Best friends at school, and some five decades later we found ourselves walking through a 'Coming-out-of-Retirement' Village at Umdoni RV, on the outskirts of Pennington, a small village on the Hibiscus Coast of KwaZulu Natal.
You could say we were scouting; still busy with side hustles, and consider ourselves way too young to come out of retirement;)
I realized what that phrase means as I saw way more happening there than the secure estates in and around the city!
These are just some of the activities listed on their website:
The village is home to a chapel, pool, hall, bowling green, tennis court, gym, shops, chess clubs, art clubs, music groups, yoga classes, quilters, bridge players, golf players, tennis tournaments, bowling clubs, gardening projects and plays are regularly organized by committees within the villages. Many of the village clubs have built strong relationships with the town communities and actively participate in community projects.
I remember this sign from a previous visit to their administrative offices. Definitely no parking here, and for a good reason too, as it also accommodates the frail care centre and the clinic.
NOT 1 minute
NOT 2 minutes
NOT AT ALL!
We were first taken on a golf cart tour around the streets of the village. The bird life is absolutely amazing, so no surprise that the streets are named after the birds found here. Various types of buck are regular visitors in the village.
The 33-hectare Umdoni Retirement Village is an approximate 50-minute drive from Durban.
My darling man and I first visited the village in 2019 and placed our names on their waiting list. I retain that position, but am quite happy to wait at least another three to four years before making a move, if at all!
The village currently has 350 face-brick cottages ranging from 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms; many are free-standing, while some are semi-detached. Each home has solar panels to heat the geyser (boiler) which helps during power outages, which are common in SA.
The big attraction for me is moving into a 'brand-new' home, as they refurbish them for new occupants, and not having to worry about property maintenance ever again.
Another major attraction is having good security, vital here in SA, and the myriad of facilities and activities they offer.
I had arranged to meet with a friend's parents, who are both in their 80s and have lived here for many years. It was good to get an insider's view of village life.
Her Dad plays tennis six days a week, and despite recovering from a fracture, he took a walk to the admin building to meet with us.
My friend's Mom starts her day with a walk and still does line dancing. She had to serve tea and attend the funeral of one of her friends that day, so we only saw her briefly as we were leaving. They both said that funerals are the only downside of living in the village, but then, death after all is one certainty when getting to one's autumn years!
Their home was a 10-minute walk from the administration offices, and even though I said we could take my car he was quite happy to have the tongues wagging escorting two 'young chicks' back to their cottage while his wife was away;) He is remarkably fit for 85, and cannot wait to get back onto the tennis courts!
We walked past the quaint Little Shop in the Glades, an inter-denominational chapel, also in my first image, has a tranquil shaded garden of remembrance next to it.
We walked many roads to get to the home of my friend's parents and saw more of their facilities along the way, like the pre-loved shop that's filled with treasures, and The Village Pantry where you can buy basic supplies. One can see the Indian Ocean way off in the distance.
The gardens are beautiful and lush. Residents tend to their own flower and vegetable gardens, while the estate management maintains the lawns and common property. Around 6 hectares remain undeveloped with forest and wetland areas. They also have an attenuation dam for their water storage and are working on a filtration system. There are many indigenous trees in the village.
The speed limit on this road is 20km per hour with a sign below it saying Twenty's Plenty;)
The most stunning orchids are displayed in the window of this cottage, unfortunately there was too much glare to take a decent photo.
This little couple stands in the garden of that cottage; the lady of the house apparently dresses them from time to time to suit the season or the occasion.
As you've seen from all the images, the residents take pride in their gardens. This Ponytail Palm has been here for many years already!
Then there's the fairy garden, which has been a love job for another resident. It's like stepping into a fantasy world that would delight young and old! Here is one corner of the fairy garden!
The owner obviously is very creative with a good sense of humour as well. I love how the mask is placed below the Staghorn Fern.
When my friend's Mom arrived back home, she took a photo of the three of us to send to her daughter.
All in all, a lovely morning walking around Umdoni RV on a beautiful sunny day and getting insider info over a cup of coffee and delicious homemade date squares.
The future will tell when, and if, that move happens, but of all the RVs I've seen, this one still stands out as the best, plus the beach is a mere 5-minute drive away, as is another favourite haunt, the beautiful Umdoni Golf Club where hubby and I enjoyed many leisurely lunches!
Image from Google Maps
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I love the architectural style of the place. The garden also looks lovely. Thank you for taking us the tour to this awesome place 😊
It really is a lovely village. If it could be transported to Durban, I would not hesitate to make the big move! I also like the face-brick buildings.
Thank you for stopping by @macchiata <3
ooh definitely hehe I'd love moving in there if I were a senior. I mean they've got it all it seems, community, check, beautiful place, check hehe 😊
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Hey @lizelle you are welcome.
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Hello @lizelle, I see you're still drawn to that part of the world, lovely pictures brings back some awesome memories.
Nice to see you up and about my friend, love you lots and miss you.
thanks for sharing another lovely post.
Yes, I think it's because it holds such good memories of our jaunts down there with you guys and the family, nice seeing you back on Hive now you're more settled in your new home❤️
No wonder you are waiting to live there, it is definitely a beautiful place, I think it is worth waiting, but I have a doubt, is there a certainty that if you can live there, or you do not have it yet, if so it would not be good to have a plan B, it is so beautiful that place that I would also like to move to that place.
On another note, I only keep in touch with one friend that I have since school, I lost track of the others, since I graduated I went to live in other cities until I finally settled in the city where I currently live.
I'm at least on their waiting list, not surprising that it's very popular!
I'd lost touch with most of my school friends until we had a school reunion a couple of years ago. It was quite weird still recognizing, but others not at all!
Thank you for stopping by @lanzjoseg
What a nice experience and what a lovely place, looks really a place perfect for relaxing
It's a lovely village to retire in, although most people there are still very active, suits me fine. Maybe in a couple of years from now🤷♀️
Que bonito lugar @lizelle, es verdad que en países más desarrollados siempre la cultura es más bonita, todo es más cuidado y organizado, bello jardín y hogar. Saludos desde cuba 🇨🇺 amiga !!! 😊
Muchas gracias por visitar mi blog @ibarra95
What a nice neighborhood. Looks peaceful and quiet.
!BBH
It sure is beautiful and tranquil!
@lizelle! @logen9f likes your content! so I just sent 1 BBH to your account on behalf of @logen9f. (2/5)
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Love the feel of the place wit h the greenery and architecture
Thanks for joining the Wednesday walk
Have a great day
Yes, there's much to do in the village as well as in the surrounding area as well. The lush gardens and face brick homes also appeal, one still has privacy, unlike others I've seen.
Enjoy the rest of the week @tattoodjay!
I would not mind retiring as a senior in a place like this, the environment is beautiful and the place looks like it has many amenities and is very well maintained. We are so far of having an option like this.
i wish to live in this beautiful place after my retirement too.relaxing🥰
OMG! You all look awesome. It must be amazing meeting them after so many years.
The garden is so fine looking with all the greens, I bet the time you spent there was great.
Have a wonderful day ahead.
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