A SENSE OF COMMUNITY HAS MADE MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING A CAREFREE EXPERIENCE FOR GEMLIFE WOODEND MOTHER AND DAUGHTER MARIA SMITH AND JENNY BUSSINGER.
Jenny and husband Rick knew exactly what they were looking for when it came time to downsize and GemLife Woodend fit the bill perfectly.
But there was someone else they knew would enjoy this lifestyle too – Jenny’s mother Maria.
“We were very specific in what we were looking for, so we visited quite a few lifestyle communities and saw GemLife Woodend was far above the others,” she said.
“We knew immediately that this was where we wanted to make our new home and that had us thinking whether this could be a place where my mother could be happy too.”
Her answer was a resounding yes.
And, as things turned out, it was Maria who moved into Woodend first.
“As it happened it was mum’s home which was finished first – in May last year. Rick and I moved in September.”
“I enjoy living here at GemLife,” said Maria. “There is plenty to do, I’ve made friends and play cards and bingo regularly.
“There is a very good community here and always something happening at the Country Club. I go there for an afternoon coffee and a chat. It’s lovely.”
In addition to the lifestyle, there is also the peace of mind for Jenny regarding her mum’s independence and wellbeing.
“I’m still working and my husband travels quite a bit for his work, so it was important for us to know that mum is all right,” said Jenny.
“We recently got back from a holiday and ordinarily we’d ask mum to come with us, but this time she said she’d prefer to stay at home because there was so much for her to do here!”
While Maria has thrown herself into the GemLife lifestyle, Jenny, who currently works as a project manager, has her eye on future opportunities.
“The company I worked for recently relocated and that changed my commute from 25 minutes to more than two hours away, but I’ve been fortunate to be able to work from home,” she said.
“I’m also recovering from an injury so another great thing about living at GemLife is the ability to follow my physiotherapist’s rehabilitation exercises in the pool at lunchtime.”
“And we often have the swimming pool to ourselves,” Maria chimes in. “And the gym too!”
Another thing mother and daughter agree on is living in the beautiful Macedon Ranges region.
“This is an outstanding regional area and right now autumn is gorgeous. Woodend has everything we need including a direct rail link to Melbourne which is just about an hour away,” said Jenny.
“I’m looking forward to transitioning to retirement and taking part in more activities here at GemLife because I haven’t had a chance to do much of that yet, but I plan to get a lot more involved. Recently our resort newsletter included a request for volunteers to help with Anzac Day at the resort, so I’ve volunteered for that and for the role of secretary of the Home Owners Association.”
The Final Stage at GemLife Woodend is now selling. For information about available homes, call 1800 931 188.