A few words from our Aveo residents

When it comes to choosing retirement lifestyles, everyone is different. Some people prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life with a move to the coast or the country, while others enjoy the attractions only a big urban centre can offer.

Aveo Clayfield features high-rise Independent Living Units within the historical St Columbans College site, giving residents thoroughly modern accommodation alongside the charm of two of Brisbane’s most historically significant buildings: the heritagelisted Whytecliffe House and the O’Driscoll building.

George and Joanne Blakely have been residents at Aveo Clayfield for close to two years now. After living in the area for 25 years they felt the village would be the perfect place to retire. “We’d been thinking about it for a while and we looked at some nice villages that were further out, but we wanted somewhere that would make it easy to travel to the city,” says Mr Blakely.

An advertisement in their local paper prompted the Blakely’s to visit Aveo Clayfield and they were both so impressed by what they saw they put their house on the market and it sold the next day. “We’d never lived in a unit before, but we love this one. There’s plenty of room and the building is very well insulated for sound. There’s a good bus service right at the door and it’s very handy to everything.”

The Blakely’s have a two- bedroom unit in the Brooks complex, which features a lovely indoor atrium. Mr Blakely admits he and his wife are hoarders and they were initially worried about downsizing, but they had no trouble fitting their furniture.

There’s a restaurant and café on site, and another large restaurant being constructed, but mostly the Blakely’s prefer to eat at home. “A lot of the residents go to the restaurant. The chef is very good and it’s a nice place to meet up,” says Mr Blakely. “But my wife enjoys cooking, and we’ve got a huge balcony with a barbecue.”

Whytecliffe House, once a private residence, recently re- opened after extensive renovations and features a theatre, library, computer centre and plenty of places to relax with a coffee or tea. The O’Driscoll building, also recently restored, includes a concert hall, auditorium, restaurant, gym, indoor swimming pool and hairdressing salon. There are regular functions with entertainers and musicians. “One of the residents teaches music,” says Mr Blakely, “and her students often come along to perform.”

The Blakely’s are both active retirees. Mrs Blakely is a regular visitor to the indoor heated pool, where she enjoys a morning swim and takes part in the ‘Boomerang’ exercise class. Her husband is a keen bowler and, while the village features indoor bowls, billiards and table tennis, he prefers the fresh air and still visits his local club. “We’ve got a car so we get around ourselves, but the residents who don’t have a car enjoy the on-site amenities and excursions,” says Mr Blakely.

His advice to anyone contemplating a move to a retirement village is: don’t leave it until you’re too old. “We wanted to come to a retirement village while we were still active so we could mix with the other residents and get settled in. There’s a good spread of ages here and the people are a very friendly lot. We’ve made a lot of new friends and there’s always someone to share a drink or a meal. We enjoy living here, it’s a nice environment and it’s nice to have such good neighbours.”