Kingscliff holiday-maker celebrates 100th birthday

Good living and a love of dancing is the key to longevity for Joyce Bews who celebrated her 100th birthday at Kingscliff on January 2

Joyce Bews (centre) celebrates her 100th birthday on January 2 with her family Peter and Lynne Whiteoak and Greg and Pam Bews at Tweed Holiday Parks North Kingscliff where she has spent each Christmas for the past 20 years.

GOOD living and a love of dancing is the key to longevity for Joyce Bews who celebrated her 100th birthday at Kingscliff on January 2.

Mrs Bews said having an active social life and spending years dancing with her late husband Ted was the reason she was in such good health at 100.

"Good living, and I had a good husband, and going out a lot," Mrs Bews said.

"I never stay home on a Saturday night.

"We used to love dancing - old time and new vogue.

"We always went dancing once a week at least and all around the country."

This week, Mrs Bews celebrated her birthday surrounded by her children and grandchildren, during the family's annual camping trip at Tweed Holiday Parks North Kingscliff.

For decades the Wynnum locals spent their yearly Christmas break at the holiday park and it hasn't gone unnoticed.

During an open house gathering in the holiday park, Mrs Bews was honoured with the "key to the holiday park" by Kingscliff North Park Managers, Karen and Jeff Smith.

"It's been a pleasure to see this big family unit come together every Christmas and to keep the tradition going through generations," Mrs Smith said.

Her daughter Lynne Whiteoak, who has holidayed at the park for more than 35 years, said she had fond memories of the annual camping holiday.

"We have many memories of mum and dad spending time outdoors with the great grandkids, heading to the beach and river to go fishing," Mrs Whiteoak said.

"Mum used to love fishing and so did dad, we used to joke that dad had smelly feet as the fish would always find him."

Originally published as