IT'S
always nice to know that the Queen once slept right
next door and that if you feel the urge to ride an elephant
you can hire one for $6000.
Such
is life at the new North Shore Twin Waters Grand Mercure
Apartments, a novel resort on the Sunshine Coast that
aims to challenge the social dominance of the nifty
Noosa crowd a few kilometres up the road, and the cool
coffee clubbers down at nearby Mooloolaba.
The
bold, architect-designed apartments, villas and beach
houses are strategically dotted around the eastern rim
of the splendid 6ha lagoon of the long-established sister
property, Novotel Twin Waters Resort (where the Queen
and Prince Philip stayed for the CHOGM meeting in 2002).
The
Grand Mercure's mix-and-match concept blends the independence
of self-catering with the indulgent availability of
the Twin Waters facilities, which include several restaurants,
three bars, and fine dining at the over-water Lilys
on the Lagoon.
The
range of swish Grand Mercure accommodation has a subtropical
coastal theme of breeze-catching shutters, expansive
outdoor entertaining areas, polished floorboards, European
appliances and contemporary furnishings. It includes
two and three-bedroom villas and apartments, two-level
three-bedroom (plus study) beach houses sleeping up
to eight, and a stunning executive beach house that
sleeps 10 for a minimum seven-night stay.
A
few steps away are the white sands of Mudjimba surf
beach, with the placid Maroochy River to the west.
Designed
for the traditional range of up-market guests (honeymooners,
stressed executive types and young business families),
the resort has also captured the attention of the leave-the-boys-at-home,
ladies-only niche market driven by the website www.escape4girls.com.au.
It
seems that wives, partners, lovers and loners, brought
together in the dream of a hassle-free, male-free holiday,
find they blend easily into the new resort's R and R
theme.
Champagne
on arrival (and on demand), a chef for hire, spa and
beauty treatments, massages, belly dancing lessons and
catered hens' parties are just a few of the offers from
the website organisers.
For
lady escapees with a guilty conscience, arrangements
can be made to clean the house while they're away.
Weekend
Escape prices start at $461 per person for two staying
in a two-bedroom villa or apartment for two nights.
For
other guests, particularly the seriously energetic variety,
Grand Mercure has two swimming pools with barbecue facilities,
and bicycle, walking and jogging tracks winding around
the lagoon.
There's
also access to a gymnasium, archery, surfboards, catamarans,
canoes and kayaks, six tennis courts and the Twin Waters
18-hole championship golf course.
For
children there's a veritable wonderland of things to
do, including a kids' club and a dedicated circus school.
Trunk
note: The elephant was once procured to keep the kids
amused while their parents attended to surf, sun and
golfing chores at a conference weekend.
The
writer was a guest of North Shore Twin Waters.
Twin Waters
SCENIC: The apartments line the eastern rim of the lagoon
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