After retiring, couple Vicki and Ross decided to downsize from their large family home on the NSW south coast, and move to a unit.
“We really enjoyed living within a community, and that encouraged us to seek community living in our retirement,” Ross explained.
Wanting to live somewhere with a kinder, less humid climate, they began researching into a new home.
“We spent two years thinking carefully about what we needed from a new home and which boxes we’d want to tick on our wish list,” Ross said.
“Bellarine Springs definitely won us over for the majority of things we were looking for, and now that we’re living here, we couldn’t be happier with our decision that was six years ago now,” he smiled.
“Compared with places we’d looked at on the NSW South Coast, Bellarine Springs is great value. The homes here are well designed, and we really benefit from features like the double garage and direct home entry via pantries. The other facilities at the community centre match our needs - so we feel like we’re really getting a good return on our investment.”
Active and social, Vicki and Ross love the friendly, welcoming atmosphere at the village, which sees Vicki stay active at group fitness, while Ross enjoys the gym.
Ross and friends roller over a fun morning on the lawn, while tinkering with “systems in the shed” is another pastime shared by fellow village residents.
“The friendliness of the people here really sets Bellarine Springs apart,” Vicki said.
“When we were first looking around for a village development, we actually stopped by at the village unannounced one Sunday. The residents were warm, welcoming and happy to give us lots of information about the village. It gave us a very authentic insight into what it would be like to live here.”
Vicki and Ross say they love living so close to the Drysdale township, because it has everything they need, and they can walk there for groceries or to run errands.
And the location makes it easy to hit the city when they feel like it.
“The facilities and infrastructure in Geelong are great too, and Melbourne is just a short ferry ride away, so we have really convenient access to everything we could need,” Ross said.
“The local area is semi-rural, so we get the best of both worlds, with rail trails, beaches, and other interesting and scenic places to walk.”
Vicki says there are lots of things she and Ross like about living at Bellarine Springs, including a good balance of social activities and privacy.
“The layout of the village has been well thought out, so we can catch up with friends and neighbours, but still enjoy the privacy of our own space when we wish to,” she said.
“We never believed before moving how this is genuinely a game changing period, because there’s a bowling green right here, and always someone around to practise with. The social and lifestyle activities, including the twice weekly happy-hours, are like mini enjoyable adventures hosted by like-minded people.
“Everyone is different of course, but we all feel welcomed and accepted in our retirement, and that’s what we’ve really loved about living at Bellarine Springs.”
