March 8, 2022

Tips For A New Surfcoaster From A New Surfcoaster

Quay Osteo

Tips For A New Surfcoaster (From a New Surfcoaster)

Dr Tom Gubbins

From one newbie to another, WELCOME!
Welcome to the Surf Coast and welcome to your new home. It’s new, it’s different, it’s exciting and I am going through the same thing. After spending the bulk of my life living and working in Melbourne and it’s South-Eastern suburbs, I made the move across to Torquay in late 2021. Despite spending my whole life coming down here and familiarising myself with the town, as well as seeing the town’s development over time; moving here permanently is something completely different. I’ve left my social circle, my gym, my favourite places to eat, my barber, my doctor and countless other things that didn’t register on my mind until I needed to find somewhere new down here. It can be a pretty daunting experience and a period of discovery as we all look for “our places” in our new home. Over the last few months I have been adapting to the new lifestyle, new area, new workplace and new everything – whilst I am still finding my feet,I thought I would share a few things to. Keep in mind now that you’re ‘new in town’.

01 Enjoy it

It’s easy to fall into the regular routine of day-to-day life and miss out on all of the new experiences that are now on offer. We have all moved here for a reason, so enjoy all of thefresh new adventures that are around. Go do a Surf Lesson, try all of the amazing restaurants in town, go out for drinks or coffee, try the beautiful hikes and the walks and do all of the things that make this place so exciting to move to. Don’t forget to be a tourist for a little while while everything is new again.

The other week I went to the Chocolate Factory to do a tasting session and to make some Rocky Road, and it was Awesome! It might be a more touristy location but it’s on our doorstep and it’s pretty cool. So are all the walks around Bells, the wineries and breweries as well as the Great Ocean Road. Don’t forget to check them out!

The other thing that you will probably find, as I have throughout my first few months here, is that I feel like I am living in between Melbourne and Torquay. With family, friends, social engagements and ‘old life’ back in Melbourne, I find myself constantly going back and forth without a greatdeal of consistent time “at home”.

You will also undoubtedly have all of those awesome here. So enjoy state and have fun being a local tourist and use your friends visiting as an excuse to show off the places you like or try some new ones.

02 Become a regular

The thing I have noticed about Torquay over the last few months is that it is very much still a small town and a close knit community. You will bump into people all over the place and once you’ve been somewhere a few times, people will remember your face.

I think it took 3 visits to a cafe before the baristas knew my partner’s coffee order and name without her saying anything other than good morning. The easiest way to make it feel like home is to form these relationships. Once you’ve picked your favourite gym/cafe/hairdresser/restaurant/osteo, don’t be a stranger and help build those friendly and familiar relationships.

03 Actively involve yourself in the community

Whatever your hobbies are, it seems that the Surf Coast has got a group or team for you. Seek out the groups and little communities of like minded individuals and introduce yourself
as well as get involved doing something you love. There are countless gyms, yoga/pilates studios, running and swimming groups, boardriders, bowls clubs, football, basketball, walking clubs, book clubs, angling clubs, social butterflies, social groups, MMA and Boxing gyms, senior groups and golf clubs as well as many other places to get involved and meet people.

I personally am lucky to be a part of a close knit staff team at the clinic. On top of that, as sport is something that has always been a part of my life; I have been getting involved with
the Torquay Ocean Swimmers, the football club and the local gyms. Get involved and have some fun.

04 Say YES to things

When you are new in an area and new to social groups, saying YES to things is often a great way to get to know people and develop your circle, as well as trying new things.

Whether it is going for a coffee, a surf or a hit of golf, don’t think twice – say Yes. I was asked to fill in for a client’s basketball team and whilst I had a horrible performance it was a great time, I did end up injuring my rib in the process… but it was worth it to get exposed to a new group in the area.

05 Ask for advice

Whether it’s about where to get the best cup of coffee or about which GP should I go to or even advice on the local surf breaks – ask for advice. One of the things you will notice very quickly down on the coast is that everyone is remarkably friendly and always happy to help.

Asking for help or advice is a great way to start meeting new people as well as learning about the best things to do in town. Ask myself or anyone at the clinic about anything else that you might need – we are always here and happy to help.

LOCAL HEALTH CARE

Finding new practitioners can often be quite difficult in a new area, and often we end up finding out about places to try from other people’s recommendations – so here are a few names of practices and people that we at Quay Osteo can recommend. We have worked with these people frequently and are confident that they will be able to assist with your health care needs.

GP/Medical Centre – The Quay Family Medical
Dentist – Surfside Dental
Podiatrist – JD Podiatry
Exercise Physiologist – Thomas Kearney at NJF Wellness
Remedial Massage – Lisa Beverage at SurfCoast Massage
Myotherapist – Jesse Kingsbury at MyoWell

OTHER THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD DO or BE AWARE OF

– Surf Coast Community noticeboard on facebook
– Ocean Grind Coffee (My partner’s favourite)
– The Spaghetti and cheese Jaffle at The Kiosk
– Wednesday Night Trivia at the Torquay Pub
– Feed me SurfCoast
– Willy the Wagtail
– Teddy and the Fox gin
– Saturday Farmer’s Market (at the council offices)
– Torquay Parkrun/The Happy Runner running group
– Get in the water – as much as possible. Living at the beach is awesome!
– Walk your dog – if they’re anything like mine, they love the beach just as much as us
– Join the local Library
– Try all of the ice cream
– Live Music – we are fortunate to have some amazing musicians to experience down
here from bands at the pub, live music at the bars and festivals at the Common. So
keep your eyes and ears out.
– Learn which night/week the bins go out, I’m still not sure which bin is out each week
– New trial offers available at these places for new residents (Bones MMA, Anytime
Fitness, F45, Balance Studios, It’s All Yoga, Upstate, LA Fitness, Crossfit Bells
Beach)

If you feel like you need an appointment,
our friendly receptionists are always happy
to have a chat about booking options.
Call us on 5215 1106