The new golf cart at Arvida Oakwoods negotiates garden paths and carparks rather than bunkers as it carries residents to the neighbouring health centre and cafe.
A resident at the retirement village, Barbara Gordon, is one of the volunteers driving fellow residents along a path through the hedge to the complex next door so they do not have to negotiate the footpath on the busy road or a packed carpark.
“Some people aren’t very mobile. They use sticks or use scooters, so it’s hard for some of them. You can’t hear mobility scooters or electric cars or bikes, so you’re always turning around to see if something is coming and that’s scary for older people.”
The village purchased the electric golf cart and built a path through the hedge to the Lower Queen St Health Centre and cafe so residents could be delivered safely to the entrance.
A team of volunteers take turns to pick residents up from their villa or rest home and deliver them to the complex, then picks them up when they are ready to return.
Barbara says some residents used to drive around to the health centre because they were not very mobile and that was not a good method because the road is “diabolical”.
Driving a golf cart is not new to Barbara, who has been a keen golfer.
She is used to driving over bunkers and hilly terrain, so this is an easy trip through the garden to deliver her passengers.
The golf cart has a speed of no more than 10kmh and she says the short journey is already proving fun and sociable for residents.
