It's a wonderful life

First published in Stuff.co.nz

As we head into spring and summer, the longer days and warmer weather offer the chance to enjoy activities closer to home. Time in your garden, enjoying the peace and quiet of your own home, going on outings organised by your retirement village, or having friends and family over for a meal – for some of us a ‘staycation’ is all we need.

For others, the sunshine and higher temperatures herald the holiday season, with overseas adventures and exciting travels around Aotearoa to look forward to.

For those craving an active retirement, life doesn’t get any better than making your home base in a retirement village. Offering the ultimate in a lock and leave lifestyle, moving to a Metlifecare retirement village means independence, security and the ability to maintain an active lifestyle.

Living the ultimate lock and leave lifestyle are Colin and Lynette Muter, who spend roughly six months of the year at their home base at Metlifecare’s Forest Lake Gardens retirement village in Hamilton. They spend the remainder of the time in the sunny Coromandel or using their campervan to visit friends and family in the South Island or explore the North Island, accompanied by their treasured golden retriever Juno.

“When we go away, we don’t want to have to leave a family member behind. Not being able to take the dog with us camping was one of the reasons behind getting a campervan,” says Colin.

The Muter’s have always been minimalist travellers. Traversing Europe in a van for ten weeks as newlyweds gave the holidaymakers an early taste for care-free travel.

“Hitting the road without a concrete plan is the ultimate way to travel. You can have a rough idea of where you’re going but have the freedom to adjust the plan based on the weather, how you’re feeling, or a good tip from a local,” says Lynette.

The couple have owned a campervan for more than 12 years now, but since purchasing their Traillite Motorhome with a permanently made-up bed last year, the couple has been able to travel away for short trips locally through the winter, as well as using the shoulder season to travel more extensively.

“Having the campervan means we can get away at a moment’s notice,” says Colin. “And the best part is, the holiday starts the moment you start the engine! And it’s given us the means to explore the length of the country. I don’t know if there is anywhere we haven’t been.”

Sun and Soong Chau may live in Auckland’s Parkside Retirement Village, but their adventure playground extends well beyond their city limits.

The self-confessed campervan enthusiasts regularly traverse New Zealand in their self-contained campervan, catching up with loved ones and exploring far-flung locales.

“We have friends and family all over the country and the best way to keep in touch with them is by motor homing,” says Sun.

With a bach in Arrowtown, the couple frequently make the journey South, allowing plenty of time for detours along the way.

“We spend about six months of each year at Parkside Village and the other six months motor homing - every month or two we plan another trip. My wife’s forebears were part of the Chinese gold rush, and we often take the campervan off trail to fossick around the goldmines. Meanwhile, my parents were missionaries - Soong and I have been travellers all our lives.”

Throughout their careers the pair jetted the world. Sun (a retired obstetrician and gynaecologist) and Soong (former senior dietician at Auckland Hospital) were often overseas for conferences and workshops.

Now in their late 80s, the lure of hitting the road never gets old.

“New Zealand is so beautiful, and we’re still exploring it. We’ve toured the Catlins, been salmon fishing in Tekapo and camped on the foothills of Ruapehu. We’ve also taken our motor home to Australia, swimming with the dugongs in Kimberley and marvelling at the Staircase to the Moon.”

“Life’s too short – as you get older you have to weigh up your values. We moved into Parkside Village ten years ago and we’ve been happy ever since. When we want to go away, we just shut the door and walk out. It’s a wonderful life.”