URUNGA’S Rob Anderson may be in his 90s, but he could teach many folks half his age a thing or two about leading a balanced, happy life.
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Mr Anderson has lived in Urunga for the past 22 years, and would have moved to the area much sooner if he’d had his way.
“I was born in (Sydney’s) Marrickville, but I moved to Bankstown as a child and spent the next 63 years there,” Mr Anderson told the Guardian.
“I tried for 40 years to get out of Sydney, but my wife wasn’t having any of it!
“The only way I got the move underway was when we subdivided our quarter-acre block in Bankstown and sold off the back half. The couple who bought it said they were building a bungalow on it.
“When we saw the plans, they were for this huge
two-storey house, and my wife said ‘we’ll have to get out of here’.
“Then she went to the
hairdresser and I went to the real estate agent. By the time she had a new hairdo, the house was on the market.”
The Andersons chose Urunga partly for its proximity to their son, who lives in Bellingen, and despite the sudden change, Mr Anderson said he and his wife, whom he lost six years ago, never regretted the move.
“I like how peaceful it is here,” he said. “It’s a laid back sort of place. There’s no rush, no tear and bust. I have a
little reserve nearby and across the road is the river. It’s very relaxing.”
And as much as he enjoys the serenity, Mr Anderson is almost always on the go.
“If you want to stay well, you’ve got to stay busy. You’ve got to keep moving,” he said.
“On Mondays I play golf, Tuesday I swim laps, Wednesday I play bowls, Thursday I do laps again, then Friday and Saturday I play bowls,” he said.
And is Sunday rest time?
“No,” he laughs. “That’s housework day!”
The retired painter, who turned 91 on January 3, also has a workshop in his garage, and makes the trophies for the Bellingen Diggers
swimming club, as well as hand-crafting clocks “to pass the time!”
“I can always find something to do,” he said. “It’s a lovely area to live in, and I’m happy to spend the rest of my days here.”