For over 30 years, Christine has tended the roots she and her daughters have put down in their Gymea Bay home. But when financial pressure threatened to uproot them, the right support allowed Christine an unexpected, but no less welcome, opportunity – the ability to step confidently into a new chapter of her life, on her own terms…
Christine has always known she wanted to support people through her work. Now, in her role as head of spiritual care at a hospital, she supports patients and their families through some of life's most difficult, and deeply sacred, moments.
"I see it as accompanying people," Christine explains. "And it can be confronting, even overwhelming in its emotion, at times. But there's a beauty in being real and present with people and in allowing them to feel safe and vulnerable at what are, often, very sacred moments," she shares.
Central to her work is the idea of truly being present. "I think it's one of the greatest skills that we can have for people – to be really present in our conversations with each other," she reflects. "So in that way, spiritual care is about listening and being present for people."
It's the kind of work that, while rewarding, requires an equally grounding place to return to, at the end of a long day. A place that allows Christine to be equally present but, this time, for herself.
And it’s something she has found, in abundance, in the natural beauty surrounding her Gymea Bay home.
Situated on the lands of the Dharawal people, who are the area's Traditional Custodians, Gymea Bay derives its name from the Gymea Lily – a native flowering plant that grows in the area and is integral to Dharawal dreaming stories.
The home itself, built in the late 1950s but with “a few extensions over the years”, backs onto Alcheringa Creek, a feature that Christine – an avid swimmer and kayaker – finds particularly grounding.
"I do a lot of swimming," she shares. "And I just love the water – even the sound of it feels therapeutic to me. So whether I’m swimming, or even taking the kayak out…just being on the water feels like where I need to be."
The area is also teeming with wildlife, with local kookaburras making frequent visits to the backyard, their distinctive calls forming part of the home's daily soundtrack. Inside, their feathery form is captured via decorative art glass, set in the doors of the kitchen cabinetry. A "gift from a talented friend", the doors bring part of the natural world outside, directly into the heart of the home.
It's this abundance of natural beauty – the water, the towering gums and native plants, the birdlife – that Christine finds such solace in.
"Some days can feel long and difficult," she reflects. "And coming home to just sit outside, to connect with what's around me... or on the weekends, going down to sit at the bottom of the yard by the water with my book... This place is my haven."
Currently, Christine’s home is shared with her two daughters, who are each at different stages of their study journeys. "My eldest has moved out and back in several times in the last few years. But she's back at the moment because she's doing her master's degree and needs that support," Christine shares. "And my younger daughter is also about to enter into her bachelor's degree, so she'll be staying here for a little while longer too."
There's also Atticus, their five-year-old "scaredy" cat.
Having lived in the home for over 30 years, 33 years to be exact, the neighbourhood itself has also become “like family”, with many residents living there just as long, their children growing up alongside Christine's daughters.
"Gymea is a beautiful little village," Christine shares. "The pharmacy we still go to opened up the year my eldest daughter was born. That pharmacist has supported me in raising both children – through all their illnesses, all of their experiences – and the butcher has also been there just as long. It's a real community," she explains.
Recently, as a single parent supporting two daughters through their studies, Christine was facing a difficult reality. With rising mortgage and living costs making things feel increasingly tight, coupled with an existing bank that left her with "very little wiggle room", Christine found herself forced to contemplate the unthinkable: selling the family home that she and her daughters had cherished for decades.
"I felt like I had to start looking at selling, and then buying something else, and I just didn't feel ready to leave," Christine explains. "But I also couldn't work out how to stay."
It was her eldest daughter who suggested getting in touch with Pure Finance. "Initially, I didn't even think about seeing a broker or anybody. And then my daughter said to me 'Mum, why don't you talk with Brendan?'" Christine recalls. "And from the very beginning, I felt a sense of relief knowing that I had someone looking out for my best interest – someone professional who knew the market and what was happening – and that could give me some guidance."
All of a sudden, Christine had options. Not only was she able to stay in the home she and her family loved but, importantly, it was now her choice to make.
"Being able to talk through different scenarios, and receive options – I finally felt like I had a choice, rather than being stuck with something I didn't want to do," Christine recalls. "It was empowering."
"And then, once I knew we could make it work and that I could stay here, which initially I didn't think would be possible, it was such a relief and so exciting," she shares.
Once the refinance was finalised, the relief was profound. But something else emerged too. A rare moment of possibility.
"With more flexibility around my monthly payments and things, I found I could also have a little bit more financial freedom, to do something for myself," Christine shares. "And so, to sit with that question of 'what would I like?' or 'what feels good for me?' which, you know, as a) a parent and b) a single parent – it's not a question I ever really ask myself," she shares.
It was a question to which the answer came in the form of creative expression.
With a chance to now "make a more conscious, empowered choice" about what she wanted her home to "look and feel like", Christine knew almost immediately where to begin.
"A lot of what was in the space was here because that's just what we had already," Christine shares. "But I knew from the beginning that I wanted to purchase some Indigenous art. And so, I went looking for one piece but ended up with three!" she laughs.
In her search for pieces that would breathe new life into her home, Christine discovered the work of Beverly Downs, a proud Yankunytjatjara woman and artist, whose paintings capture trees and light in a way that resonated immediately. "As soon as I saw her art, I knew I needed this piece," Christine explains. "I just love the way she captures the trees and the light around them, which is exactly what I love about this place and connect with here every day. There's just something really special about her art,” Christine shares.
Her collection also grew to include 'Sand Dunes', a piece by Warlpiri artist Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa, and 'Language of the Earth', a piece by Gurindji/Waanyi artist Sarrita King.
"When I saw both pieces, I just felt a connection," she shares. "That's what art is, right? It's about being moved. You see something in it that connects to something in you. It's deeply personal."
It's this love of art and creativity that Christine has also fostered in her daughters, who are both talented artists themselves. Their own works also hang throughout the home, displayed proudly alongside other pieces Christine has collected – a testament to the creative spirit that flows through their family.
The timing of everything feels particularly meaningful for Christine. With her younger daughter turning 21 in just a few weeks – a traditional ‘coming of age’ milestone birthday – Christine has found herself experiencing her own parallel moment of transformation.
"Interestingly, there's something here energetically, with the timing of everything," she reflects. "My role as a parent is shifting. And now I have a more stable, financial independence and a space that feels exactly right for me, in this moment," she shares.
After years of prioritising the needs of others, of pouring her energy into being both a devoted single parent and a compassionate carer in her professional life, Christine is stepping into a new chapter. One where she can now make more space for herself.
"It's as if everything has all come together – the refinance, the art, my daughter's birthday," she says. "It's almost like another kind of 'coming of age' time for me too." she reflects.
In being able to stay, and continue tending the roots she and her daughters have put down over three decades, Christine has discovered not just financial stability, but something far more profound – a renewed sense of self, autonomy and the freedom to define this new chapter of her life, on her own terms.
Christine's favourite local spots in her neighbourhood:
- Alcheringa Creek and the bay - for kayaking, swimming, and the therapeutic sound of the water. “It’s really all about the water and the land for me. And the beautiful trees and all the birds – it’s such a special place.”
- The National Park - for bush walks along the river. “I spend a lot of time just walking the bush tracks. One of my favourites is a long, undulating, flat track that runs along the river. So I'll often pack a picnic, do my walk, and then go sit and read my book, or I’ll have a cup of tea and just enjoy the natural beauty.”
Thinking about refinancing but not sure where to start? We'd love to help you explore your options and find a solution that works for you. Get in touch via: info@purefinance.com.au