Peter and Kee enjoyed a full and varied working life until retirement with businesses in software, computers, academic research and more recently apartment management, as well as building an eco-home in Moss Vale, ……. They bring many skills to the community and have have embraced the NEV Community and thrown themselves into many groups. Although quite new to the community, Peter has already become one of the board directors and Kee is applying her skills in the admin area with her background in advertising and legal firms.
“Having the opportunity to live in the village for two weeks, doing a house-sit, sealed the deal for us – we felt at home and welcomed. We immersed ourselves in everything including bush walks! There were regular activities; yoga, Qigong, meditation, craft nights, working bees, meetings and many lunch and dinner invitations. Living in Sydney suburbia for 2 years, detached from bush and flora, we felt the lack of what the Japanese term “Ikegai”, the sense of purpose that makes you want to get up every day – during those 2 weeks in the village we knew we could experience it at NEV. We couldn’t wait to join the community”
Keen to remain physically, socially and mentally active, the ecovillage ticked many boxes. They sold their suburban Sydney home and moved into a nearby rental home to be closer to the village while they planned their NEV build.
Building a sustainable home is one of the prerequisites and Peter and Kee are designing their new eco-home to encompass all the lessons
learnt in their previous project. On top of all the expected eco-performance features, it will have lots of light, and views to the east and north. To manage the building costs on a sloping site, the top floor of the house is being manufactured in a nearby factory and then craned onto foundation rooms that includes a small gymnasium, bathroom and mudroom.
“We have grandchildren and find that the village is a great drawcard for any young child, with fabulous natural outdoors, a trampoline, open spaces, riding bikes, other children to play with. It’s a healthy environment for young and old. I do a couple of hours each week on reception, and we both volunteer in the community garden. Peter is also helping with upgrading the infrastructure, installing irrigation, erecting shade areas for processing the harvest, and building raised veggie beds, and I help with weeding, watering when necessary and some harvesting when needed.”