What does a day in Manawatū look like for you?

We like to begin the day nice and early - around 6am or 6.30am. Even though we have this time off we like to get up and get moving. That generally looks like a walk or bike ride from home. One of our favourites is Kitchener Park, which is great now with the new boardwalk. We walk through from Kowhai Park, the track is so well maintained, and the native bush is beautiful.  Or if we choose to bike then we would carry on down Kawakawa Road and scoot around to Gingerbird Cafe in Colyton. That is a great destination cafe.

Mt Lees is also a spot we love so we would either bike out there, do the track and head home, or if we wanted to walk the loop, we would take the short drive out there. Another great spot.

After getting some fresh air, it’s home time. Coffee! Then the day is ours to do as we choose.

There’s no specific ritual to our every day except we both love cooking so we take our time preparing and enjoying our meals. When we retired, we knew we wouldn’t be going out so much and over the past few years we have settled into the role of hosts. We are lucky to have friends and family living around the area who drop in regularly. We have a passion for coffee and we get a lot of use out of our Rocket coffee machine. We love her!

If we do go out for a special occasion we love Nero Restaurant, or if we are heading out for a meal with the family then Angkor Restaurant (Cambodian Cuisine) in Coleman Mall is our go-to!

We’re lucky to have some grandkids close by so we often see them, and we also see a lot of Julie’s dad. He is 84 and lives nearby so he calls in most days for a coffee and a chat.

Considering this is your life ‘wound-down’ it sounds busy! How does a weekend compare?

It takes time to really settle into retirement. You know all our lives we are taught how to work but nobody trains us how to stop working. It takes time to consciously unwind. We’ve been retired now for eight years and are just getting used to it - after a while you get up that bit later or take longer to have breakfast or sit down and have coffee instead of being on the go all the time. We feel some of the next generation is definitely more conscious of finding balance in their working lives but we’ve had to learn about it now.

So, a weekend for us would be a similar mix of activities. We might take the time to head out to Arapuke Mountain Bike Park for a ride. Or the Manawatu River ride to Linton. That’s a bit of a hidden gem for Manawatū! And of course, you can’t underestimate the Tawa Loop Walk at Te Āpiti - Manawatū Gorge, that’s been a favourite for a long time.

Some people think retirement is sitting around reading a book all day, but we are active relaxers, walking, riding bikes - which makes living in Manawatū perfect! 

If we are looking for a bit of a break but want to stay nearby, then we love heading to Mangaweka campground in our campervan. It’s only 30 or 40 minutes away and it feels like you can really relax. The scenery is beautiful and it’s always peaceful and quiet. Or if we want to head to the beach then the Top 10 Holiday Park at Hīmatangi Beach is one of the best and cleanest we have seen in New Zealand. Julies family have camped there for years.

The weekend is also when we might see a bit more of our grandies. Two live close by and we’ve been lucky enough to spend some real quality time with them. We use Kowhai Park here in Feilding as our backyard - the large lawn space is perfect for all of their hobbies, cricket, footy and more! Or Feilding Mini Golf course is always a goodie and easy for everyone to get involved then it’s always off to the I Scream for Ice Cream shop afterwards.