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;) Sounds confusing, but retirement for me and most other Silver Bloggers, have been 'working on our own side-hustles!'
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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