Waitakere Gardens Globetrotters

Retirement village living has been a passport to adventure for Waitākere Gardens residents Barry and Janet Wood.
Since moving into the village over 17 years ago, the couple has seen more of New Zealand — and the world — than many of us do in a lifetime. And better still, they have given multitudes of Metlifecare residents the chance to join them.

“Janet and I did very little travel prior to moving into Waitākere Gardens but it was something we were keen to do more of,” explains Barry. “When we would talk to other residents about our trips, they would often say ‘I would love to do that, but I have no one to go with,’ so about 15 years ago I started organising group tours.”

Since then, the intrepid retiree has injected the joys of jet-setting into the lives of more than 1500 Metlifecare residents. From the South Island to Singapore, Alaska to Adelaide, Barry’s legendary tours have become a highly anticipated village drawcard.

“Usually, I organise two tours a year, and mostly we have between 40 and 50 passengers per tour — sometimes there’s even a waiting list! As soon as we get home from one tour, people start asking me ‘where are we going next Barry?’.”
Each tour takes months of planning, and Barry doesn’t earn a cent from it. So why does he do it?
“I enjoy it, it keeps me active, and I get great satisfaction from knowing that I’m giving residents the chance to do something they would otherwise not be able to do.”

Waitākere Gardens resident Lyn Jeffery is a perfect case in point. She’s been on nearly every one of Barry’s trips for the last 14 years — and she has loved them all.
“I consider myself incredibly lucky to live in this village and appreciate everything Barry has done for us. We only have to pack our bags, and everything is organised for us right down to the last detail,” says Lyn. “We have seen New Zealand like never before, been on cruises, and participated in so much more than we would have had we been travelling independently. I would never have done all this travel on my own.”

Fellow Waitākere Gardens resident Heather White is also an avid fan. Thanks to Barry, she has jumped off a bridge into the Clutha River, been paragliding for the first time, and travelled to far flung places she had never even dreamed of.
Now that’s music to Barry’s ears — and all the impetus he needs to start planning another sojourn. Pack your bags Waitākere Gardens globetrotters.
Next stop, the Bahamas!