Palm Lake Resort Bargara

Palm Lake Resorts: Communities, Care and Locations Across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria

Palm Lake pioneered over-50s resort living in Australia in 1977 and now has 27 communities across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Find a Palm Lake community near you below, or read on for costs, care details and what sets Palm Lake apart. If you are weighing up a move out of a larger family home, the sections that follow explain how the homes are set up, what is on offer on site and what to ask before you commit.

Quick facts

About Palm Lake

Palm Lake builds resort communities for over-50s across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. You can choose between single-level and double-storey homes, and the double-storey homes have lifts. Some communities also share their site with an aged care community. For many people downsizing, the choice between a single level and two storeys comes down to how they want to live day to day, so it is worth walking through both layouts before you decide.

Residents own their home and lease the land. Homes are designed to be low-maintenance, and Palm Lake takes on the upkeep, so your time goes to friends, family and the social life each resort offers. Owning the home while leasing the land is a structure that differs from a standard house purchase, so it is sensible to read the contract carefully and ask questions about anything that is unclear.

Palm Lake is Australian and family-owned. It is still owned by the family that founded it, 49 years on. Decisions are made by that family, not by a boardroom or the share market. When you compare operators, ownership is one of several things worth putting side by side, alongside the homes, the location and the contract you would be signing.

Costs & fees

For a current price, call Palm Lake directly on 137256 or enquire through the listing for the community you're interested in. Price is usually the first question for anyone planning a move, and a direct conversation is the most reliable way to get an answer that applies to the community and home you have in mind. When you ask, it helps to have a list ready: what you pay to buy, what you pay while you live there and what happens when you leave. Put the same questions to every operator you consider so the answers can be compared fairly, and keep the replies in writing where you can.

Care & lifestyle services

You live independently in your own home, in a gated community with an on-site caretaker. Social services, support groups and wellness programs are open to homeowners, which helps you stay active and connected for longer. Being part of a community of neighbours can matter as much as the home itself, particularly if you are leaving a street where you knew everyone.

Aged care is delivered separately, with 24-hour professional staff, at seven aged care communities that share sites with Palm Lake resorts. Another is being developed. Aged care is only at some communities, so it is worth asking at each one. If future care is a priority for you, make it one of the first questions you raise on a visit, and ask what the arrangements would be if your needs changed.

Resort country clubs bring neighbours together, with heated pools, championship bowling greens, cinemas and pickleball. Art studios and workshops add more to do at some resorts. When you visit, take the time to look at the facilities you would actually use, because a pool or a workshop only adds value if it suits the way you like to spend your week.

What makes Palm Lake different

A network of 27 communities gives you a real choice of location and home style, and new homes are on sale now at five locations. Some communities offer no council rates and no exit fees. These are the kinds of costs that are easy to overlook when you are focused on the home itself, so check which of them apply at the community you like.

More than 12,000 homeowners have already made Palm Lake their home. Palm Lake has pioneered resort living for over-50s for almost five decades, and it remains a family business. Visiting more than one community, and speaking with people who already live there, is the best way to judge whether the setting and the people suit you.

Last updated: October 2026.