Former chef Dan Long of Caringbah seems to have found the recipe for a long and happy life.
A World War II veteran, Mr Long celebrated his 100th on Thursday, January 16 with a gathering of 60 family and friends.
Still living independently in his three-bedroom fibro home, Mr Long not only cares for himself but also, at 100 years of age, looks after his disabled daughter, Vicki, who is still at home with him.
Mr Long has lived in the Sutherland Shire since the 1960s.
He and his late wife, Anne and their four children emigrated from England to Australia, arriving by plane in 1963.
They were "Ten Pound Poms", and lived in migrant hostels at East Hills and Bunnerong while Mr Long worked at least two jobs - sometimes three - to save up for a deposit on a house.
They loved the Shire as soon as they saw it and in 1965 bought the home he still lives in at Caringbah.
"We left England when it was snowbound and arrived in Australia in a heatwave and with a beautiful technicolour blue sky," Mr Long said.
He said while all his family have been back to England they all consider themselves "dinki di Aussies."
His son, Stephen said, "Dad in no way sees himself as a Pom. He's been a very proud Australian since migrating, and to say he is passionate about the shire is an understatement.
"Once, some years ago, friends from the United States had a lightning visit - just one afternoon and evening in Sydney.
"Did Dan and Anne take them to see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge?.No. Instead the overseas guests got to enjoy the delights of Cronulla Beach, Port Hacking and the EG Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens at Caringbah South."
Mr Long's early life was tough. He grew up in foster care in England, then in his teens joined the equivalent of the Army Reserve, and went on to fight for the British Army for the entirety of the Second World War.
He served in the European theatre and then for some time afterwards in Germany in the Allied forces of occupation.
"Although Dad had very little formal education he's very bright and has a facility with languages. Amazingly, such was his ability to learn languages, he served as a translator in Germany post WW2.
"In terms of career, Dad was a chef. He spent 20 years working for Qantas at Kingsford Smith Airport in flight catering, back when the airlines served proper meals.
"He joined the Labor Party when the family moved to the Sutherland Shire and remains a member of the local branch."
The letter from the Queen for Mr Long's' 100th is actually the second communication he's had from Her Royal Highness.
He received congratulations from Queen Elizabeth for his and Anne's 75th wedding anniversary in July, 2018.
Sadly, Mrs Long died suddenly about a month later.
"The family was worried about whether Dad would cope - she was the love of his life - but he's a trooper. A few weeks after she died, he called me to tell me he'd had a busy week - digging up the buffalo grass in the backyard to make a memorial rose garden in Mum's honour.
"He did it all himself, other than the concrete mower strip that fringes it; a sprightly chap at least 20 years younger helped him mix and lay the concrete."
Mr Long celebrated his 100th birthday with a lunch at The Kyle Bay with 60 family and friends including his four children, six grandchildren and seven great grand-children.
Mr Long still gardens and cooks.
"I don't now if diet has anything to do with it but I eat a lot of fish and fresh fruit and I'm in very good heatlhy," Mr Long said.
"I'm lucky to be healthy at my age. I'm very fortunate.
"And I have a beautiful family and I'm proud of each and every one of them," Mr Long said.
