Village Guide has prepared pen portraits of five new retirement villages in the Auckland and Waikato regions.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of moving into a newly-built retirement home, with all the latest design features and gadgets, and with the knowledge you’ll be enjoying a low-maintenance environment.
Even better is moving into a new village, with the latest facilities designed for the current crop of active retirees.
These range from villages in semi-rural environments through to urban apartment developments - the choice is yours.
Matamata Country Club (Matamata)
The Matamata Country Club is located on a 21 hectare site on the outskirts of the small town of Matamata, in the Waikato region.
This $150m retirement village is currently under construction, with the first residents expected to arrive in September 2024.
"The Matamata Country Club is designed for people who want to spend their retirement close to nature and enjoying a semi-rural lifestyle, while still being close to modern-day services and facilities both on-site and in the nearby Matamata township,” said Brendon Russo, general manager of the Sanderson Group.
"Our project boasts unique open spaces with mature trees, which in effect makes this country club more ‘country’ than most. We're also expecting our on-site facilities, particularly our 1,500 sq/m clubhouse, to be very popular with incoming residents."
Example of a home at Matamata Country Club.
One and two bedroom luxury retirement village homes are currently for sale, starting at $799,000, in the first stage release. A further three release stages are planned. Facilities for incoming residents will include a clubhouse, movie theatre, library, cafe, piano lounge, billiards room, bowling green, health spa, pool, gym and sauna.
An 80-bed care facility including providing hospital-level and dementia care is also planned.
The village will also have some unique environmental and sustainability features.
Water conservation will be a key focus. Drinking water will be sourced from bores, while stormwater will be collected, naturally filtered in a swale and then pumped to on-site ponds. In addition, the village’s sewer treatment plant will filter and clean waste water, which can then be used for irrigation.
The Matamata Country Club is also relatively rare in that residents will be able to pay to install solar panels on their roof, and then benefit from free power from the sun. All community facilities will also have solar panels.
Find out more about Matamata Country Club
The Avenue Apartments (Remuera)
The Avenue Apartments is an Auckland development in progress that is due for completion in early 2025. It will provide central Auckland residents with 61 private and exclusive retirement apartments in Remuera, spread across two five-storey buildings.
One bedroom apartments at The Avenue Apartments start at $945,000, with two-bedroom apartments starting at $1.295m and three-bedroom apartments are from $1.695m. The Apartments will be spacious, ranging from a minimum of 68 sq/m for a one-bedroom apartment through to a maximum of 163 sq/m for a three-bedroom apartment.
The new apartments at The Avenue will be centered around a bowling green (shown in artist’s impression).
The new apartments will be centred around a bowling green, and will also include a social pavilion with a communal kitchen and seating area. Residents will have their own underground parking, electric vehicle charging stations and ample storage.
Residents will also be able to access the facilities of the existing Remuera Gardens village, including a heated indoor swimming pool, spa, gym, cinema and extensive mature gardens.
Artist’s impression of the interior of an apartment at The Avenue.
They will also be able to access care services, should they ever need them in the future.
“Residents moving into the Avenue Apartments will benefit from newly-built retirement apartment living and a social pavilion adjacent to the bowling green, all in a very desirable and convenient Remuera location,” said Martin Oettli, CEO of Real Living.
“At the same time, apartment residents will be able to use all the facilities within the existing and adjoining Remuera Village. It really is the best of both worlds.”
Find out more about The Avenue Apartments
Ōtau Ridge (Clevedon)
Metlifecare’s Ōtau Ridge retirement village will be located at the rural township of Clevedon, about 40 minutes from central Auckland. It is surrounded by picturesque countryside and offers unobstructed views of the Wairoa River and Hunua Ranges.
When complete, the village will include 122 independent living retirement villas and a 41-bed care home.
Construction of the village’s first stage, which includes 38 two and three-bedroom villas, is now well underway with the first residents due to move in later this year. In this stage, villas start at $995,000.
Artist’s impression of outdoor garden area at Ōtau Ridge.
When the village opens, residents will have access to an outdoor communal area with furniture and BBQ facilities and communal vegetable gardens. The main amenity building, which will house a café and dining areas, cinema/media room and library, is due for completion around mid-2025. A future stage will include a heated swimming pool and gymnasium.
Future amenity building at Ōtau Ridge.
