Village life in a friendly setting

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 drier, less humid climate, they began considering a move to Melbourne.

“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 on 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; how time flies.”

“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 the kitchen with walk-in pantry, and the facilities at the community centre match our needs – so we feel like we’re really getting a good return on our investment.”

Fun and friendly

Active and social, Vicki and Ross say they love the friendly, community atmosphere at the village, which sees Vicki joining in craft groups, while Ross has a laugh with newfound friends over a fun game of lawn bowls, or while tinkering with the tools in “the shed” – an onsite community workshop for village residents.

“The friendliness of the people here really sets Bellarine Springs apart,” Vicki said.

“When we were first looking around for a village down here, 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.”

Close to it all

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.”

Lots to like

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.

“Ross never bowled before moving here, but his game is coming along nicely because there’s a bowling green right here, and always someone around to practise with.

These social and leisure activities, including the twice weekly happy-hours, are all the more enjoyable when you’re joined by like-minded people.

“Everyone is different of course, but we all feel welcome and accepted in our community, and that’s what we really value most about living at Bellarine Springs.”

Bellarine Springs is located at 101 Central Rd, Drysdale. You can join staff and residents for a cuppa from Monday-Saturday at 10.30am, or phone 5253 0111 to book a village tour.

To find out more, head to bellarinesprings.com.au

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