This week TRH is in Brisbane, the sunny capital of the state of Queensland. He’s visiting his parents.Brisbane is 2,500 km north east of Adelaide. They live in Australia’s only Finnish retirement village – Finlandia Village. It’s like a mini Finland. Service and health care providers are either Finnish speaking or residents have access to interpreters. There is no need to speak English unless you want to!
A gated community, the grounds are spacious and well kept. Sauna rosters ensure twice weekly access to the sauna and heated indoor pool. A gymnasium and personal fitness training offers appropriate exercise programs, as well as a masseur and hairdresser. For those who need it, nursing home care and secure dementia care are available. An active social life ensures outings and celebrations for those who want to join in. A recent addition is the Poro (reindeer) Café where homemade finnish food is on sale for anyone who wants to buy it. TRH has a standing order from me to fill his suitcase with dark soughdough ryebread and Karjalan piirakka on his return home.
The Retirement Villas have been purpose built for the elderly. The two bedroom stand alone homes are spacious and well appointed. The top right hand photo shows the back gate of my in-law’s home. The building opposite houses the sauna and swimming pool. Couldn’t get any closer than that!
© Raili Tanska
soulgifts - Telling Tales 
What a surprise
Hi Raili!
This place seems to be a Heaven for retired persons.
One should follow this example or take it as an inspiration to have such places for all elderly people all over the world.
I have great respect for the elders they would have done so much for the society; they are almost neglected when they become too old even by their kith and kin.
Good Post I loved it.
Keep posting such inspirational ones.
Thnks,
Shiva
Thank you Shiva, I really appreciate your comments. Have a wonderful day – and life 🙂
These types of retirement communities are starting to spring up here, too, FINALLY. We’re so the backwater of the US in Utah. Usually the focal point is a gold course!!!
This is one nice in that the buildings are well spaced and there are beautiful, well kept grounds to go walking in.
This is a delightful place for older folks 🙂
It is 🙂
Hope you’ll find time to step into the blog party. Just started.
Thanks Jacquie, I intend to 🙂
It is 🙂 The grounds are beautiful to stroll around too
Hi Raili, how lovely the village looks! Wish I could retire there 🙂 My grandfather Anshelm Gustaf Lauren was a Finn from Turku. He migrated to Australia when he was 30 and married my grandmother who was 15 at the time. They had four children, the second youngest was my father. They were still married when he dies at the age of 94. Sadly, I never had the chance to meet him. He died four years before I was born. I’m going to explore your blog some more .
Nice to meet you Lyn ! It’s amazing how far and wide Finns have spread, given it is such a small country. Where do you live now? I look forward to getting to bump into you more on the blogosphere 🙂
I’m living in Western Sydney. I wish I’d known about my grandfather’s origin before I did, it would have been nice to visit Finland. It’s too late now though, I’m almost 70 and although I love flying, health won’t let me do any more than a couple of hours flight.
My parents lived in Sydney for several years before Dad retired. The manse was in West Pymble. He was a Lutheran minister, who set up a drop in centre for the homeless in the inner city. It’s still functioning – called Palvelupiste. What a shame you can’t visit Finland. But you can armchair travel! I’ve come across a few Finns on the blogosphere. I live in Adelaide.
That’s wonderful about the drop-in centre–especially that it’s still going. LOL I’m good at armchair travel, but I do prefer the real thing of course. I’ve been to Adelaide a couple of times- twice when doing research for a YA novel I’m writing and once on a mystery flight. I have to admit, I’m more than happy to travel West on the Indian Pacific 😀
Now there’s a trip I’d love to make – the train one! It’s on my bucket list.What is a YA novel ?
YA novel is young adult. Basically a teen novel 🙂
Aaah – thanks 🙂