Family time kiwi style

I’m currently sitting in the Qantas lounge at Auckland Airport. I’m waiting to board my flight home to Sydney after spending five days with my brothers and their families in New Zealand. It’s been a relaxing weekend filled with plenty of laughs. I also took time out on Friday to spend an afternoon with my brother Hamish. I was keen to learn what I could about his transition to retirement over the last couple of years. He retired in early 2024 after selling his business.

I flew into Tauranga last Thursday. My flight from Sydney was delayed almost an hour, which made for a rather tight connection in Auckland. As a result, I had to haul my luggage from the international terminal for a quick and sweaty bag drop at the domestic terminal. However, thanks to my codeshare ticket, I was able to cool off in the Air New Zealand Regional Lounge before boarding my connecting flight to the Bay of Plenty.

Friday night was spent at the Sailing Club overlooking the Mount and Pilots Bay. Here we caught up with Matt and Shelley’s fabulous group of friends, enjoyed a pub meal and watched the Friday night football game on TV. Their group of friends is another reminder that I need to build the same kind of loyal clique for my retirement years. My friendship networks have become very fragmented over time, and often driven by external factors such as work.

Saturday night we enjoyed family drinks and nibbles at Matt’s before venturing out for an extended family dinner at a local Thai restaurant. The family also surprised me with a cake celebrating my retirement. Sunday afternoon the McGregor boys joined up with Ross, one of Matt’s friends, for nine holes of golf at Summer Hill. This is a rather hilly but scenic course overlooking Papamoa and the Bay of Plenty. Matt scored best. I scored worst. However, in my defence, it was my first game in more than 18 months, possibly longer. Nicole dropped by to show off her brand new motorbike when we returned home. 

I’m proud to say I’ve managed to squeeze in daily walks along the beach, and back via the scenic boardwalk just minutes from Matt and Shelley’s house. It was wonderful to get outside, feel the breeze and enjoy the therapeutic novelty of an ocean view. I’ve decided that my retirement is going to involve a lot of regular walking (and if I can get motivated, some light resistance weights two or three times a week).

Hamish was full of handy and sage advice about the hard-won lessons he’s learned about retirement. He’s got me thinking carefully about proactive steps I can take to avoid some of the challenges he’s faced, as well as take advantage of his recommendations for a fulfilling retirement. He’s certainly given me plenty to think about.

While I’ve been away, Garry has taken it upon himself to rearrange the downstairs bedrooms in our apartment. He’s moving the home office into the less glamorous room that extends underneath the main staircase. This frees up the more spacious and light-filled room (with its own balcony) for use as a second bedroom. I must admit that it’s something I’ve wanted to do for some time, so I’m delighted Garry has come to the same conclusion. I guess you could say our transition to retirement is underway as we start shaping our home environment to suit our future.

Transition to retirement

So, this is what retirement feels like? It’s been just over a week since I completed my last official transition project for Artiwood’s new owner (this year’s product catalogue – that’s the cover which opens this post). Since then, my days have felt busier than ever. My diary is filling up with all manner of deferred or delayed activities, such as dental appointments and appointments with other healthcare professionals, including my annual skin cancer check-up.

I also have vouchers for a range of experiences given to me on my birthday last year that I’ve yet to use. This includes axe-throwing, a bathhouse soak (or massage) and a decadent spa treatment. I’ve already booked my spa treatment for mid-September. Garry is trying to convince a group of friends to join us on our axe-throwing date.

Last month I signed up for a six-week online retirement planning course. It’s a course I’ve been considering for some time. Fortuitously, it started the day after I completed my final transition project, and thus I’m able to give it my full attention. The course comes highly recommended. It takes participants through all aspects of retirement, including Government pensions, Superannuation mechanics and broader issues such as travel, hobbies and other pastimes.

One week into the course, I’ve been inspired to modify financial planning templates I created a decade ago. It’s also been reassuring to learn that much of the planning I’ve done in recent years (and began more than a decade ago) is considered best practice. I also love the fact that I’m getting my head around how some of these Government services and benefits really work. 

The course has also challenged me to think about my retirement “community”. Who do I want to spend more time with? As luck would have it, Jon, my longest-standing friendship in Australia, retired earlier this year. We’ve both retired ahead of schedule and are somewhat scrambling to wrap our heads around this next stage in life. It’s nice to think that I might have a like-minded partner in crime to share the journey.

Next week I fly to New Zealand for a five-day weekend. This will be my first opportunity to quiz my brother Hamish about his transition to retirement. He stopped working about two years ago and struggled initially to find his rhythm. As I plan my own retirement, I count myself lucky to have the insights of friends, family and other resources to draw upon. I'm also fortunate to have already weathered a major career transition. As a result, I can draw upon lessons I learned while navigating a loss of purpose, mild depression and other often cathartic, personal challenges. Watch this space.

