How Anna and Andrew Found Home at Oran Park

For Anna and her husband Andrew, moving to Oran Park was, in her words, "the best decision we ever made." 

Anna shared that it was Andrew who first floated the idea. "I think mostly you'll find (you’re) gardening and looking after bigger households, which you don't really utilise," Anna explains.  

Anna and Andrew spent several years weighing up downsizing, looking at different villages, before Oran Park village won them over.

"Closeness to family, to the shopping centre, and close to our grandson's school — it just checked all the boxes for us."

Anna shares that the process of actually downsizing was made easier than initially expected.

"There was a meeting organised in the village, with people professionally helping with the move," Anna says. "We even got a printed piece of paper on how to proceed." 

Guidance from Oran Park’s village staff, including Ian, their Retirement Living Specialist, helped smooth out the details, right down to what to do with furniture they no longer needed. 

Bringing their beloved dog Havana, was non-negotiable. "It was really important to us that we could move to a village that's dog friendly," Anna says. "We love our dog, and without her, we wouldn't be doing such a move." 

What's stayed with Anna most, is the welcome they’ve received from the Oran Park village community. "I did expect people to be nice and friendly, but I definitely didn't expect such a welcoming committee," she says, recalling Friday morning teas, craft groups and chats over coffee in the cafeteria. 

Anna has even found time to explore the village library, and discovered the men's shed (affectionately dubbed the "Mitre Joint") where residents build toys they donate to children in need overseas. 

"We had a few people who were a little shocked when we told them we'd decided to move to a retirement village," Anna admits. "I think there's a lot of stigma about it, because people don't have enough information — they think more about a nursing home. It's absolutely not that. It's just normal living, with extra support and beautiful facilities."  

Anna’s advice to anyone considering the same move is simple: go and have a proper look, talk to residents, and visit a few different villages to see what truly suits. 

Just six weeks in, Oran Park already feels like home.

"Even when we're away, I don't think about our previous home," Anna says. "It's here — this is really home now."