The waterfront lifestyle offered in Clear Island Waters is a well-kept secret on the Coast
Often overlooked in favour of larger, more prominent canal suburbs, Clear Island Waters is a suburban gem with homes overlooking some of the widest waterways on the Gold Coast.
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CLEAR Island Waters is a small residential oasis located in the heart of the Gold Coast.
The suburb was originally named after Clear Island Rd, a rural track which ran from Merrimac through Mermaid Waters into Miami Keys. The wetland was transformed into canal estates in the early 1990s, with the canals running into Clear Island Lake and Boobegan.
Clear Island Waters incorporates St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, the only school in the area, while other features include Surfers Paradise Golf Club and Sacred Heart Church.
It also has one of the biggest dog parks on the Gold Coast and a walkway through to Robina.
With a reputation for privacy, the suburb is divided into three precincts, Island Quay, Rhode Island and Santa Cruz.
The area is one of the Coast’s more up-market with the median sale price for houses at $970,000.
Astras Prestige Property principal Oresti Astras has been living in the area for 20 years and says the community is an even split between families and retired couples.
“The demographic has really changed. What used to be home to successful local business people is now a suburb seeing a lot of doctors and medical professionals move in because of the proximity to hospitals,” Oresti says.
He said smaller homes on dry blocks are popular with retirees while some of the bigger waterfront homes are a strong draw for families.
“The best thing about these waterfront homes is that it’s a non-tidal lake and there are no midgis to bother residents.
“I’m getting calls from people in Sydney and Melbourne asking for waterfront homes. People who have been living on rivers all their lives come to Clear Island Waters to settle down.
“If you’re living on the waterfront you get a bit of breeze and every day is different with the view from the backyard looking upon the lake, it is the way the sky is reflected onto the water.”
Oresti said the area is suited to families who enjoy boating.
“My boat is always kept in great condition because of the calm waterways and I take it out on the weekends,” he says.
The Gold Coast Italo-Australian Club is based in Clear Island Waters and manager Patrizia Simeone says it is buzzing through the week with activities, from dance classes to soccer.
“It’s a community club; we’ve got Latin music on Saturday, swing on Tuesday and Latin dancing on Wednesday,” Patrizia says.
“The soccer field is used nearly every day, it is nice to watch the boys play and have something to eat.”
Patrizia estimates about 40 per cent of members are Italian but she says people from a range of cultures visit the club: “We see a great mix of cultures walk through the doors.
“We know quite a few members who live in the area.”
Head chef Mattia Montorro says all the recipes are straight out of his mother’s and grandmother’s recipe books back home in Genoa, Italy.
“The pasta dishes and pizzas are very popular with the locals, Italians are big fans of the pork belly, which is made with fresh garlic and sage,” Mattia says.
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