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A Life Well Travelled


Friday, 11 January 2019

Robin talks to us about her life of travel and volunteering and why she moved into a retirement living Serviced Apartment well before she needed to.

Throughout her life, Robin Seager worked to travel, often planning her next adventure the moment she returned from one. Before retiring, she worked at Pennant Hills State High School and then Pennant Hills Primary School. And her love of travel has continued well into retirement.

‘I kept travelling when I came to Lutanda Manor. I went to Ireland each year, where I have a son, a granddaughter, and a large Catholic Irish family,’ she said. 

Now in her late 80s, Robin feels she may have reached her limit when it comes to travelling. But she hopes to return to Ireland again soon. 

Robin's son lives and works in Ireland with his wife and daughter. He’s working on setting up some business here in Australia, which means Robin will get to spend more time with him. 

‘He promises me that if all goes to plan, he'll be here more often,’ she said with a chuckle. This would be a dream come true for Robin, who has 3 children, 8 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. 

Volunteering from home 

As soon as Robin retired, she wanted to go to Tanzania to work with the missionaries. Instead, she volunteered for the Church Missionary Society of Australia, where she packed care packages bound for Tanzania. 

‘I was there for 20 years as a volunteer. We packed for Tanzanian hospitals, schools, you name it. We would pack about 4 containers per year to send over there,’ she said. 

Eventually, the wonderful work Robin and the other volunteers were doing came to a grinding halt. 

‘They weren't too keen on having missionaries there, to be honest. And everything became too costly, so we, unfortunately, don't do that anymore,’ she said. 

‘And, of course, we're all old now,’ she said with a laugh. 

‘I probably moved in long before I needed to, in hindsight, I'm glad.’ 

Moving in early for peace of mind

When Robin relocated to Lutanda Manor with her husband, they moved into 2 Serviced Apartments side by side.

 ‘Because of the way my husband was, I knew he needed the care the serviced apartments provided. And even though I probably moved in long before I needed to, in hindsight, I'm glad I made the move when I did,’ she said. 

‘There's so much trauma in moving. And when a loved one dies, the last thing you want to be thinking about is moving again. So when we moved to Lutanda, I made sure that neither one of us would have to go through any more moving,’ she said. 

Living in a serviced apartment gives Robin the peace of mind of knowing help is always nearby. 

Learn more about Lutanda Manor, NSW

Find out more about our Serviced Apartments.


For more information about the lifestyle and support offered at our retirement villages, call our customer service team on 1800 550 550

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