News

Auckland Zoo is celebrating a century of life this year, with many special events including the opening of its South East Asia Jungle Track. Epsom Village didn’t want to miss the fun and their residents were lucky to visit the zoo on a very sunny day. Lots of animals were enjoying the warmth outside, so our residents got close and personal with the giraffes, the siamangs, the meerkats and even the two new tigers!

What a spectacular village party we had on Friday at Remuera Gardens! The residents had a blast listening to the Madeleines, a vintage vocal trio who sing jazz and swing from the 20s to the 60s. For the residents it was a great occasion to gather with their friends, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and get their feet tapping to sophisticated tunes.

Christine moved to Warkworth Oaks in 2020 in what she describes “the best decision of her life”. Being a country girl, she never imagined she would enjoy living in an apartment, but she loves everything about the village. So much so, that she’s busier now than when she had a job… doing the things that make her happy!

Pakuranga Park residents are very lucky because they live within close proximity to many of Auckland’s finest attractions, including Howick Historical Village. Always a charming destination, the Village comes to life every second Sunday of the month with a Live Day: the residents who attended the Village Fête on the 12th of March had an absolute blast!

One of the most popular events at Remuera Gardens are the Quiz Nights. They’re run by a professional quiz master, Brendan, who has been hosting quizzes for more than 25 years. Around 50 people attended this week’s competition that was full of thrilling moments and lots of laughs. Next month’s one will be even more exciting: it will have the virtual participation of Shaun Wallace from “The Chase”!

Our Community fun day at Epsom Village was a roaring success. More than 200 people visited the village on Saturday including lots of families with little children, who had the best time with Lolipop the Clown and the colourful dance show from Peru. On top of having a great time, the village raised more than $650 for the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle. Well done Team Epsom!

Our extraordinary Sales Manager at Pakuranga Park, Kate Wynn, is leaving the team because she’s moving with her family to the South Island. These last few days, Kate has been receiving many cards and messages from all the residents that she’s met over the years. “I feel really blessed to be getting so many thank you messages. I’m excited about our new adventure but also extremely sad to be leaving. I love everything about Real Living: the village, the staff, the fabulous residents. It’s been a fantastic journey.”

So many of our residents have had an extraordinary life, and some of them seem to have fit several lives into one! That’s the case of one of the most sociable residents at Warkworth Oaks, Graham: he worked as a general manager for the Cook Islands branch at Air New Zealand, a real estate agent for Barfoot and Thompson, he owned a Bed and Breakfast and he ended his career driving tour buses around Auckland.

At Real Living we’re very proud to have some very talented artists among our residents. One of them is Dorothy Tomlinson, an accomplished opera singer with soprano roles in La Traviata or La Boheme. Being 90 years old, Dorothy has been retired for a long time, but that doesn’t mean that she has stopped sharing her expertise: now she’s in charge of the Talent Group at Epsom Village.