Metlifecare says Ōtau Ridge is the first retirement village in New Zealand to commit to obtaining a Green Star community rating by the New Zealand Green Building Council. Project features to meet this benchmark will include a climate change adaptation plan, waste reduction during construction, encouraging healthy living with a new pathway and open space network, light pollution reduction to improve the local ecosystem and a residential recycling system.
The design team has put a lot of effort into ensuring this village will be something that future residents will be proud to call home,” said Metlifecare’s development manager Joe Bartley
“From the extensive landscaped grounds and access to the local walking and biking trails, through to unobstructed views of the Hunua Ranges, and the high-end architectural and interior design of the buildings, this village will perfectly fit into the boutique country lifestyle that makes Clevedon/Ōtau so unique.
“Ōtau Ridge will be a low-density village. Apart from the care and amenity building, it will consist only of single-level dwellings.”
Find out more about Ōtau Ridge
Everything you need to know.
Orion Point (Hobsonville)
Another Metlifecare village is Orion Point, which is located in Hobsonville, North-West Auckland. This village has sweeping views across the Waitematā Harbour and is just a pleasant 35-minute ferry ride to Auckland CBD.
When fully complete, the village will have around 250 units, both independent living and care.
Orion Point has been open and operating for nearly 18 months, with the first residents moving in during February 2023.
Outdoor area at Metlifecare’s Orion Point village.
Accommodation options range from one, two and three bedroom apartments, plus two and three bedroom villas and three-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouses. One-bedroom apartments start at around $607,000.
All villas are north facing, set in tranquil coastal or garden settings, with a limited number of villas that are standalone.
The main amenity building (The Catalina Clubhouse) was completed at the beginning of 2024 with residents recently celebrating its ‘official opening’ a few weeks ago. The building features a contemporary café offering indoor-outdoor seating along with a heated swimming pool, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, hair salon, media room/cinema, workshop and large social areas for residents and families to play snooker and take part in activities like Zumba and Pilates.
Elevated photo of the Orion Point village.
An on-site care home is due to be completed in 2027.
“Since breaking ground in 2021, a strong design focus for Metlifecare has been maximising Orion Point’s unique position on the peninsula, and ensuring the village integrates into the surrounding coastal environment and community,” said Metlifecare’s Senior Development Manager Dave Luxton.
“Residents enjoy easy direct access onto Hobsonville's popular and scenic coastal walkway.
“The Catalina Clubhouse has been carefully created to take full advantage of its stunning north facing coastal position and incredible views. The building itself has great natural light with architecturally designed decking, lawns and landscaping that look out over the water.
“I think Orion Point has the best outlook on the coast. Residents can enjoy socialising on the deck overlooking the gardens and water with friends and family."
Find out more about Orion Point
Patrick Hogan Village (Cambridge)
Ryman Healthcare’s Patrick Hogan Village is a new village located at Cambridge, in the heart of rural Waikato. It’s getting good interest from local residents but also Aucklanders wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the big smoke.
When complete, the village will have 185 townhouses, along with 60 serviced apartments and a care centre.
The village’s townhouses are currently for sale. Two bedroom townhouses are priced from $735,000 and three bedroom townhouses from $1.035m. You will need to get in quick to snap up a townhouse, with most of these dwellings sold in the first four stages with a fifth stage released in June 2024.
New townhouses at Patrick Hogan village.
Once the village is complete, residents will have access to a heated indoor swimming pool and spa, gym, beauty and hairdressing salon, movie theatre, library and café. In the meantime, residents enjoy socialising in the interim village centre, as well as taking part in a busy program of activities.
There is also the ability to enjoy scenic cycling and walking trails beyond the village, and the main township just a short drive away.
View inside a townhouse at Patrick Hogan village.
"Our Patrick Hogan Village provides a warm and welcoming environment for our residents, offering all the conveniences of modern living,” said Cheyne Chalmers, Chief Executive of Ryman Healthcare New Zealand.
“With the leafy streets, boutique shops, and thoroughbred horse studs of Cambridge in close reach, our residents love both the location and the strong sense of community at the village.
“It’s named after the late New Zealand horse racing and breeding legend, Sir Patrick Hogan, and last year we revealed the name at a special event broadcast on TVNZ Breakfast.
“As more residents move in, we look forward to celebrating many more exciting milestones with them,” she added.
Find out more about Patrick Hogan Village
Further reading
How to Choose the Right Home in a Retirement Village
