Award-winning second home community in a waterfront setting.

In a sheltered location created by dredging the Tweed River, The Anchorage is a second home and retirement home community at the southern edge of Australia's Gold Coast.  It caters primarily to a market seeking warm, tropical sunshine and waterfront living. 

The Anchorage made a bold statement by introducing a distinctly tropical landscape palette as the warm micro-climate created by the north-facing waterfront site. The warmth of the reflected sunlight allowed coconut palms to be used for the first time in New South Wales and a colorful, mass planted palette was built around this. Colorful bougainvillea, lantana, agapanthus and gazania were used extensively in waterfront areas.  

Although initial stages included boat docks, the treacherous condition at the mouth of the Tweed River discourages boat ownership. Later stages featured waterfront homes and boardwalks instead of boat slips. As the project was built out over multiple stages, residential products changed to meet the market and additional recreational facilities were added. One phase included a large brick-paved autocourt with multiple garages arranged in a pinwheel pattern for maximum site utility. One stage included a broad, grassy beachfront in response to market demands. Another stage featured waterfront townhomes arranged around a circular timber boardwalk. A latter stage expanded the built area to include a separate island, accessed via a private bridge.

Designs prepared by Mr Nicolay received multiple design awards from the NSW Master Builders Association.