Big benefits to retiring in the West

There are probably many people who would say that RAAFA’s Meadow Springs estate is the best place in Australia to live, and residents Heath Pike and partner Wendy Wessell are certainly enthusiastic fans.

Hailing from the South Coast of NSW, the couple travelled for some years through much of Australia in their motorhome, during which time they visited several retirement estates ‘just for a look’.

“We visited quite a few as we travelled, but were never particularly impressed and thought we would end up back near our old home”, says 78 year old Heath who served as a Radio and Radar Technician in the Air Force, mostly based at RAAF Williamtown, in NSW.

“But then we happened to visit Meadow Springs on an open day and the place pretty much leapt out at us.

“Our first impression was that people smiled, said hello and they all seemed so much happier than at the other places we had visited. Then we did some further research and Meadow Springs kept ticking boxes for us, and apart from the distance from family and friends, there were very few downsides.

“We then looked at the capital side of things and because homes were so much more affordable here than in NSW, it enabled us to purchase a place here and allocate money for multiple trips back east each year.

“We’ve been here two years now and just love it. Not only are we making many friends, but when we do go back east we have great quality time with our family, it’s a real win-win situation.

As keen travellers, the dedicated parking area at the estate enables residents to keep their caravan, boat or motorhome on the estate was another ‘big green tick’ for the couple.

“My advice to anyone living interstate and getting close to retirement is to seriously consider looking at the RAAFA estates in WA, especially Meadow Springs. The facilities are first class, the people are great and the sums really do add up nicely,” Heath adds.