A love story that started in Port Lincoln and continued in Ceduna and Balhannah, is flourishing in the Adelaide Hills at Newenham, for Jen and Daniel and their three young boys.
After living on South Australia’s rugged west coast, Jen and Daniel realised, while living in Balhannah, that life in the Adelaide Hills was something special.
“We fell in love with the Hills lifestyle and knew we would be living up here for a long time!” says Jen.
Jen is an early years teacher while Daniel is a sergeant with SAPOL; however, life for the young couple is often hectic with three young boys under five. After living in mostly smaller country towns, the couple always wanted to return to Adelaide.
“We always wanted to come back to Adelaide to be closer to family but didn’t want to live in the city. So Mount Barker was an easy choice,” says Daniel.
While the couple knew Mount Barker was where they wanted to settle, finding the right block of land to build their family home was a challenge.
“We looked into other housing estates before choosing land at Newenham.” Jen explains. “The others were so crowded with small blocks and elevated allotments. The difference in Newenham compared to other new areas in Mount Barker was huge.”
As it happens, a chance sighting of a bus advert for Newenham while shopping piqued the couple’s interest.
“We first found out about Newenham when we saw it on the double bus in Mount Barker,” says Jen. “We drove to Mount Barker weekly from Balhannah to shop and decided to check it out.”
From there, the interest snowballed, and so did the appeal of the estate. The list of features made Newenham hard to ignore.
“We love the larger blocks, the location, the abundance of trees and wildlife and the open spaces. And it’s just enough out of town to feel like we’re in the country but a short commute,” says Daniel.
However, when Jen and Daniel and their lively one-year-old at the time decided to attend an event at Newenham, that pretty much ‘sealed the deal’.
“The thing that made us really want to buy here was coming up with my parents and our one-year-old at the time, for an open day. There were so many young families, and there was such a lovely vibe and atmosphere from the gathering, we instantly felt we belonged,” Jen gushed.
Jen and Daniel and their boys are now firmly ensconced at Newenham and enjoying the benefits of a country lifestyle while eagerly looking forward to the many planned amenities.
As Jen is keen to share, “I am mostly excited about making some new friends as this is our forever home now, and where our children will grow up. We love the linear park trail and can’t wait for our children to be big enough to ride it into the park and to the local cafes! I’m also excited for Newenham to develop its own farm and produce store and a little collection of shops!”
The open spaces and large allotments meant Jen and Daniel could plan a large forever home to accommodate three growing boys. It’s their first build, and they chose Stroud Homes in Mount Barker as their builder.
“We chose a split-level design to try and work with our block as best as we could given the drops and curves of the natural land,” says Daniel.
The house incorporates many features harmonious with nature designed to invite a little of the outdoors into the home.
“We went for a large open-plan kitchen, dining and living, with large double sliding doors to bring the outdoors in, allowing everyone to play, live, eat and grow together!” says Jen.
Now part of a friendly and inclusive community, Jen and Daniel love Newenham’s unique features, including its linear park, natural environment, shops, school, community events, farm and cafe, and proximity to Mount Barker. By their own admission, Newenham’s relaxed lifestyle is hard to beat.
“The best thing about living in the Hills is the flora and fauna. The sounds and the smells can relax even the most stressed person!” says Jen.
While Newenham ticks all the boxes for fantastic family living, the couple and their sons still love to visit other parts of the Adelaide Hills.
“We love the Balhannah pub, excellent food and fast service! We have a very large family with lots of young children, so we quite often visit Barristers Block because their wines and pizzas amazing. They’re also very family-friendly and have open spaces for children to play and some small farm animals,” says Daniel.
Even though Mount Barker is so convenient and fast becoming a mecca for foodies, some habits die hard. For example, Jen still likes to cross the freeway to do some specialist shopping every now and then.
“I try to go once a week to the Littlehampton marketplace where I buy my fruits and veggies and sometimes get a really delicious local roast. They are always fresh, delicious and well priced!”
Large blocks, location, open spaces, an abundance of trees and wildlife, and a caring, like-minded community; for Jen, Daniel and their family, Mount Barker, and Newenham in particular, was the only choice.
If you’d like to know more about joining our growing community or securing your future at Newenham, simply contact our Sales Team on 0429 107 497 or on sales@newenham.com.au.
Our Sales & Information Centre is open from 12 – 5pm every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and by appointment on other days.
We recommend booking a private tour, even on weekends, to ensure we can provide you with the excellent service we are known for.
We look forward to welcoming you to Newenham soon.
