as we hit the right number, they’re off dancing. And we've got some really good moving ladies here—they might be elderly, but I'll tell you what, they get up there and give it a go!
We couldn't imagine not being here now. The friends we've made—we wouldn't want to leave them. They’ve become like family. We're all a big family here.
We're here for good. We love it, and we’d recommend it to anyone who wants the next chapter of their life to be what we’re enjoying now.
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