Richard Naylor and Karol Fisher
When Richard Naylor and Karol Fisher looked at The Lakes Retirement Village two years ago they immediately liked what they saw. But the local couple thought a move to retirement living was years away.
It was less than 12 months later – when Richard and Karol returned from one of their regular trips around Australia that they realised the move couldn’t wait.
“We came home from a holiday and found a huge home that needed cleaning, a lawn that had died and gardens that required at least three weeks to get back into shape again,” Karol said.
“We knew we had a couple of options; stop taking long holidays and instead take shorter trips more often, change to a smaller house with a smaller yard and less gardens, or move to a home at The Lakes Retirement Village.
“We decided to have another look at The Lakes and when we saw the range of facilities and homes available we knew straight away what we wanted to do – we sold our home as soon as we could and purchased a home as part of Stage 8 of the village.”
The Lakes Retirement Village, Lend Lease Primelife’s premier retirement village in Bundaberg, is ideally located on Walters Street, between the Bundaberg Golf Course and the Botanic Gardens.
With caravan and boat storage just one of the many facilities available to residents, travelling the country has never been easier for Richard and Karol.
“We started looking at retirement villages a couple of years ago so that we could make an informed choice,” Karol said.
“We really liked everything The Lakes had to offer, especially the fact that we could lock up and leave knowing the house would be secure and the garden would be cared for.
“We also really liked the fact that The Lakes was freehold, but Richard and I thought we were too young and active for retirement living and we envisaged the move would be at least five or six years away. What we didn’t expect is to find ourselves busier than ever.”
At The Lakes Retirement Village, there is an outstanding variety of leisure and recreational facilities on-site, including an indoor heated lap pool, community centre, barbeque areas, bocce green and library.
“Richard now plays bowls three times a week but for me the hardest decision was choosing what activity to join,” Karol said.
There’s scrap booking, a cards group, craft classes, aerobic and aqua aerobics as well as endless social activities.
“Plus, the clubhouse, pool and gardens are all fantastic and our granddaughters certainly enjoy beating their pop at snooker.”
Residents at The Lakes Retirement Village have the option of spacious, architecturally designed one bedroom homes up to luxurious three bedroom homes, each with a generous rear verandah for entertaining and outdoor living.
“The homes are great – we’re thrilled that we can have our little dog with us and we’ve got so many friends close by,” Karol said.
“My neighbour and I now do our grocery shopping together and what was once a chore has become a social morning.
“We don’t know why we struggled with a large house for so long – we’re so happy that we made the decision to come to The Lakes when we did.”
Richard Naylor and Karol Fisher
When Richard Naylor and Karol Fisher looked at The Lakes Retirement Village two years ago they immediately liked what they saw. But the local couple thought a move to retirement living was years away.
It was less than 12 months later – when Richard and Karol returned from one of their regular trips around Australia that they realised the move couldn’t wait.
“We came home from a holiday and found a huge home that needed cleaning, a lawn that had died and gardens that required at least three weeks to get back into shape again,” Karol said.
“We knew we had a couple of options; stop taking long holidays and instead take shorter trips more often, change to a smaller house with a smaller yard and less gardens, or move to a home at The Lakes Retirement Village.
“We decided to have another look at The Lakes and when we saw the range of facilities and homes available we knew straight away what we wanted to do – we sold our home as soon as we could and purchased a home as part of Stage 8 of the village.”
The Lakes Retirement Village, Lend Lease Primelife’s premier retirement village in Bundaberg, is ideally located on Walters Street, between the Bundaberg Golf Course and the Botanic Gardens.
With caravan and boat storage just one of the many facilities available to residents, travelling the country has never been easier for Richard and Karol.
“We started looking at retirement villages a couple of years ago so that we could make an informed choice,” Karol said.
“We really liked everything The Lakes had to offer, especially the fact that we could lock up and leave knowing the house would be secure and the garden would be cared for.
“We also really liked the fact that The Lakes was freehold, but Richard and I thought we were too young and active for retirement living and we envisaged the move would be at least five or six years away. What we didn’t expect is to find ourselves busier than ever.”
At The Lakes Retirement Village, there is an outstanding variety of leisure and recreational facilities on-site, including an indoor heated lap pool, community centre, barbeque areas, bocce green and library.
“Richard now plays bowls three times a week but for me the hardest decision was choosing what activity to join,” Karol said.
There’s scrap booking, a cards group, craft classes, aerobic and aqua aerobics as well as endless social activities.
“Plus, the clubhouse, pool and gardens are all fantastic and our granddaughters certainly enjoy beating their pop at snooker.”
Residents at The Lakes Retirement Village have the option of spacious, architecturally designed one bedroom homes up to luxurious three bedroom homes, each with a generous rear verandah for entertaining and outdoor living.
“The homes are great – we’re thrilled that we can have our little dog with us and we’ve got so many friends close by,” Karol said.
“My neighbour and I now do our grocery shopping together and what was once a chore has become a social morning.
“We don’t know why we struggled with a large house for so long – we’re so happy that we made the decision to come to The Lakes when we did.”
Len and Mavis Smith
When Len and Mavis Smith decided to make the move to Bundaberg they weren’t considering retirement living. But when their search for a house and land package took them past The Lakes Retirement Village they decided to go in and have a look around.
Half an hour later – after seeing the range of leisure and recreational activities on offer as well as the spacious, well-appointed homes– the Smiths made the decision that the Lakes was where they wanted to live.
“We’ve always liked the Bundaberg area and when we saw The Lakes we knew instantly that it was for us,” Len said.
“We immediately liked the fact The Lakes gave us the option of being able to go away for a weekend in the caravan without having to worry about security and who would look after the house or garden.”
Residents – and family and friends – can make use of the outstanding variety of leisure and recreational facilities on-site, including an indoor heated lap pool, community centre, barbeque areas, bocce green and library.
“The recreational facilities and activities on offer are definitely another bonus. There are always dinners to go to, and we often use the pool and the community room,” Len said.
“It’s great because you can do your own thing and enjoy your privacy but you also have the opportunity to be sociable – it’s up to you whether or not you want to get involved in activities.”
Between holidays and leisure activities Len and Mavis also find time to volunteer two days a week at the RSL Fairways Retirement Community – with Mavis helping out in the kitchen and laundry and Len doing maintenance work.
“Now that we’ve retired we have more time on our hands and we love being able to volunteer and give back to the community,” Len said.