John and Carolyn looked at 24 other retirement homes before they chose Catalina and couldn’t be happier with their decision. They don’t just like it, they love it.
From the moment they were invited by residents to tour their homes, they felt a strong sense of welcome and community. They quickly embraced the lively social life, enjoying dance nights, lawn bowls, and the spacious amenities like the pool, gym, and cinema.
“Everyone’s friendly, and there’s no pressure—no class or age divides,” John says. “It feels like heaven.”
The Mayor of 4A
When John and Carolyn packed up their four-bedroom house at Buff Point, complete with three bathrooms and three showers, it was time for a new chapter. “We looked at 24 different retirement villages,” John says, “but once we found Catalina, we knew this was the place.”
Not long after moving in, John earned the playful title: The Mayor of 4A. “Yeah, that’s what they’re calling me now,” he says with a grin. “The Mayor of 4A! I guess it stuck.”
It’s easy to see why. John and Carolyn have embraced the community life at Catalina, making friends and becoming known faces in the village. “From the moment we were invited to look around, we felt at home,” Heather recalls. “Seven different residents invited us in to see their homes. That kind of pride—you know, ‘Come and have a look, I’m proud of my place, and we want you to join us’—it made all the difference.”
“We didn’t know Catalina was here at first,” John adds, “but we were so glad when we found it. The people are just so friendly. Really, everyone is friendly.”
One night, the Lemaire’s found themselves swept up in a lively dance to the tunes of a local guitarist. “We were dancing, singing, and laughing,” John remembers. “And I looked at Carolyn and said, ‘Are we in heaven?’ It was that perfect. I’m not going to heaven, but this was as close as it gets!”
The best part? There’s no pressure to impress anyone. “Everyone’s on the same wavelength here—no worrying about class, size, or age. Just people being people.”
John and Heather appreciate Catalina’s thoughtful design, too. “The first thing you notice is how spacious it feels,” John points out. “The houses aren’t squashed together, the streets are wide, and everything is so clean. The lawns get mowed every Thursday, and the bathrooms and showers are roomy. It’s peaceful and classy. Just perfect.”
The couple has thrown themselves into the many activities the village offers. “We’ve got lawn bowls down,” John says with a wink. “There’s table tennis, snooker, putt-putt, the cinema… We don’t do everything, but we enjoy the lawn bowls regularly. And the pool is amazing. There’s aqua aerobics, a spa, and even a gym with everything you could want.”
Family visits have become easier since the move. “It’s only three or four minutes off the motorway,” John explains. “At Buff Point, it took 15 minutes just to get to the road.” The location offers the best of both worlds, with Lake Macquarie just eight minutes away for fishing and national parks like Fraser Beach a short drive from the village. “Fraser Beach is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen,” Heather says.
And what do their new neighbors think of life at Catalina? “We’ve spoken to everyone, and not a single person regrets moving here,” John says. “Before we moved in, we’d ask, ‘Do you like it here?’ And the answer was never just ‘Yes.’ It was ‘Love it.’”
For anyone considering the move to Catalina, John offers simple advice: “Don’t waste time thinking about it. Just do it. You won’t regret it.”
“Our granddaughter, who’s 15, wants to move in! She asked if she could stay three months, and I told her, ‘Sure, but you’ll have to leave after that and come back again!'”.
Stay in the loop
Sign up to our newsletter for news and updates.