Horizons at Peregian
Horizons at Peregian has been in operation under the management of Rod Stringer ever since it opened in late 1999. Rod purchased the management rights for the property off-the-plan after moving up from the south NSW coast. In the 10 years since opening, Rod and his team have established the resort as one of the most sought after properties on the Sunshine Coast.
Rod said, “It wasn’t an easy job working it up and it has taken a long time to establish. Initially, in the early years, units were slow to sell and I only had six or seven units to manage. But after 10 years of hard work it has now become now a very successful business, with lots of repeat guests.”
Horizons at Peregian, long-time manager, Rod Stringer
Horizons caters for a wide demographic of guests and markets within Australia and overseas. Of particular interest is the niche marketing directed at the gay and the pet friendly segments. Being located directly opposite the Sunshine Coast’s dog beaches makes Horizons at Peregian a sought after property for pet owners.
Rod is presently the regional director of the Gay and Lesbian Tourism Australia and Horizons at Peregian is host to the Noosa Mardi Gras Recovery Week. The event, now in its sixth year is one of the most popular events on the gay tourism calendar. It attracts hundreds of overseas and interstate visitors to Noosa each year to relax and unwind after a hectic week of parties and events in Sydney.
Rod has also just finished serving four years as a director of Tourism Noosa and is a proud sponsor of the Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club and member of GALTA, International Gay and Lesbian Tourism Association and the Australian Resident Managers Association.
Horizons at Peregian is the second accommodation property Rod has owned and subsequently, the second property he has worked up and established. Before Horizons, Rod bought and converted a 130-year-old settler’s cottage into a B&B.
“The B&B was on 22ha in Kangaroo Valley near Berry. When I bought and opened it in 1989, it was the first or second B&B in that south coast area. When I sold it 10 years later in 1999, there were about 25 B&B’s operating in the area.”
After selling the B&B, Rod travelled up to the Sunshine Coast to visit his parents who had retired to Caloundra. While there, he started looking around for something to do and discovered the plans for Horizons at Peregian. He was particularly attracted to the ideal location at the quite end of Peregian with direct access to the beach.
“It was not surrounded by high rise apartments or on a busy road. As it turned out it was a good choice with Lorikeet Drive now being one of the most sought after locations on the Sunshine coast with residential properties selling upwards to $5 million.” Rod said.
While Rod may not have had any knowledge of management rights, his experience in other fields such as chartered accountancy, publishing, the stock exchange and restaurant/hotel management have given him valuable skills that he has implemented in the creating, positioning and marketing of Horizons at Peregian.
Coming Alive in Peregian
Horizons at Peregian is centrally located minutes from the heart of Peregian Village, directly opposite the ocean beachfront stretching between Sunshine Beach and Coolum. The 5km of beach right out the front of Horizons at Peregian is one of Noosa’s permissible dog beaches. It is also a popular spot with surfboard riders and beach fishermen. With a number of units within the complex pet friendly, Horizons at Peregian is ideal for those guests wanting to enjoy a holiday with their pets.
Rod said, “While we are a pet friendly property we only have a limited number of units as it is all up to the owners and there are guidelines. We only allow small to medium dogs and cats and the animals are only allowed in the living rooms and courtyard, not in the bedrooms or in common areas within the resort. But we are one of the few pet friendly resorts in the Sunshine Coast area.”
Between the months of September and November, Horizons at Peregian becomes home to another group of animal loving people. The University of Queensland’s whale research team uses Horizons at Peregian as their headquarters during these three months, so they can track the whales as they head past the Peregian coast.
“The university research team comes every year and sets up in one of the penthouses. The researchers consist of marine biology students from all over the world who have volunteered their time and funding for the project comes from the Antarctic division of the government.”
The four-star Horizons at Peregian offers a total of 15 units over three levels. Each of the 10 two- and three-bedroom apartments is fully self-contained, individually decorated with comfortable, modern furniture and accompaniments, has a gourmet kitchen complete with cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery, two bathrooms and full laundry including washer and dryer.
There are five two- and three-bedroom penthouse apartments as well, each with exclusive access to a private rooftop terrace with sundeck and hydro-spa. The penthouses also feature master bedrooms with ensuites, broadband Internet connections and air-conditioning.
Complex facilities include heated swimming pool and spa, poolside entertainment area with gas barbeque, landscaped gardens, secure underground parking, in-house massage service and free daily newspaper delivery.
A tour desk at reception allows guests to book for the local tourist attractions and the nearby Peregian Village offers a range of specialty shops, cafes and restaurants.
Rod said, “When I first bought the property, to market it I really had to try and hook into Noosa’s popularity but now Peregian is a popular destination in its own right. The council has recently spent $2 million on the shopping centre, parking and landscaping and with new restaurants and shops, Peregian has really come alive.”
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