A Werribee resident for the past 13 years, writer Barbara Goulter loves living in Wyndham. “It’s a lovely life,” she says.
Where’s your favourite neighbourhood retreat spot?
I love Werribee South. I like looking at the farms and going to see the ocean, sitting down by the water and walking along the foreshore. I feel like I’m in a whole other world.
What’s your favourite eatery or best place to get coffee?
Raffael’s in Watton Street, Werribee. It’s very inviting and has a fireplace. Everything is good there, including the rich desserts. I love Japanese food, particularly sashimi and sushi. I visit the take-away Japanese restaurant near me, or get Japanese from the food court at Werribee Plaza.
What wouldn’t you change in your neighbourhood?
The people; everything you need is within walking distance; the accessibility to Melbourne; frequency of the trains; and Medicare. Life here is not expensive compared to when I was living in San Francisco.
I love Werribee Park for the birds and vegetation. And Werribee Open Range Zoo – it’s wonderful. I love the animals and going on the safari bus. Werribee River is a great asset, and the swim centre where I go for water aerobics and water walking is a special place.
What do you remember being in Wyndham that’s no longer there?
The area used to be easy to get around, but the traffic has gotten much worse.
What have you achieved as an author?
I was an English lecturer back in my original homeland of the United States and am now retired, but still writing. I have self-published several books over the years and, in the early ’90s, had professionally published The Father-Daughter Dance, which I worked on with a psychologist. I recently launched my latest book Where Others Stop and Turn, which is autobiographical fiction based on my relationship with my late Australian husband and how we met in San Francisco.
