Doug and Marietta Pegg, residents of Oak Tree Retirement Village Gunnedah, have one message for others contemplating a move to retirement living – don’t leave it too late!
“Don’t leave it until you can’t move or because you have to move,” says Doug.
Marietta agrees. “I love it here at Oak Tree Gunnedah, and I love having the freedom to do whatever I want to do. Make the move while you can. On the farm, there was so much to tend to. And Doug was often busy away from the house. Now we’re here together and I’m never on my own I feel much safer than I did on the farm.”
By moving at the right time, Doug and Marietta are making the most of every day. They love their home, being able to join in with activities within the village, and their new friends.
They also love having time to catch up with old friends too. Having settled in Gunnedah some 36 years earlier, Gunnedah is still very much where their friends and their heart is. When contemplating their move to retirement living, there was never any doubt that Doug and Marietta were going to stay local.
“Leaving Gunnedah wasn’t an option for us,” says Doug. “It’s a place we know and love, plus we have a strong friendship base here. We wanted a fresh start while staying local, and Oak Tree Gunnedah allowed us to do this.”
“We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“We’ve got a beautiful three-bedroom villa with a north facing patio. But perhaps the best thing is that we could bring our dog Max with us. And I think he’s probably even happier here than we are. The pats, the bones, the love he gets from other residents – he couldn’t do better.”
“But neither could we. It’s a real community. The other day we got a knock on the door to say we’d better go and pick some beans from the veggie patch before they go to seed!”
“There are plenty of activities to join in with if you want to – morning teas on Wednesdays, drinks on Friday nights, craft classes, brain training and more. There’s also a pool and bowling green, and a men’s shed.”
“It’s not aged care, it’s retirement living. And it’s independent living.”
“Everyone’s friendly and we’ve really clicked with a couple of people. Everyone looks out for Marietta. If I ever have to go out or away there’s someone who’ll keep her company.”
“The financial model suited us too,” says Doug. “You can get in on very little capital and you don’t pay stamp duty. We ran it all past the children too and there were no concerns there.”
While Oak Tree Gunnedah may be a long way from Tasmania, where Doug and Marietta first met, it’s clear that they couldn’t be happier.
Doug was a professional rodeo rider from New Zealand following the Australian circuit when he met Marietta in 1961 in Tasmania. Through life’s journey, they have lived in New Zealand, Bundulla, Quirindi and finally, Gunnedah. Doug and Marietta ran an insurance agency in Gunnedah for 16 years, and they both retired three months before Doug’s 60th birthday.
You too can be like Doug and Marietta, living and retired in the place you know and love. Like them, don’t leave it too late. Contact Oak Tree Retirement Village Gunnedah to find out more.
To find out more about Oak Tree Retirement Village Gunnedah, or for a personal tour, call 1300 367 155.