Wedding on the lake

Yesterday we celebrated the wedding of Zoe, Garry’s niece, and Ben Rowlinson. The happy couple tied the knot on the shores of Wallis Lake, about 14km south of Forster. The ceremony was held at the Green Cathedral, an outdoor amphitheatre set among native trees and palms overlooking the lake. At the same time, the reception was hosted nearby at Palms Pavilion, a dedicated events venue.

The location was chosen in part because Nicole and Jason, Zoe’s parents, own a holiday house at Bluey’s Beach, a coastal resort town a few kilometres south of the lake. The house is part of a holiday resort complex set among native trees, directly opposite the beach. Garry and I rented a house at the resort for three nights, as did many of the wedding guests.

The wedding was a joyful occasion. Ben and Zoe were blessed with relatively warm and sunny weather. The bush setting also sheltered us from any lake breeze. Earlier in the day, the weather forecast had predicted a light sprinkle as the ceremony was ending. However, in the end, we experienced the briefest of misty raindrops while waiting for the newlyweds to finish their photo session, more than an hour after the ceremony itself. We also witnessed a truly spectacular sunset over the lake as the reception got underway.

Guests were bused to and from the event. As a result, Garry and I were able to kick back and enjoy ourselves. The speeches were all hilarious, and my mother-in-law Rhonda’s memory was invoked more than once. I’m not too proud to admit that I cried as the bride walked down the aisle, and again when Rhonda’s name was mentioned at the reception. I must be softening in my old age. I don't recall crying at a wedding before.

The day was filled with personal touches, reflecting the generous and caring nature of both newlyweds. Perhaps the most memorable of these was a photo montage at the reception. Zoe had sourced and framed images of family members and their partners on their wedding day, or their earliest photo as a couple, along with a message reminding guests that she and Ben were following in the footsteps of those who’d gone before. Much to my surprise, she included a photo of Garry and me. Garry quietly reminded that Zoe was three when we met, so she's only ever known us as a couple.

The newlyweds also wrote a personal note to each guest on the back of every table place card. With more than 80 guests in attendance, that's an extraordinary handwriting feat. Zoe referenced our hospitality as one of her strongest memories on both of our cards. I'm not surprised. We've hosted countless Christmas lunches and family milestone events at our apartment over the years. It's rather eye-opening to discover the impression you're making on others.

Everyone had a wonderful evening dining, dancing and laughing. I also learned that you're supposed to sing Eagle Rock with your trousers around your ankles these days. When did that become a thing? It’s crazy to think that I first met Zoe almost 23 years ago. She was a toddler sleeping in her cot. Now that tiny little girl owns a house and has a husband. Likewise, we first met Ben as a short, skinny kid when he joined the family for Christmas lunch at our house in 2018. That’s him with Zoe and Adam above.

Garry and I wish the happy couple a life together filled with love, laughter and joy.

Baby steps

Garry and I have booked two weeks in Bali for late October. We're calling this our first official retirement holiday (baby steps, as a friend described it). By the time we fly, we'll be weeks away from officially completing all our business sale obligations. We've taken advantage of a Qantas sale and a special all-inclusive promotion with the Sofitel Nusa Dua Beach Resort.

We'll spend 11 nights in a luxurious suite with direct pool access. Our booking includes all meals plus cocktails and canapés each night.  However, before we settle down by the pool, we're first heading for the islands of Flores for a three-day cruise around Komodo Island.  We've booked the best cabin on Andalucia 3, a brand new ironwood and teak Phinisi-style boat. Check out the video of our cabin that opens this post.

Our cruise includes a morning tour of Rinca Island where we'll see Komodo Dragons in the wild. We're also being promised a mind-blowing swim with Giant Manta Rays. I've also booked us a sunset dinner at Le Bajo Flores, a superb restaurant overlooking the pristine blue water in Labuan Bajo Flores.  Watch this space!

Gift fair swan song

This morning I flew home from a weekend in Melbourne. I’ve spent the last two days introducing Artiwood’s new owner to customers and industry colleagues attending the annual Reed Gift Fair.

It’s been a cathartic event. Everyone has been full of praise, as well as expressing gratitude for the relationships we’ve built over the years. I’ve been hugged and slapped on the back more times than I care to recall. We’ve even been given a bottle of champagne from an industry colleague to toast the sale of our business.

It’s been somewhat humbling and reaffirming to have our efforts acknowledged in such glowing terms. Although I must admit I won’t miss the early-morning starts, the long hours on my feet and the exhausting displays of extroverted energy that epitomised our trade show appearances over the years. As an introvert, I’ve always found these events hard work in more ways than one.

I now have one final project to complete for the new owner before my transitional obligations are done. I’m currently laying out Artiwood’s annual product catalogue for the last time. Once the book is completed, I’m officially off the hook.

UPDATE: 13 August

I've just finished this year's product catalogue for Artiwood and loaded it onto the company's website. That's it.  I've officially completed my last transition task for the new owner.  I think that means I'm retired now. After several challenging years both personally and professionally, this moment feels like pure relief.