Good relationships are made from two people with shared values building a life together. Many are practical, some are romantic, and a few are full of light and music. Every now and again there is a romance that plays out like a full-production Disney Musical. 

Both Melodie and Anthony grew up with a love of Disney, but both were immersed in the world of Musical Theatre too. They first met in their teenage years at a Scout and Guide Show called South Metro Showtime, but would re-meet when Melodie re-joined the cast as an adult several years later. Their Theatre friends saw them as a perfect match and eventually it blossomed into something really special, and their relationship took off with all the music and fireworks of the giddiest of romantic comedies.

From all those years ago, their relationship blossomed, bonding over their continued volunteer work in Scouting and Theatre – together they have over 50 years of Guides and Scouts between them! 

Their love of Disney grew more over the years, and with their love of Musical Theatre, they decided to centre their Wedding around these two loves and had a Disney Musical Theatre themed Wedding. There was no holding back on creating their own Happily Ever After.

Of course, a young Prince and Princess need a Castle, so much so that they named their home, Castle Hopkins. 

It needed to be a home that suited their lifestyle but more than that, as with all such stories, they needed a caring crew. 

Discovering Orana. 

Melodie and Anthony love people. They love bringing people together and being warm hosts to a close community.

Several places they looked at featured beautiful houses but lacked the warmth that they sought. The social environment didn’t quite click with Melodie, “they didn’t quite feel right, like we were being sold on something that wasn’t us, so we moved on.”

Upon discovering Orana, they knew they had found a match, and a string of synchronicities helped win them over.

Anthony says he is not one who believes in coincidences, “but everything just seemed to feel right. It just sat right. Everything flowed right and it just worked. We heard the name Orana and the first thing that popped into our heads was Ohana from Lilo and Stitch – which means ‘Family’. That got us. Then we found out that Orana meant Welcome, which got us even more.”

More signs presented to tell them that they had found their kingdom of Far Far Away. The plot they chose was on Playwright Street, opposite Cinema Street, between Lyric Way and Atheneum Avenue.

They were sold. From there it was a matter of decorating the house with their personality, and a tribute to the bases of their romance.. They made Orana Ohana “Welcome family” their house slogan. All throughout the house are Disney icons, and the splashback of their kitchen is the emblem of both Scouting and Sleeping Beauty: The Fleur De Lis.

Welcome to the neighbourhood.

To live up to their house name, they made sure that their new house included a pool table, a bar and a barbecue so that they could welcome and entertain guests and lost no time in doing so.

“We went to meet two of our neighbours across the road,” says Melodie, “and got along so well that we didn’t leave for four hours – and this was before our house was even built!”

Melodie and Anthony both jumped up to join the community committee; the Orana Residents Association, looking to help to bring the neighbourhood together over barbecues and games nights events at the Orana Community House and park.,

 “We’ve always wanted to entertain and have guests over. Now that we’ve got our own space, we have the ability to do it, so it’s more of a focus now.”

Anthony enjoys meeting other neighbours at Dungeons and Dragons monthly, as he has always had an interest in joining in the game.

Melodie enjoys getting a Coffee from The Humble Merchant and having a relaxing stroll around the park.

This has been a love story in real life, with romance, music, now a castle and community.

A true Happily Ever After.