Living Without a Car in a Retirement Village | Longridge Paeroa
- Longridge Country Estate
- Oct 14
- 3 min read
No car, no problem. Longridge resident Allan helps people get to where they need to go.
If you’ve spent time at Longridge, you’ve probably met Allan. He’s a resident here and one of the people who keeps things ticking, especially when he’s behind the wheel of the village van.
Allan helps with shopping runs, group trips, and the odd mystery outing. But what many don’t know is he also volunteers across town with the Paeroa Community Support Trust. That includes the Paeroa Community Bus and the volunteer hospital driving service. Both help locals who can’t drive themselves, and Allan’s been part of it for years.
“I like driving,” Allan says. “I drove trucks for 18 years, everything from 10 to 50 tonnes. So this just fits.”
Every second Tuesday, he heads out in the Paeroa community bus. He collects locals from their homes and drives them to Thames for a day out, with stops like The Warehouse and Mitre 10. After a few hours to shop and relax, he brings everyone home.
On other days, he’s taking people to doctor’s appointments or hospital visits. Sometimes that means Waikato Hospital. Sometimes it means sitting in the car for hours while someone’s at a long appointment.
“Some of them are really unwell. Breathing problems, eyesight issues. They just need a way to get there.”
“If I’ve got time, I’ll pop down to the café at Hamilton Lake,” he says. “And yeah, I’ve got lost in the hospital more than once.”
In April 2024, the driver service received $20,000 from Waikato Regional Council to help with running costs. Across the region, volunteer drivers like Allan made over 23,000 trips last year. More than 1,000 were for people using wheelchairs. Volunteers donated over 52,000 hours.
The drivers use their own cars. They don’t get paid. But they’re relied on by hundreds of people across the region. One resident who uses the service summed it up in the council’s report: “As we are an ageing community, having volunteer drivers to call on is one less worry for us.”
“The people we drive are always grateful. They let you know. Some of them couldn’t get there without us.”
Back at Longridge, Allan was well known for organising day trips. He took residents to places like the Waihi Goldmine, Whangamatā, the Coromandel Mussel Kitchen, waterfalls and gardens, and always added a surprise lunch stop. One trip even ended with a full tour and a visit to the Tapu Hotel.
“I never told them where lunch would be. I’d just say wait and see. That was half the fun.”
Allan grew up in Paeroa. His parents lived just over the hill from Longridge, and he still knows the best spots for a cuppa or a scenic detour.
When asked what he enjoys most about village life, he doesn’t hesitate. “The friendliness. Most of us get along. It makes things easy.”
That sense of connection shows. Whether it’s lending a hand at Longridge or helping someone across town get to an appointment, Allan’s one of those people who makes life easier.
And if you’re wondering whether you need a car to live at Longridge, you don’t. Between the village van, weekly outings, volunteer drivers, and friendly neighbours, it’s easy to get around, stay social, and enjoy everything Paeroa has to offer.
With villas available now, it’s a good time to see what life’s like in a village that’s already this well connected.
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