Jennice and Cedric Murray at their apartment at Oceania’s Waterford at Hobsonville in Auckland.
Retirement living is evolving, with more New Zealanders choosing retirement village apartments. These modern homes offer low maintenance, reduced costs, and a vibrant community. In this article, three retirees share how they’re enjoying great views, new friendships, and a simpler lifestyle.
Retirement living is evolving, with more New Zealanders embracing the ease and lifestyle offered by retirement village apartments.
These modern, well-appointed homes are not just about downsizing - they offer a fresh start with reduced upkeep, lower living costs, and a vibrant community life. To explore this trend, we spoke to three retirees enjoying the perks of apartment living, from breathtaking views to newfound friendships.
Bev Lancaster (Awatere Village, Hamilton)
In June 2024, Bev Lancaster moved into a new two-bedroom apartment in Oceania’s Awatere Village in Hamilton. Bev moved into the village after getting frustrated with the rising costs and effort required in maintaining her former house.
I absolutely love living here,” Bev said. “Everyone says it takes a while to adjust when you move into a retirement village, but I adjusted on day one. And my children think I am living in a five-star hotel.”
Bev Lancaster in her apartment at Oceania’s Awatere retirement village in Hamilton.
Bev’s third-floor apartment has a balcony which enjoys great views over Hamilton’s rural outskirts and distant hills, along with sunsets. It also has an open-plan design and modern kitchen, along with a master ensuite bathroom and a guest toilet.
The village itself is also handy, being close to the main Hamilton CBD and for walks and outdoor activities along the Waikato River.
For Bev, an extra and surprising bonus has been the low cost of power bills.
Bev’s apartment features double-glazing and has been constructed to meet a 6 Homestar Built rating, which has helped cut her monthly bill by half compared to her previous home.
Bev has also found it was very easy to make friends and to become involved in village life.
Apartments and outdoor green at the Awatere village in Hamilton.
She’s currently going to exercise classes twice a week, taking part in Friday drinks, enjoying regular Tuesday night dinners with other residents and enjoying day trips in the village bus.
Bev’s also continuing to take part in activities around Hamilton which are separate to village life, including meeting old friends and volunteering at the Hamilton Gardens information centre.
“I don’t have enough time to do all the things I wanted to do,” Bev said. “In fact, I am busier than I was before. It is easy to fill in your day, and there is always someone around if you want to have company but by the same token you can have your own space.”
Cafe at the Awatere retirement village.
Bev appreciates that the village isn’t overly large, with a total of 171 apartments, including those in the final stage now available for purchase.
Newly released, brand new two bedroom apartments are now available at Awatere, starting from $710,000.
Pauline Hetherington (The Bayview Village, Tauranga)
Like Bev, Pauline Hetherington moved into an Oceania retirement village after becoming concerned about the rising costs of rates and insurance on her home.
Pauline inspected The Bayview village at Tauranga and almost immediately decided she wanted to move into a new corner two-bedroom apartment.
She’s been a resident since early October 2024.
“Although downsizing was a daunting thing, given I’ve always lived in large homes, I have found I’ve really enjoyed apartment living,” Pauline said.
“I love the apartment’s elevation and outlook. I have views over to The Mount, the water and the lights of the port. It really is something special.”
Pauline Hetherington in her apartment at The Bayview retirement village in Tauranga.
Pauline’s new apartment features an ensuite bathroom and guest toilet, and also comes with two balconies - “one for the afternoon sun and one for the morning sun”.
From the first day I walked in here, I knew this was for me,” Pauline said. “Some of the friends who’ve been to visit me now say they can understand why I decided to move in here without inspecting anywhere else.”
Pauline has also settled into village life.
“Although it’s early days, already I’ve joined a Mahjong group, gone to the movies with fellow residents and had lunches and morning teas together,” Pauline said.
“It’s been really easy to fit in, and everyone has been very friendly”.
The Bayview has views stretching across Tauranga Harbour towards Mount Maunganui.
Pauline’s advice for prospective apartment downsizers is to leave plenty of time for the decluttering process.
“I think you need some support, in terms of a moving company or good friends, to help make the decisions as to what you bring to the apartment, and what needs to be discarded or recycled,” Pauline said.
“However, after carefully looking at the space available, I’ve been able to bring across familiar things, such as my chairs and sofa, to the apartment. This makes it feel more like home.”
The Bayview is located on an elevated 15 acres of park-like grounds and is just minutes from Tauranga’s CBD.
A range of one and two bedroom, and two bedroom plus study, apartments are available at The Bayview. Two bedroom apartments start at $720,000, with most offering versatile enclosable balconies for indoor-outdoor flow.
Jennice and Cedric Murray (Waterford, Auckland)
Jennice and Cedric Murray had enjoyed long and fulfilling careers as educators but, after retiring at the end of 2020, initially found life a little challenging.
They were living in the four-bedroom countryside home where they raised their family.
However, in retirement, the remote location left Jennice and Cedric craving more social interaction and they were also growing weary of the home’s maintenance burden.
In December 2023, the couple chose to move into a new two-bedroom apartment in Oceania’s Waterford village, after being drawn to the warmth and friendliness of residents.
“We’ve really enjoyed apartment living,” Jennice said. “We have everything we need here, including a great view out to harbour and parklands, and love the fact it is so easy to ‘lock up and leave’ when we want to travel.”
“All we do is close the door, take the lift to the carpark, and we’re away.”
Like Bev and Pauline, an added bonus has been the fact their power bills have fallen by anywhere from a third to half compared to their previous house.
Aerial view of Oceania’s Waterford Retirement Village.
Jennice said that while she and Cedric initially felt like ‘being the new kids on the block’ they enjoyed meeting new people and fitting in.
They’ve also appreciated features like the underground car park and robust security. Regular use of the pool keeps the couple active, and they enjoy the casual interactions that naturally arise around the village.
The only thing we ask ourselves is why we didn’t move in earlier,” Jennice.
Waterford is located in a scenic spot on the edge of Auckland’s Greenhithe Estuary, with views out to the Greenhithe Bridge and Herald Island.
Cafés, restaurants, shops and supermarkets are close-by, along with Westgate and Westfield shopping centres.
View from an apartment at the Waterford Retirement Village.
Waterford now offers new apartments, including one bedroom, two bedroom, and two bedroom plus study options. Newly released two bedroom apartments start at $995,000.
All apartments feature modern kitchens and bathrooms, generously-sized living areas and plenty of storage space. Each apartment comes with either a patio or a balcony, so you can soak up the sunshine and truly make the most of your surroundings.
Conclusion
As more retirees discover the benefits of apartment living, it's clear this lifestyle is becoming a popular choice for its convenience, comfort, and community.
Oceania’s thoughtfully designed apartments cater to diverse needs, blending modern features with practical layouts to ensure everyday living is both seamless and enjoyable.
This content was prepared by Village Guide on behalf of Oceania Healthcare.
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Learn more about Awatere Retirement Village
