“We have a two-bedroom villa with a garage. It’s very warm and dry with double glazing and a good heat pump and good sun. After many years living in a draughty 1931 bungalow in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, that’s life-changing. Our energy bills are lower, and rates and property insurance increases are history for us. In just a few months, we have made a number of friends and are very much looking forward to contributing to the life of the community. We’re enjoying cycling, pool, yoga and a huge range of other activities.”

John retired from the RVA in August, following a career that began with New Zealand Railways, including marketing manager for part of the freight business.

John and Janet visited the community several times before making their decision and John was delighted to reconnect with several former schoolfriends who now live there too. Then they then went through the Arvida occupation rights agreement (ORA) with their lawyer.

“He went through everything and talked about all the points we needed to know and we asked some questions. It was very straightforward,” says John.

Having visited many retirement villages for work, John says they had “tucked away” ideas about many they liked but Arvida Waimea Plains stood out for them. That did give them a head start before they began their own journey of selecting a village, making visits, talking to residents and seeking advice from their lawyer. They found the information they needed was all easily accessed.

“I think, in the end, the choice of village comes down to a heart decision as much as a head one,” he says. “I grew up in Nelson, it is a great lifestyle place with good weather and a good hospital and health system. The village also feels very private, despite having around 170 units and we wanted to have like-minded people around us. I had also read about the village when it was a winner in the RVA’s Sustainability Awards. It is very much resident-led and focused on the sustainability of residents’ wellbeing,” John adds.