News

Check out the delighted winners of Real Living’s 2023 photo travel competition! Presented by MoaTours, this competition offered an exciting grand prize of a $500 travel voucher, allowing winners to embark on an exciting journey with this exceptional New Zealand travel company.

Warkworth Oaks’ contemporary apartments are situated right in the heart of beautiful Warkworth village, with restaurants and cafés, shops and health services only a short stroll away. One of the residents’ favourites is The Secret Café, a new venue that opened one year ago… and it’s located on the ground floor of our retirement village! What else can you wish for?

Kirsten and Chris started working as Activities Coordinators at Pakuranga Park on August 2021 and they quickly became the “Dynamic Duo”. With time they got to know almost every resident at the village (400 of them!) and they have built a trust relationship with them. So much so that now Chris has taken the role of Welfare Coordinator to look after the residents who are more vulnerable.

If you're looking for a Christmas celebration like no other, Epsom Village is the place to be. This year the village organised a Mystery Christmas party with the surprise appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The residents had clues to unlock and mysteries to solve, while they enjoyed a five star menu and delicious Christmas treats. Sherlock made sure that everyone finished the dinner unharmed... but they certainly had a night full of friendship, joy and laughter!

It can’t get more local than this! Every year, Pakuranga Park holds its very own Christmas market, filled with homemade produce and unique gifts created by our residents. It’s the ideal place to tick some items off the shopping list but also a great opportunity to socialize and fully immerse yourself in the festive Christmas spirit.

The Junior girls of the Diocesan School for Girls visited Epsom Village for their annual Christmas concert. They sang traditional carols that delighted everyone, but they also incorporated some more modern songs to their repertoire, like the Gingerbread man rap. A wonderful way to kick-start the magic season and remind us of the true spirit of Christmas: generosity.

Real Living villages have a heart of gold, and they show it time and time again with their ongoing support to various charities. They always try to have lots of fun at the same time, as we can see in Remuera Gardens’ latest charitable initiative. Their “Wear it Pink” event to support the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation was a day full of laughs and heartwarming moments.

What a stunning success for Real Living’s Art and Craft Expo, the second edition of this annual expo that showcases the extraordinary talent of our residents. More than 500 people visited the exhibition that was open to the public for three days. The showcase was not only a feast for the senses, but it also raised over $1200 for Blind Low Vision NZ.

Some of our residents are larger than life, with experiences that could be written in a book… or in Barbara’s case, several travel journals! Barbara’s adventures started when she was 19 years old when she did her first trip around Europe. She hasn’t stopped travelling since then: she’s been to 45 countries, including Uganda, the Galapagos Islands or Cambodia.