It’s never too early to start planning for your future, and it’s never too late to achieve your dreams. That is why so many retirees are embracing the bucket list trend. We’ve put together some fun bucket list items for retirees and how Bondi Beach Astra could help you to fulfil them. The key things to remember with any kind of bucket list are to plan early and set yourself a realistic timeframe with realistic goals. And, most importantly, have fun!

(Please bear in mind that some of these suggestions cannot be undertaken in a lockdown pandemic, but why not plan for them now and have something to look forward to?)

• Live by the beach. This is on people’s bucket lists the world over! What a privilege to be able to wake up every day and walk along the sand, go for a swim or just breathe the fresh sea air. Residents of Bondi Beach Astra love the beach and the lifestyle that comes with being in such a beautiful part of the world.

• Travel. Another item that is on many people’s bucket lists, and although it’s hard to do in the current COVID-19 climate, it can’t hurt to dream. Many of our residents are prolific travelers (one has even published a book about travelling in her retirement years), and appreciate that their home is connected to so many different transport hubs. Whether travel is by bus, train, plane or boat, our residents love to take the opportunity to visit friends and family and make new friends visiting new places. While they are away, they can feel relaxed in the knowledge that they have a concierge to collect their mail, a secure and safe building to protect their belongings, and a raft of neighbours willing to water their plants!

• Find a hobby/learn something new. There are so many things to do and learn out there that the world really is your oyster. Write a list of things you have always wanted to do, or do more of, and then see if there is a way that you can do them in your area or online. Bondi Beach is a diverse and vibrant community, and has so many in-person and virtual groups to join. Bondi Beach Astra itself has resident snooker and ping pong experts, as well as music maestros, who would be happy to play with you. And if you want to learn a new language? Chances are that you will find someone here who speaks it and who would be willing to chat with you to practice!

• Learn a new watersport. What better way to spend your retirement than at the beach swimming, surfing, snorkeling or enjoying any number of other watersports? Bondi is known for good surfing, as well as beautiful ocean pools. And if the closest you want to get to the sea is walking along the promenade, then Bondi is great for that too! Our residents love to swim, surf, walk and just generally enjoy the beach atmosphere. It is truly a highlight of retirement living at Bondi Beach Astra.

• Exercise more. There are so many things that you can do with exercise, it’s hard to know where to start! Whether it’s setting goals for increasing your exercise, just living somewhere that has nice places to walk outside, or finding classes to attend, exercise is hugely important for physical and mental wellbeing. There are plenty of local exercise classes, gyms and swim/surf schools at Bondi Beach. Our residents love to have an active lifestyle, and one of our residents even runs an in-house Qi Gong class each week for residents and friends. Our heated pool and gym area provide extra motivation to exercise without even having to leave the building.

• Read more or start a book club. In addition to the bookshelves that we have in our common lounge area for resident use, there are many libraries in the area for you to choose from (Waverley Library, Woollahra Library, Watsons Bay Library and more…) Waverley Library also holds author talks, history lectures, screens movies, and many other cultural events throughout the year. A book club is a lovely way to connect with people and can also be run remotely while in lockdown. At Bondi Beach Astra we run a monthly book club, and it has been a great success not only for broadening our reading material but also for bringing neighbours together to learn more about one another.

• Try food you’ve never eaten before, or eat lots of different foods from different countries. Food is often on people’s bucket lists too, and given Bondi’s multicultural population there are so many varieties of food for you to choose from here. Many restaurants and cafes are within walking distance of Bondi Beach Astra, and still more are accessible by take away and food delivery apps.

• Spend more time with your grandkids. This is something that is really important to a lot of retirees. If you live closer to your family, you are more likely to be able to spend time with them, and with lots of fun things to do in Bondi there are plenty of options for activities for all ages throughout the year. Many of our residents chose to live in this area to be around family and many of them enjoy spending regular time with their grandkids. What a delight to be able to do that once you are no longer worrying about full time work.

• Get a tattoo! For some people this is something that they’ve always wanted to do! Well, who says retirement isn’t the time for that? And Bondi Beach has got you covered!

• Become CPR certified. It’s never too late! With so many SLSCs in the area there are many and various courses to take. You never know when something like this might come in handy…

• Get environmental. When you live in an area with so much natural beauty you want to try to help keep it that way, and make sure that it is still around for your grandkids to enjoy in years to come. Why not attend, or organise, a beach clean up, or go plastic free for a month? With farmers markets in the area and Waverley Council’s commitment to environmental causes, there is something in Bondi to suit every green-conscious person.

• Write a novel, or just start to write more. Many people have ideas that they wish they had written down, so when thinking of things to do in retirement why not this? Several of our residents have written books, both novels and non-fiction books, and there are local writing groups for support. If you think you have it in you to write more, what better inspiration than a beautiful beach view and having a cuppa and a chat with a fellow writing resident!

• Organise a wine tasting at home. Let’s face it, we’ve all wanted to run or attend a tasting event of some sort at some point, be it wine, whisky, coffee, chocolate, cheese, or anything else that takes our fancy. Well, at Bondi Beach Astra we have put on wine and cheese tastings, a coffee tasting, and even a gin tasting. Not to mention the many cake, chocolate, biscuit, bread and other food events that have involved our residents (and staff) trying different things out. Imagine if you could have this in your home all the time!

• Hold a neighbourhood BBQ. There aren’t many more Aussie things than a BBQ, catching up with your community in the fresh air with some good food and a few drinks. Bondi Beach Astra has a communal BBQ for residents and their friends and families to use, and we run social events throughout the year. It’s a must have for those warm and breezy summer days. 

• Practise meditation. Many people love to meditate for their mental and physical wellbeing. No matter where you are you can meditate, but it helps to have a weekly Qi Gong class that incorporates elements of meditation, and other local residents who are experienced meditators to give you tips and encouragement!

• Volunteer or work with a charity. Retirees often want to stay active, and volunteering is a great way to do that. Several of our residents volunteer regularly with different groups in the area, from churches to libraries to schools. It is such an encouraging and rewarding activity to engage in, as those residents will surely testify to.

And this is just the start… 

At Bondi Beach Astra, we are located in one of the most beautiful and engaging places in the world, have so many great facilities available to residents, and have an active and welcoming social community. To find out how you can share in this lifestyle, call or email us, or take a look at our FAQs.