Active Gisborne couple Andrew and Jackie Robertson mark International Day of Older Persons

Andrew and Jackie Robertson say life can still be active, full-on and enjoyable as an older member of the community. Tuesday is the International Day of Older Persons. Photo / Wynsley Wrigley

The Gisborne Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley speaks to active couple Andrew and Jackie Robertson to mark today as the International Day of Older Persons.

Andrew Robertson bikes to work at 6.45 every morning - rain or shine.

That may not sound unusual, but Robertson, who is 74, still works fulltime and cycles each day between his Kiri Te Kanawa Retirement Village home and Mangapapa School where he has been the caretaker for 36 years.

He rides an e-bike but doesn’t use any electric power.

Robertson has noticed that the e-bike, when powered only by him, is “a bit heavy”.

But he says he would rather use his bike than the car.

“I go everywhere on my bike.”

Robertson is speaking to mark International Day of Older Persons.

Asked why he remains fully active in the workforce, wife Jackie replies, “The alternative is that he stays with me all day”.

Robertson says Jackie is right but adds he is happy to remain a busy member of the workforce while he is fit, healthy and active.

“I liked to keep working.”

After 36 years at the school, he is accustomed to meeting children outside of the school who say, “Hello, Mr Robertson”.

Jackie is a retired Central School teacher born in Gisborne while Robertson, originally from Scotland where he worked as a coppersmith in the whisky industry, worked for BJ Moss in Gisborne and played soccer for HSOB.

Robertson accepts he does not meet the archetypal image of a retirement village resident aged in his 70s.

But the retirement village remains an attractive lifestyle option for him.

“You don’t want to come home and do the lawns after a day’s work,” he says.

“You enjoy life.”

But Robertson does remain the home handyman around the home.

“He does everything around the house,” says Jackie.

“I’ve trained him well.”

Robertson believes some people leave it too late before moving into a retirement home where active couples can enjoy life both in the retirement complex and in the community.

The couple have been at Kiri Te Kanawa for 16 months.

“I think we caused a bit of stir when we first came in,” says Jackie.

She heard some women talking about a new resident riding his motorbike.

Jackie says the women could not believe it when she told them she was the motorbike rider.

She has been riding for more than 40 years.

Kiri Te Kanawa Retirement Village has a “mixed group” of residents, says Jackie.

“We’ve just seen one of the 90-year-olds go past.

“She ran past, flat out.”

Robertson says he will retire later this year.

“We’ll be seeing you in the men’s shed,” says Jackie, before adding: “I can’t see you taking up bowls.”

“No, not at the moment,” he replies.