The amazing benefits of downsizing to paradise at Coastal Waters in beautiful Jervis Bay

Imagine living in a location that visitors consider an Australian paradise, in a home kitted out to your specifications, with access to luxurious facilities such as a gym and pool, having all modern amenities within 10 minutes’ drive, and being surrounded by friendly, caring neighbours.

It sounds impossibly idyllic, but that’s the reality for residents of Lendlease’s Coastal Waters retirement village in New South Wales’ South Coast region, where the worst aspect of life is an annual influx of Christmas holidaymakers.

It’s no surprise the South Coast is a vacation destination, because it’s dotted with beautiful beaches and national parks and offers a relaxed, seaside lifestyle, yet offers access to everything a visitor or resident could need in the way of entertainment, retail and healthcare.

“We’re happy to share our little bit of heaven with visitors,” Coastal Waters resident Gillian Lidsey jokes about the popularity of the gorgeous surroundings of Jervis Bay, where the village is situated.

Jervis Bay, just three hours’ drive south from Sydney, boasts Hyams Beach, which has been voted the world’s eighth-best beach for its pristine, white sand and crystal-clear waters. Nearby Booderee National Park is home to stunning cliffs, a beautiful botanical garden, opportunities for snorkelling and diving and even a lighthouse that offers the perfect vantage point for watching the humpback whales that migrate through the area in June and early July each year.

Coastal Waters overlooks St Georges Basin, a large, shallow, tree-lined lake that’s beloved by boaties and fishing fans. It’s also close to the charming coastal towns of Vincentia and Huskisson.

“It’s a very, very beautiful place,” Gillian says, explaining that the picturesque surrounds, complete with abundant native wildlife, were part of the appeal of Coastal Waters.

But the excellence of the village itself was the other deciding factor – so decisive that Gillian and her husband Robert bought a villa at Coastal Waters shortly after their first visit to friends who’d moved to the village.

“We decided to have a look and the rest is history – we fell in love,” Gillian says. “Moving to a retirement village had never, ever crossed our minds, we’d never even discussed it, until we came here and went ‘that’s impressive’!

“There’s a really beautiful club house, a great pool, a gym, and a function area with a really lovely outlook over St Georges Basin.”

Sue and Alan Stephens are the friends and former neighbours who brought Gillian and Robert to Coastal Waters. The Stephens say they were also quickly convinced that Coastal Waters was the ideal location for downsizing. The couple, both 70, settled on the village as their new home after seeing a presentation about Coastal Waters at Sue’s golf club.

“We didn’t look at another village – we liked what we saw,” Alan recalls.

Both couples moved from Tapitallee, less than an hour’s drive inland from Jervis Bay, because they valued the ability to take walks on the white sand beaches and the ‘every day’s a holiday’ atmosphere of the area.

Alan and Sue wanted a new home that required less maintenance than their large family home on acreage but wasn’t as small as the apartments often chosen by downsizers, so went for a new-build, three-bedroom, detached residence at Coastal Waters.

The village offers buyers the option of customising their home with extras such as fans in every room, air conditioning, high-end kitchen benches and extended patio areas, and both the Stephens and the Lidseys opted to make some changes to the standard fittings and fixtures of their new homes.

“We thought really carefully about what we wanted, such as where power points should be, and got all of that done,” Gillian says. “But the homes are already designed so they work inside for you as you age – it’s designed to be accessible.”

A range of new homes are being built right now in Coastal Waters’ development stages nine and 11, with display villas already open for viewing. Stage nine’s premium villas include the ability to select from two or three bedrooms, across three different floor plans, with some of the new homes boasting views of spectacular St Georges Basin.

But residents say it’s not just the comfort of their new homes that create a great lifestyle at Coastal Waters. A selection of supermarkets is just three minutes from the village by car and more shops, cafes and restaurants are available in Vincentia and Huskisson, both 10 minutes’ drive from Coastal Waters.

Doctors and other healthcare providers are also within 10 minutes of the village, while Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital is 25 kilometres away in the town of Nowra.

As Alan says, “Coastal Waters far enough away to feel a bit isolated but close enough to everything you need”.

Not that Coastal Waters residents are short of entertainment in the friendly village itself, where Sue and Gillian regularly attend aqua aerobics classes and Alan takes his turn manning the residents’ bar. They describe it as a place where everyone has a cheery wave and a hello for passersby.

“You can get involved in the village life as much or as little as you want,” Alan adds. “That’s the beauty of it.”

The village is home to residents in their 60s, such as the Lidseys, right up to their 90s and caters to a wide range of lifestyle requirements. For example, keen gardeners have room to grow their favourites but can call on the village’s gardeners to do heavier tasks such as lawn mowing.

“Living here gives you more time to go away and not worry about the maintenance of your house,” Alan says. And while holidays away from their full-time ‘home in paradise’ are nice, Sue is firm when she adds that “this is where we hope to stay”.

There’s no questioning the benefits of the sea-change that Coastal Waters offers. Moving to such an area as Jervis Bay means a slower, less stressful pace of life that’s a boon to mental health, while the abundance of beaches and parks offers plenty of opportunities to get active in amazing natural surrounds.

Plus, regional costs of living are usually lower than those of major cities.

If the charm and convenience of life at Coastal Waters sounds appealing, private tours of the new residences, including the premium villas, are running over the Christmas period and into January. Visit the village at 110 The Wool Road, Worrowing Heights, New South Wales, 2540, or call Julie King on 0407 795 969 to arrange a tour.

Have you thought about downsizing for a move to the coast? What essentials must any new home have for you?