Active, younger retirees are increasingly downsizing to upmarket coastal communities. Cherie and Brian Saxby recently made the move to Ocean Club Resort at Lake Cathie near Port Macquarie. Let’s see how it went for them.
How did you come to call Ocean Club Resort home?
We lived in South-west Sydney where we had a large home on the Georges River, and we found that it was getting harder to manage. Sydney was becoming very hectic, very intense, and we were just exhausted. We realised that it was time to move to a quieter environment.
We chose Port Macquarie, because it’s got incredible beaches, an outstanding clean natural environment, it’s not crowded, the locals are wonderfully welcoming and friendly. And the climate is simply brilliant.
What attracted you here?
What attracted us was the beautiful streetscapes … the landscaping’s gorgeous, there are always flowers blooming, everything is manicured, always immaculate, and you can see the personalities of the home owners in their gardens – it’s delightful.
It’s very peaceful, very quiet, to lay here at night and hear nightbirds calling and walk out and see the stars. The skies are so clear here, we had forgotten what they looked like.
We thought the homes here were beautifully designed and beautifully finished. As we went through the process that we could make quite a few tweaks to suit ourselves to the plan and in the end, we got a house that fits us like a glove, and we just adore it.
What makes it particularly memorable is the quality of community here, because everywhere you go there are friendly, welcoming faces. Our neighbours are wonderful, and we’ve got so much in common with the people around us. Also we were delighted not to be paying the high fees that many Retirement Villages charge.
There are lots of things to do at OCR. What activities do you get involved with?
Brian and I, we love dancing. I love painting and dragon boating, we are both learning music, and we have neighbours and friends who share our passion for all of these things. We are having an absolute blast!
Instead of sitting around and watching TV you find that you’ve gone out and been with friends, you’ve moved your body and mind, and you just feel fantastic.
We also love our yoga. It’s very exciting to be learning these new things.
What’s the best thing about your new life?
It’s the renewed creative energy. For the first time in our lives, Brian and I both have the time and energy to learn music. We’re not using all our energy mowing and cleaning and looking after things we don’t need any more … we now live in a smaller house, we have a simpler lifestyle, everything is easy to look after, and we are surrounded by this beautiful inspiring environment.
To find out how you too can enjoy life like Cherie and Brian, call Ocean Club Resort today. 1800 462 326.
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