I think the most important criteria for retirement location, is not location. It is where your loved ones live. As a health pro, I've seen so many people retire to a nice location, only to end up lonely and depressed, and then when they break a hip or wrist, or their eyesight fails significantly, there's no family to help out, and their equally aged partner is in little condition to care for them well. Suddenly they are faced with having to be placed in a retirement village or nursing home.
As you get older, the most important thing is to have love and support around you. If you don't have a loving family, then no worries....head off to whatever beach you want.
But also keep in mind as your body ages, you will feel less inclined to play golf and head down the beach for a swim. The sun and sea will knock you around.
Personally, I intend to retire in a quiet mid/outer ring suburb of Brissie, with a bit of land around me. not too much maintenance, but enough space to do some permaculture. and listen to nature rather than neighbour's circular saw or doof doof music. And I'll be close to superior medical services. The quality goes down hill dramatically out of town. Traumatic orthopaedic surgery outside capital cities is a very 2nd best.
I have lost interest in retiring to the Sunshine Coast. It isn't the Nirvana it was when I was a teenaged surfer. It has lost its close to nature ambience and is spoilt by hoons and agro drivers, narcissists, superficial egoists, people running away from the cities, only to take their city attitudes with them.
I had also intended to retire to Woombye or Palmwoods, but when the developers came in there, it became Eudlo and Mooloolah....but then the developers and idiots found those spots too. Maleny, Montville, Connodale, Kennilworth have also got dysfunctional fragmented communities. Welfare, bikies, Queen St farmers who neglect their farms, a high rate of unemployment......nah....don't want anything of it. Would rather age where people are gainfully employed and brought up well.
I had also like Cabarita, Hastings Point, Ballina, Alstonville years ago, but the way I remember those places has evaporated. Cabarita and Kingscliff just don't have the same vibe anymore. Alstonville is closed off with insular southerners. I spent a few months with an avocado farming family friend there in the 70s....it truly was bliss and everyone was friendly cos they were farmers doing ok. Now it is just crotchety ageing creaky bodies who complain about their knees and backs when maintaining their small acreages.
Nah....am afraid my Nirvana will have to come in the afterlife.
. It was that quiet...
