Nomadic couple finds forever home at B by Halcyon

Since moving to Stockland's luxury B by Halcyon lifestyle community, nestled in the foothills of Buderim, Glenn and Kathryn Tonges are finally ready to settle down.

From Bli Bli to Beijing, Kawana Island to Buderim, the couple previously sought a change of scenery every few years.

“We put it down to getting a seven-year itch,” Glenn says.

“We were at Bli Bli for seven years, then spent seven years in China before we settled back at Kawana Island, again for seven years.”

“Now, however, we look forward to being part of the B by Halcyon community long-term.”

The couple made their latest move in November 2022 and haven’t looked back.

While we loved our location on Kawana Island, we recognised that we needed to look at how to do things differently for the next chapter of our life. Being part of a community was a big part of that,” Kathryn says.

Glenn, a former science and maths teacher, made a significant career change in his mid-30s that saw him designing and constructing oceanariums and aquariums around the world.

The first project he worked on was Underwater World now known as SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium at Mooloolaba, which opened in 1989.

When their two sons finished university and started working, the couple seized an opportunity in 2007 to move to China where Glenn delivered projects across China, South Korea, Russia and the Middle East.

Throughout her teaching career, Kathryn taught students from prep to tertiary.

In China, she took her experience as an educator in a new direction and taught effective parenting courses to the expat community.

Glenn retired in 2014 when they returned to the Sunshine Coast but Kathryn continued teaching, now voluntarily.

“I enjoy helping people, teaching parenting courses, personal empowerment courses, supporting other instructors and offering general support,” she says.

Settled into their new community at B by Halcyon, Glenn and Kathryn adore the house they chose and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding bushland that sweeps out beyond their backyard.

“I love the proximity to nature,” Kathryn says.

“I grew up on a sugar cane farm at Bli Bli and we recently found out that the land here at B by Halcyon used to be a sugar cane farm!”

“We are doing things we hadn’t done before and having all the wonderful facilities in one spot makes it much easier to access everything.”

The couple get together with their neighbours for bowls on Sunday afternoon, attend Thursday night socials to meet more people, compete in monthly trivia events and have started learning pickleball.

“I’m enjoying the stretch and Pilates classes and visits with the exercise physiologist and I love popping down to the library when I’m ready for a new book,” Kathryn says.