Bob and Jennifer Sage were the first residents to move into Katikati's multi-million-dollar retirement village – Summerset by the Sea – in 2013. On July 1 they chalked up their seventh anniversary.
The couple moved from Wellington into Villa 23 which looks out over the northern harbour.
Now well into their 70s, both have good health and enjoy a great lifestyle and say, "we're here for the long haul." They are along with tabby cat, Watson, who understands two words in Māori language – ngeru and kai, which means cat food.
Tabby cat, Watson knows two words in Māori language.
The Sages have no regrets having been without national television for some 15 years. They don't have a computer, a laptop or cellphones. The village provides free toll calls and access to a computer so they do have email.
Most of their time is spent visiting close friends, in and outside the village, going to the gym, enjoying a coffee and reading. Bob, an ex-teacher helps with reading recovery at Katikati Primary School.
"Having our health and this great lifestyle, we had no anxiety about Covid-19."
During the coronavirus pandemic, Summerset went into lockdown earlier. Village manager Mark Goddard says in March they were the first retirement village operator to employ security guards at their main gates to screen all visitors.
"We dramatically increased staffing levels in our care centres to maintain clinical standards despite higher workloads. "We proactively sought negative Covid-19 test results for all care centre admissions and procured large quantities of personal protective equipment to buffer our existing outbreak stocks."
Jennifer says Mark was marvellous. "He was concerned about the vulnerability of the residents and was protecting the whole village. When we got a sniff of what was happening Bob raided the Katikati library. "Reading and physical activity are two of our recreational things and we had a tiny bubble with another couple inside the village."
With all activities stopped, Bob says half the village were on foot doing a circuit around the stream. "Dozens of them and they all kept walking their dogs. People got a bit impatient after a while though".
During lockdown, the couple noticed how much more peaceful it was without the sound of traffic roaring along on SH2. "Here you could only hear the birds."
Jennifer felt lockdown gave people a chance to re-evaluate their lives. A retired nurse, she only recently read a clinical description on what it's like to have Covid-19.
"Even if you are younger it is a very serious virus. I do believe if you're over 70 and get Covid in a situation where cross-infection has been transmitted through, it would present major challenges to our immune systems. Fortunately, it didn't come to Katikati."
"When you see what's happened in other countries it's horrific. We are fortunate to be here."
The Sages get a wide view of Tauranga harbour from their villa at Summerset by the Sea.
Both say they felt very safe and protected inside their village environment. "We all got through." Some days were long and with no TV it kept them out of the constant information stream, "making it easier to get through."
"It was amazing how the virus built, then the number of infections in people in NZ dwindled away," says Bob.
One of the nice things that happened during lockdown was a neighbour gave them a radio. It's been a useful source of information listening to national radio. They liked listening to the news and they watched DVDs.
Did Covid-19 disrupt their lives? "No it hasn't, we were well off." Did they miss anything? "Going out to cafes and having good coffee." After all, they come from the coffee capital, Wellington.
This duo works hard at keeping good health. They go to Katifit Gym and now have a personal trainer, Megan Reeves. "I discovered muscles I didn't know I had," Jennifer says.
At their villa, they run a Prayer for Israel group once a fortnight. The group has been going in Katikati for many years, Bob took over leading it two years ago. It's very open and embraces several denominations.
Bob enjoys helping children at Katikati Primary School struggling with their reading, to enjoy it. "One-on-one helps and being paid attention to in a way that you can't get in a classroom situation."
Apart from a holiday around the East Coast in October, that was supposed to happen in March, "what's not to like about the life we lead. We're comfortably off and it's stress-free."
