News

Distance swimmer Sandra Blewett MBE is one of our newest residents at Pakuranga Park. Her life story is not for the faint-hearted: she has swum over 56 marathon swims around the world including the English Channel, Cook Strait, and Foveaux Strait. What does she like about Pakuranga Park? “It’s close to the shops, swimming pools and doctors. I can be independent and safe at the same time, and on top of everything… they have their own pool!”

Tom and Jill moved to Warkworth Oaks in 2020 because their apartments fulfilled all the requirements in their wish list. They love that it’s such an easy lock-and-leave option and “within walking distance of everything we need”. On top of that, the village allows them to lead the lifestyle they want, full of exercise and activities, including fitness at the gym, table tennis, indoor and outdoor bowling.

There’s never a dull moment at Pakuranga Park. From exhibitions to music and fashion shows, bowling and quizzes, trips to the countryside and exciting village gatherings. Many everyday activities are initiated by the residents and there’s an abundance of options to suit every taste. You will find real choices, real fun and real people, Real Living at Pakuranga Park.

During the long Covid break, so many of our residents were not able to visit their family living overseas. We’re very happy to see how this is changing and lots of our residents are travelling abroad to reconnect with their loved ones. The reunions are full of joy: “We were catching up online regularly, but seeing them physically and hugging them was so awesome and so emotional”.

At Real Living sometimes we like to follow the traditions, and other times we like to try something new. For the past two years Epsom Village has moved away from the classic Christmas theme for their midwinter dinner. This time, the village decided to celebrate that the residents are travelling overseas again after the long Covid break with an internationally inspired dinner.

When we say that Remuera Gardens is a feast for the senses, we’re not exaggerating! The village has around 130 different varieties of camellias which flower during the autumn and winter months. The residents love walking around their little slice of paradise and they always stop and talk to Aaron, the village’s most devoted gardener. Aaron has spent the last seven years cataloguing every plant and believe it or not… he hasn’t finished yet!

Mangawhai Museum was opened in December 2014 in a spectacular building shaped like a stingray. In a few years it has become one of Northland’s most popular museums, to the point that Lonely Planet describes it as one of regional NZ’s best museums. With such extraordinary publicity, Warkworth Oaks decided to organise a special visit to Mangawhai to check out the museum – specially since it’s only a 45 minutes’ drive from the village.

At Real Living we have many residents with remarkably successful careers. At Remuera Gardens we are very proud to have Nan Gibson-Brine among our residents. Working under the name of Nan Gibson, she is an accomplished concert pianist who has performed in England, Australia, SE Asia and New Zealand. Nan is so passionate about her music that for many years she shared her talent with the village organising delightful concerts and sing-alongs for her neighbours.

This week we’re celebrating National Volunteer Week sharing the story of our amazing volunteers at Epsom Village. This amazingly huge display is what the residents have collected to send to war-ravaged Ukraine. The lot includes stationery, toiletries, sanitary and baby items, toys, and on top of that, around 260 hand-knitted and crocheted pieces by our own talented residents.