Laughter, cherry blossoms, and a bus full of new friendships — that’s what life looked like for The Verge at Burleigh G.C. Retirement Village residents who travelled together to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers last week.
Led by Jeff Burchell, Chair of The Verge’s Social Committee, the day trip brought together 42 residents from The Verge, along with friends from The Green Tarragindi Retirement Village and Drayton Villas Retirement Village, for a colourful celebration of connection and community.
In total, 91 people joined the day. The Verge residents first collected friends from The Green before heading to Queens Park gardens. At Drayton, Jeff presented gifts before everyone enjoyed lunch and a tour with the Drayton team and residents. The day finished at the serene Japanese Gardens, where the group spent time together before returning home.
“We just love it”
Exploring Queens Park and the Japanese Gardens, residents were immersed in colour — and each other’s company.
“The highlight for me was seeing all the gardens,” said Verge resident Jenny Egan. “We enjoy all the people, and of course Jeff organising events like this — he’s absolutely amazing.”
Her husband Jeff agreed: “It’s a great community and we all work together, look out for each other. We just love it.”
New friendships in bloom
For Lynne Girvan, the day was about more than flowers. “This is the first big event we’ve joined, and I’ve met people today I didn’t even know lived at The Verge,” she said. “That’s what’s so lovely about these outings — they bring people together. And the cherry blossoms in the Japanese Gardens were just beautiful.”
“The Verge is my second family”
Resident Margaret Creer said days like this are exactly why she calls The Verge her forever home.
“There’s always something on, and whenever there’s a trip, if I can do it, I’ll join. You meet other people and it’s lovely. There’s a lot of camaraderie at The Verge — that’s what makes it so special.”
She added with a smile: “At my age in life, I think I might not be able to later, so I try to join in with everything that’s going on.”
Growing connections across villages
For Jeff, who organised the day, the trip wasn’t just about seeing flowers — it was about strengthening the bonds that make retirement living so rewarding.
“After we had the inter-village bowling day at The Green earlier this year, we made some great friendships, so we invited them this time too. We’ll continue to include other villages when we have events like this because we all belong to the same family.”
More than a day out
From sharing stories over lunch to strolling through Toowoomba’s floral displays, the Carnival of Flowers gave residents more than just a scenic day trip. It offered connection, joy, and a reminder of the wellbeing benefits of community living — where friendships, activities, and support are always close at hand.
“After the success of today, I think we’ll continue to see even more of these community gatherings. It brings everyone closer together,” said Jenny.
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, held annually in September, attracts thousands of visitors to celebrate the city’s spectacular blooms. Much like the blossoms in Toowoomba, the community spirit at The Verge is vibrant, colourful — and always growing.
Want to see another example of The Verge residents building connection through shared experiences? Read about their inter-village bowls day: Rolling together: Building connection through bowls.
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