Wising up to the Euro

By Andrea Watson
Posted: 2008/08/29

THE pound's fall against the euro will have hit anyone who spent their summer holiday in Spain.

Coffee costs about £3 a cup – and rentals, food, taxis and flights are frighteningly expensive.

When John and June Wise, of Blakeney, Norfolk, bought a holiday home in southern Spain a few years ago, it was the other way round.

The couple had built a successful business in underwater salvage, and when an American company offered to buy them out, they took early retirement.

The capital allowed them to keep their home in East Anglia and buy a villa in Spain, where they could enjoy year-round sunshine and cheap food and wine.

There were also plenty of low-cost flights on offer. All that – bar the weather – has changed. After a few years, the Wises decided to swap their villa for a caravan at Rockley Park, near Poole, Dorset, and recently upgraded to a new lodge.

Mrs Wise said: "Our caravan overlooked the harbour but it was in quite a busy spot. We love the fact that now we're part of an exclusive development of just eight properties tucked away behind gates."

It takes five hours for the couple to drive to Dorset from Norfolk but they say the journey is worth it.

Mrs Wise added: "We can use our lodge whenever we feel like it – and come and go as we like. But with the villa it was difficult to change tickets if we wanted to extend our stay or come home early, and the cheapest flights were the least flexible."

The couple, who enjoy sailing, plan to moor their boat at Rockley Park boatyard for sea-fishing.

The lodge came fully fitted with stylish modern furniture, in contrast to the traditional style of their Norfolk home.

Rockley Park is situated across the harbour from Sandbanks – one of the most expensive places to live in the UK.

Its residents enjoy the same views and excellent facilities but at considerably cheaper prices.

The park has tennis courts, swimming pools, a nature reserve, gym and a full entertainment programme. A spa surrounded by oriental-style gardens is due to open soon.

A lodge similar to the Wises' costs about £150,000, including the first year's site fees and insurance.

INFORMATION:
www. lodge-retreats. co. uk