Pam in the Garden at Bayview Retirement Village
“I’ve got to have my hands in the dirt,” Pam says as we leave the light-filled reception area at The Bayview and begin walking together. Her husband, Warren, is beside her, and we head through the cafe. It’s buzzing – conversations overlapping and people lingering over coffee.
We make our way downstairs past the pool, where sunlight reflects off the water. Warren tells me he uses it often, adding, almost as an aside, that the best view of the Mount is actually from the spa. Just beside it, Pam points out the gym, explaining she’s been spending time there recently as she rehabilitates her knee. It’s part of her routine now, woven into her days without fuss.
From here, the feel of the village changes. The cafe noise fades as we walk on and the gardens take over. We skirt the edge of the bowling green and are quickly joined by a cat weaving between our legs, clearly keen for attention. Pam laughs and stops to give her a pat before we continue.
The sun is glorious. We pause to take in the view across the harbour, the Mount sitting clearly in the distance. As we move further through the village, cicadas hum and birds move through the trees. The landscaping is lush and layered – dense planting, established trees, pockets of shade – alive with flora and fauna and clearly central to how the place feels.
Pam and Warren moved into The Bayview at the end of October, after more than 30 years in their family home in Matua. Pam is open about the fact she didn’t want to look at retirement villages at first.
“I just wouldn’t go,” she says. Leaving behind a garden was a big part of that hesitation.
But finding their ideal apartment and lock-and-leave lifestyle, The Bayview eventually won them over.
As we walk, Pam tells me how she and Warren met. “We met at university … I did a BSc, science and chemistry, and Warren was doing a science degree as well.”
We arrive via what feels like a secret entrance, a small garden gate leading onto their patio.
“This one,” Pam says. “This is what did it.”
In the broad expanse of lawn outside their window, beneath a mature tree, sits a raised planter box built specifically for Pam after they moved in. When she explained she needed her hands in the dirt, the village made space for it – quite literally.
Herbs spill over the edges now – parsley and basil – planted with the intention that others can help themselves.
Nearby, a grapevine stretches along the fence, heavy with fruit, and feijoa trees run the length of the garden, extending as far as the eye can see. From inside the apartment, Pam tells me they enjoy a clear view of the Mount on fine days. Their cat, Carbon, now 20, saunters in briefly to say hello before settling again.
As we talk, Warren moves in and out, sorting gear and checking bags. He’s preparing to leave early the next morning on a cycling trip with friends for the Sounds to Sounds ride, heading south from Picton to Milford Sounds – a plan that quietly puts my own activity levels to shame.
The following day, I return for photographs. Catherine, the village sales manager, and I bump into Pam outside her apartment and she greets us with a big smile.
Warren has already left – up at 7 a.m., bike loaded, setting off with his group.
As we organise ourselves for the shoot, Catherine takes the lead. A keen foodie, she’s eager to turn the village’s produce into something to share. She heads across to the other vegetable patch – a long-established garden created and cared for by a dedicated group of residents – and returns with a generous haul of courgettes.
Back in Pam’s apartment, the oven goes on between shots. Catherine prepares her family’s courgette slice while Pam makes a salad using leaves picked fresh from her own plot. Later, plates are passed around as we go, conversation continuing easily as we serve the finished product. We tuck in between the chatter, the slice gloriously buttery – a perfect match to the sunshine and good company.
As I leave feeling full and satisfied, I note the quiet buzz of activity around the village – people heading off to run errands, others stopping to chat or spending time outdoors. Here at The Bayview, Pam and Warren have found more than a home; they’ve found a rhythm that lets them keep doing what they love, with space, community and a garden still at the heart of it all.
Bayview Retirement Village
Catherine’s Courgette Slice
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups courgette, grated (about 4 medium ones)
½ cup vintage cheddar grated
1 block feta cheese
¾ cup self-raising flour (use gluten-free if required)
sea salt and pepper
4 eggs
½ cup oil
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base of a 26cm x 18cm slice tin or similar.
Place courgette in tea towel and squeeze out excess juice, tip into large bowl and combine with cheese. Sift in flour, a pinch each of salt and pepper and toss lightly.
Whisk eggs and oil until combined. Add to courgette mixture and mix. Spoon into tin and smooth the top.
Bake for 30–35 minutes or until puffed, golden and set in the centre. Serve warm or cold with a chunky tomato relish.