Australia can be an ideal place to ride out the North American winter. South East Queensland, with its gold coast, sunshine coast and regional capital city of Brisbane, is a beautiful place to escape the cold. When it’s winter back in the United States, daytime temperatures in this part of the world average 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit every day. And thanks to a dramatic shift in currency exchange rates, U.S. dollar holders have 32 percent more buying power in Australia than they had a year ago.
Australia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world with about 8 people per square mile, compared with 85 people per square mile in the United States. Many Americans appreciate the uncrowded feeling.
Brisbane, both the regional capital and the largest city in the northeastern state of Queensland, is home to nearly half of the state’s inhabitants. Its population is young, vibrant and growing. And Queensland’s northern city of Cairns is the main starting point for visitors to the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia is a safe country with an honest culture. Transparency International’s corruption index ranks Australia 11th in the world, between Canada and Germany and ahead of the United States at position 17.
Australia is an English-speaking, sports-mad country with a total coastline of 8,300 miles. Unlike New Zealand, where visa thresholds are high, making it difficult or impossible for foreign retirees to take up full-time residency, Australia’s retirement visa program is relatively friendly. The four-year standard retirement visa requires that you be over 55, bring no dependents other than a spouse or partner, have a clean criminal record, obtain health insurance and show that you are able to support yourself.
Australia can also be an ideal part-time retirement choice. If you retire here only part of the year, you don’t have to worry about a residency visa.
There’s an active vacation rental market in South East Queensland, meaning that if you owned a property in this area, you could use it yourself for several months a year and then earn income renting it out when you go back to the United States. A reasonable expectation for cash flow would average about $400 per week, depending on the size and location of the property.
Australia is known for its countryside, beaches and unique wildlife. However, there’s another reason to seek out this country in retirement: its world-class golf. Here are five of the best golf courses in areas where house prices are favorable, especially at the current exchange rate.
1. Brookwater at Springfield Lakes. Located just 30 minutes from Brisbane’s central business district, Brookwater is Queensland’s premier golf course. Situated in a stunning natural environment and designed by Greg Norman, this award-winning public access course offers a golfing experience you won’t easily forget.
A brand new four-bedroom home with a two-car garage is currently on the market in Springfield Lakes for $294,000.
2. Boonah Golf Course, Gold Coast Hinterland. Boonah Golf Course is recognized as one of the best courses in the country, with arguably the best greens in South East Queensland. Your golfing experience here will be accompanied by ever-present kangaroos, pelicans and other local wildlife.
Home and land packages here start at $263,000 for a four-bedroom house with en-suite baths, a double garage, undercover alfresco area, large open plan living room and a kitchen with breakfast bar.
3. Palmer Coolum Resort, Sunshine Coast. Although this excellent quality course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. is just 500 meters from the sea in places, the views are more of parkland and the beautiful Mount Coolum. Again, wildlife is a feature, along with tough challenges where ponds and lakes hug the fairways.
A new four-bedroom home with en-suite baths and a double garage in this golf community starts at $336,000.
4. The Palms Golf Course, Sanctuary Cove. Recognized as “the thinking man’s course,” The Palms is a championship course considered among the best in Australia. It has a total length of 5,904 meters (off the championship tees) and numerous water features and hazards. One of two courses in the area, The Palms is a return to the traditions of the game, with distinctive holes, deep greenside bunkers and boldly contoured greens requiring creative shots.
Property in Sanctuary Cove itself is expensive. Nearby Pimpama is a more affordable option. Here, a four-bedroom home goes for about $335,000.
5. Pacific Harbor Golf, Bribie Island. Pacific Harbor is a hidden treasure. Located just 45 minutes from Brisbane airport on an island of beautiful beaches and surrounded by national parks, this course is one of two in an area completely off the tourist radar. This would be a good choice for a retiree interested in peace and privacy, but not as good an option from the perspective of rental return.
Bribie Island is one of the world’s biggest sand islands, so you can guess what the challenge is for the golfer here. A four-bedroom home in the golf course estate starts at $320,000, and includes a marina berth for your boat.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.
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5 Retirement Spots for Golfers in Queensland, Australia originally appeared on usnews.com
