Right place and right time for Roy and Barbara

When Roy and Barbara Towers moved into Edmund Hillary Village they knew they’d made the right move.

“We’re surrounded by cousins,” laughs Barbara, whose cousin Jill lives just down the corridor. Similarly, Roy’s cousin is a neighbour in the Cook building. But while family connections have enhanced the feeling of being right at home, they weren’t the deciding factor.

“We’d looked at other places and weren’t impressed,” Barbara says. “I particularly wanted somewhere where we could walk around and Edmund Hillary Village ticked all the boxes.”

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The couple has moved a few times during their almost 67 years of marriage, with the last 20 years in a Remuera apartment where they enjoyed a stunning harbour view.

“We were used to apartment living so we haven’t had any problems moving into an apartment,” says Barbara.

A few years ago, they even considered moving to another village nearby which also boasted sea views. But the aspect was too high for the couple, as were the prices!

“You could get that view if you fly over Auckland. You don’t see anything moving,” says Roy.

Realising it was a connection to activity and vibrancy that was the priority, the couple turned to Edmund Hillary which still allowed them to keep all their local contacts, but also offered more space – both inside the apartment and outside where they could walk around on level grounds admiring the extensive beautiful gardens.

“Other places we looked at had tiny bedrooms, whereas here, we could bring almost all our furniture and it all fitted beautifully.”

The move in was seamless and by day three, they were virtually settled. They were particularly grateful to the sales team, Becky and Harleen, who went the extra mile to accommodate their request for an earlier settlement to ensure the sale of their old apartment could go through.

“It was a very smooth transition, and that was only possible because Becky got us in two weeks early.”

On arrival, they were soon bumping into old friends and contacts which really added to the great feeling of community.

“There was Val who had been with me at Probus and Janet who used to live next door to Roy’s parents.”

Adds Roy, who was company secretary for meat company R & W Hellaby Ltd: “And a guy who started work the same day as me is here. We called on him the other day.

“It’s so friendly here. When you pass someone here, they smile, say hello and maybe even stop for a chat.”

Roy and Barbara were thrilled that their furniture fitted well into their new apartment.

Roy and Barbara have also made an effort to get to know their neighbours on the same floor by inviting them to afternoon tea.

“It broke the ice,” says Barbara.

They’ve since celebrated Barbara’s 89^th birthday in the private dining space and will soon mark their 67^th wedding anniversary in February. In the meantime, they’ve embraced village life wholeheartedly, whilst also maintaining their outside activities too.

“We still go to Tai Chi at the YMCA but here we’ve been to Happy Hour, fine dining, a couple of films and I even tried Zumba in the activity room. I quite enjoyed it,” says Barbara.

“I restarted indoor bowls after 60 years,” says Roy. “I was rusty but everyone was very encouraging even though I really wasn’t an asset to the team!

“I had thought of the walking group, but it clashes with Probus. We have a very busy life outside the village, so things clash.”

There is so much to look forward to now they have fully adjusted to life in the village, including the $15,000 travel credit that was part of their move-in deal.

“We were planning what we might do and coincidentally our son rang and said ‘why don’t you come with us to Noosa?’” laughs Roy. “And we did, and we had a great time!”

Both Barbara and Roy say they couldn’t be happier with their decision to move into Edmund Hillary, not least for the security and peace of mind.

“There’s always a friend next door. It’s nice to know if there’s an emergency that someone is around,” says Barbara.

Roy adds: “If we come back home in the afternoon, and the sun is shining outside, there’s a little seat and we sit out there in the sun. It’s just lovely.”

Barbara nods: “We love it here. It was the right place and the right time.”