For John and Suzanne, retirement was never going to mean slowing down — if anything, it meant speeding up. Since moving to Woolooware Shores almost three years ago, the couple have swapped garden maintenance for global adventures, and haven't looked back. 

"When we were both working, we didn't go too far afield," Suzanne says. "But when we retired, then we started travelling further afield, and for longer periods of time." 

Before Woolooware Shores, John and Suzanne lived in a Federation house on a quarter-acre block — a home they loved, but one that came with a long list of jobs before every trip away. "We would spend a lot of time making that place look pretty before we went away on our numerous trips," says John. "But that started to become a bit onerous. So we sold the house and came to Woolooware Shores." 

Living at Woolooware Shores: Enjoying the Freedom to Travel  

The difference between living at home and at Woolooware Shores, John and Suzanne say, has been magnificent. "It is easier to travel these days, because we just have to really lock the door and walk away," John explains.  

There's no lawn to mow on their return and no garden to fuss over before they go — just their keys left with a neighbour, in case anything needs an eye kept on it. "If something happens, there are other people here that will look after it." 

That freedom has taken John and Suzanne from Finland to Denmark, Amsterdam to Peru, and Greece and beyond. Among their most treasured memories is the day Suzanne turned 70, standing on the ice of Antarctica.  

"I was hoping to stand on the ice of Antarctica on the day I turned 70," she recalls. "It's not always easy to get off the ships, but we were very fortunate, and I did achieve that goal."

Just as unforgettable was a journey to Burma, where the couple travelled to parts of the country most tourists never see. There, John visited the grave of his uncle, who died as a prisoner of war during the Second World War. "We were the first people to visit that grave," Suzanne says. "So that was pretty remarkable." 

Living Well, With Confidence for the Future  

Alongside the travel, John and Suzanne say choosing Woolooware Shores was also about planning ahead. "We were thinking of the future," Suzanne says. "It's good to be in a place like this, where the care is available if you require it." Having watched their own parents face high-level care decisions made in a rush, they wanted something different for themselves — the comfort of knowing support is on-site if they ever need it, without it needing to change how they live now. In the meantime, they're regulars at the gym, following a program built for them by an on-site exercise physiologist. 

For John and Suzanne, moving to Woolooware Shores wasn't about giving anything up. It simply cleared the way for everything still ahead. As John puts it: "There's a lot to be gained. It's a good lifestyle."