NAN Oates has never been bored, with a range of interests and jobs filling her life over 86 years.<\/p>\n
Ms Oates moved to Heathcote from Panton Hill three and a half years ago and quickly became part of the community.<\/p>\n
“I volunteered at Visitor’s Centre until recently but had to retire as I could no longer spend so much time on my feet,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Before moving to Heathcote I volunteered with the Panton Hill CFA for 30 years.<\/p>\n
“I do miss the camaraderie and friendship but had a wonderful surprise during the 2022 floods.<\/p>\n
“I was at my home which my son had protected with sandbags, when I received a call telling me to look outside.<\/p>\n
“There I saw two trucks with members of the Panton Hill CFA who had come to help out, all waving to me.<\/p>\n
“It was fantastic to see them.”<\/p>\n
The floods afforded Ms Oates a silver lining in the form of fertile river silt adding another layer to her garden.<\/p>\n
A qualified Environmental Scientist, Ms Oates enjoys gardening.<\/p>\n
“It keeps me fit,” she said. “I like to go out every morning, then have a little nap in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
“When I moved here there was nothing but cape weed but now the plants are all growing so quickly.<\/p>\n
“I joined the Native Plant Society, and my garden is filled with different varieties.<\/p>\n
“Birds and butterflies are frequent visitors, and I love to sit on the back verandah and see the garden being used.<\/p>\n
“I also have a flourishing vegetable garden.”<\/p>\n
Ms Oates enjoyed an interesting career in various positions before retiring.<\/p>\n
“I once shook hands with Yasser Arafat when my environmental work took me overseas,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I loved Nairobi and visiting the United Nations was a huge eye-opener for me.<\/p>\n
“My last job before retirement was for the Forest Commission.<\/p>\n
“I worked as a land protection advisor for roadside management.<\/p>\n
“It was very interesting.”<\/p>\n
When she is not working in her garden, Ms Oates enjoys reading and freelance writing.<\/p>\n
“In all, my life has been very rewarding, and I have had a lot of opportunities.”<\/p>\n
“Most of them I wasn’t looking for, they just fell into my lap.<\/p>\n
“I think it is important to look at what you can do, to be involved and give back to the community.<\/p>\n
“It has been an interesting journey.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAN Oates has never been bored, with a range of interests and jobs filling her life over 86 years. Ms Oates moved to Heathcote from Panton Hill three and a half years ago and quickly became part of the community. “I volunteered at Visitor’s Centre until recently but had to retire as I could no […]<\/p>\n