If Oliver and Linda Cartwright have a “feeling” about something you best pay close attention.
The charming couple have been living at Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate in Gqeberha since July 2022 and life could not be better for the retirees.
For those not familiar with their story, Sards was initially not even on the horizon as the setting for the next phase of their lives.
It was simply one of various places they planned to visit during a six-week road trip from the Wild Coast to the Cape Winelands.
The intention was to look at their options and see what suited them best after 40 years of living and working in Makhanda, some 130km east of the Bay.
The lifestyle estate, a last-minute addition to their list, was the first they had visited and, following a walkabout and sit-down with estate agent Alan Moore, it also became the last.
Fast forward three years and they can happily say their hunch has produced even more than they had hoped for.
“I realise for working people it may be different but for us every day feels like we are in some fantastic place on holiday,” Linda says.
Oliver’s love of Sards stems from its likeness to the then Rhodesia in which he grew up – peaceful, relaxed, beautiful and awash with friendly people.
From the moment he arrived, he felt like he had been there before.
“There was no point in looking anywhere else. We bought the plot even though we were still trying to sell our house in Grahamstown,” he explains.
“Now it’s like we are living in one of those tropical paradise posters from the 1950s, where you see the sun and the beach and the seagulls.”
Oliver says they have even carved out a new identity for themselves in that no one knows much about their previous life.
There is one aspect of his new life that he finds particularly fascinating.
“There (at Rhodes) I was a technician working among academics who were smart but not always practical. But here we have bright people who are practical [too].
“If you want to have your deck fixed or know about security, plumbing or even tennis, you will find someone on the estate who is an expert in that field, or they will at least give you a recommendation on who to speak to.”
The Cartwrights maintain close ties with their friends from the City of Saints who often pop in after shopping in Gqeberha or for an overnight stay before an early-morning flight.
They, too, are wowed by the open spaces, free-roaming wildlife and peaceful lifestyle. Add to that children’s playgrounds and a Park Run trail next door.
No 33 is not one of the biggest houses on the estate but, as Linda points out, that is precisely what they like about it.
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Their home is a joy to clean and easy to live in.
One of its standout features is a covered mezzanine floor that offers magnificent views of the northern trails and is perfect for sundowners.
People are always amazed that their single-storey house contains an aspect more likely to be found in a double-storey.
The dwelling, noted for its green exterior as a homage to their former home’s green roof, gets next to no wind and in the colder months receives the best of the winter sun due to its north-facing location.
Sards is also a favourite port of call for the couple’s two sons, Matthew (40), who works in Seoul, Korea, and Peter (37), who is at Wits in Johannesburg.
The younger Cartwrights revel in being able to go to Sardinia Bay beach, take long walks or play tennis at the rec centre.
“As soon as they arrive, it’s a holiday for them. They don’t even have to leave the estate or this area,” Linda says. This is also one of her favourite aspects of life on the estate.
With Oliver all but banned from shopping because he tends to “buy things” rather liberally, Linda assumes responsibility for the grocery runs. Not that she minds in the slightest.
She loves the nearby Grass Roof restaurant where she can purchase many of the food items she needs, while popular supermarkets are only 10 minutes away.
Having a nursery on their doorstep is another benefit when the mood for gardening strikes.
The couple, who are voracious readers, are also regulars at the well-known Jimmy’s Bookshop in Mount Pleasant.
“I just breeze to the shops and then I come back again. I don’t even have to go into PE proper,” Linda says.
Coming from Makhanda where crime has become a real issue, the Cartwrights have certainly found a place where they feel safe.
“You can do almost the whole trail without seeing another person,” she says.