Ladies celebrate 10 years of friendship at Possum Bourne Village

Two Possum Bourne Village residents have two reasons to celebrate this month.

This 27 November will mark 10 years since Maureen Peach and Colleen Antonievich moved into the Pukekohe village with their husbands Graham and Des - and 10 years since the start of a beautiful friendship between them.

Being two of the original cohort to move into the village in 2015, Village Manager Ruben Kumar invited the pair to join him for a special afternoon tea to celebrate.

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“Maureen and Colleen truly represent the heart of Possum Bourne and we wanted to celebrate that," he says.

“Moving in as some of our first residents, they have been part of the village journey from day one – watching buildings go up, seeing teams grow and change, and helping shape the culture we’re so proud of today.

“It’s people like Maureen and Colleen who have helped to cultivate that special ‘Possum Bourne vibe’ that is so evident when you walk into the village.”

The ladies reflected on their momentous first day, which they say will forever be etched into their memories.

“We both moved in on the same day at quarter to nine in the morning,” says Maureen.

“We walked up the driveway together - we turned left to go to Townhouse 153 and Colleen and Des turned right to go to Townhouse 123. We’ve been best friends ever since!”

The connection was strengthened by the fact that their husbands, Graham and Des, were old schoolmates. However, the village move was the first time the wives had met, and they soon began enjoying all the village activities together.

“We’ve done Triple A, fine dining, the first Walking for Wellness, Happy Hours,” says Colleen.

“We’ve had lots of happy times and lots of Happy Hours,” laughs Maureen as Colleen nods: “Yes, we’ve had lots of fun over the years.

“It’s been a wonderful experience – the best thing we ever did.”

Maureen Peach (left) and Colleen Antonievich (right) share a special afternoon tea with Possum Bourne Village Manager Ruben Kumar.

Maureen had seen an ad in the local paper saying that Ryman was going to be building a retirement village and she mentioned it to Graham, a former carpenter.

“I said to my husband I might like to go and live somewhere like that, and he said, ‘I will have to look into it’.

“I said, ‘Okay, you look into and I will see you in there!’” she laughs.

For Colleen, she admits she had never imagined herself living in a retirement village.

“It’s something we thought we’d never do, but you don’t know until the time comes,” she says.

It was quite a big deal buying their new homes off the plans and not being able to see it up close until the day they moved in.

“That Friday morning it was so exciting,” says Maureen, a former kiwifruit orchard worker. “Graham and I used to walk over Cape Hill to watch the progress.”

“It was huge for Pukekohe,” adds Colleen, who ran an onion growing business with Des.

Both ladies became even more thankful for the village community surrounding them following the loss of their husbands – first Des in 2017 and then Graham in 2023.

“We’re missing our men but they were both so sick,” says Colleen.

“Even now I get people asking me how do you like it in the village….”

Maureen says: “We were thinking ahead.

“I lost my husband and I was very sick and could do nothing for myself. My daughter was looking after me and I said, ‘I think I’d better move to a serviced apartment.’”

Also attending the special occasion was Sales Advisor Jo Clare and Serviced Apartment Activity and Lifestyle Coordinator Jan Farac, who each had something to celebrate that day too.

Jo was celebrating her seventh anniversary of working at Possum Bourne, while Jan had just been awarded Employee of the Month!

Both Jan and Jo have gotten to know Maureen a lot more over the past year since she transitioned into her serviced apartment, which is located in the main village centre.

“I think when Maureen made the decision to move to a serviced apartment it was the fastest I have ever seen!” says Jo.

“It took me about 20 minutes to choose my apartment,” nods Maureen.

“It was a very smooth transition. Being here you come out into the village centre and there’s always someone to say hello to.

“The old house means nothing to me without Graham – home is where you make it. I made the right decision.”

From left: Sales Advisor Jo Clare, Village Manager Ruben Kumar, residents Colleen Antonievich and Maureen Peach, and Activity and Lifestyle Coordinator Jan Farac with beautiful flowers picked from the village gardens.

And it hasn’t stopped the ladies from enjoying their usual routines.

“We still walk to the local café up the road every Thursday. We’ve done that for years,” says Colleen.

“It’s been lovely having Maureen here because it’s introduced me to serviced apartment living. One day I may come up too.”

Ruben said the ladies’ milestone reflected the special memories, friendships and community spirit that had flourished amongst all the residents at the village over the past decade.

“What stands out is how genuine their friendship is, built through shared experiences, laughter, challenges, and those everyday moments of village life," he says.

“It really shows how powerful community can be. When someone moves in, they don’t just find a home, they often find lifelong friends.”