We all want to provide our parents with a safe, peaceful, and age-friendly environment where they can live independently and actively as they age.

The time will come when our priorities will hinder us from always looking for the welfare of our parents, whether we like it or not. That’s why there are perfectly organised communities for that specific reason.

What community is that, you ask? Retirement villages. These communities are strategically designed for older people so they can maintain an independent and social lifestyle, which helps them stay healthy.

This list features the top retirement villages in New Zealand, where you can be sure that your parents will live their dream retirement lifestyle.

1. Highfield Country Estate Retirement Village

Highfield Country Estate is one of New Zealand’s top retirement villages, located in Te Awamutu. It has a friendly neighbourhood and a leafy environment that gives residents nature vibes.

One of their strong points is their guaranteed weekly community activities, which are organized to bring their residents together. These activities include aqua aerobics, group exercises, and various indoor and outdoor games.

When it comes to housing options, they showcase two- and three-bedroom villas with at least eight floor plans, all designed to be elderly-friendly. Depending on how often people visit, you can choose a single or double garage.

The only weak point of Highfield Country Estate is its strict policy on allowing pets inside its premises. While most small pets are welcome, some might require management’s consent before the move-in starts.

Definitely a high-class retirement village

“We were incredibly impressed when they took us on a tour with an older relative who is considering moving in there. It’s hard not to go into a retirement village without a previously established bias, but Highfield not only exceed expectations, they set the standard for what other retirememt villages should be aspiring to be. The facilities are amazing, the activities have good attendance and the residents play an active role in managing and maintaining the place. The houses are very modern, well-built and with plenty of space. The waiting list is approximately 2 years as of writing this, but it will absolutely be worth the wait!”

-Greg Holmes, Google Reviews

The best retirement village in New Zealand

“Highfield is the best retirement village in New Zealand. Great staff. Very friendly residents. Amazingly good facilities. Remarkably low cost.”

-Peter Brown, Google Reviews

2. Rawhiti Estate

Rawhiti Estate is an apartment-type retirement village in Remuera, about 15 minutes drive from the Auckland Central Business District. The vibrant and serene atmosphere makes it one of the premier retirement communities in New Zealand.

We were amazed by their studio-sized care suite, which can be a visitor’s rest house or a villager’s hospital room. Talk about a multi-purpose suite!

Another great thing about them is they have skilled nurses and caregivers who are one call away. This way, quick assistance to your parents is guaranteed. You can customise the services your parents will receive from them, such as dinner plans and the timings of such services.

We observed that their bedroom apartments are spacious enough for older people. They have enough space for your parents to live comfortably every day.

The only disadvantage of Rawhitii Estate is that it doesn’t focus on self-initiated activities within its community. Fortunately, it is located near some of Remuera’s go-to senior-friendly places, such as parks and libraries.

Amazing village and staff

“My sister is living in a neighbourhood within Rawhiti that is very secure and comfortable. She shares this with a delightful group of fellow residents, most of whom I met in my visits. The staff are amazingly gentle, patient and understanding. The facilities are excellent and the residents can be happily engaged in a good range of activities. I don’t live Auckland so when I departed, I left with an overwhelming sense of reassurance that my sister was safe, happy, comfortable and engaged with her residency. A GBM diagnosis a year ago meant she is one of the younger resident’s at Rawhiti.  Despite this, the experience has been extremely positive due to a fabulous team of health professionals. A hotel style bedroom available to out-of-town family for short term visits would be amazingly helpful!”

-#mf crew, Google Reviews

Greatest retirement village atmosphere I’ve experienced

“This has a really lovely atmosphere, smaller in size with more attention to individuals. It is situated not far from  Remuera village (5min drive) The staff are very welcoming and professional with low ratio staff to villagers. Great communication. It is on the higher prices but the trade off is worth it.”

-Andrew Uren, Google Reviews

3. William Sanders Retirement Village

Located in Devonpost near the coast, William Sanders gives its residents easy access to several beaches and parks around their village.

We like their care options, including house care and hospital care. Their highly modern facilities have plenty of equipment to ensure their residents’ welfare. We also like that they have dedicated specialists for villagers with dementia.

We’re also big fans of their independent-friendly apartment, which allows natural light to enter the unit. The building has balanced indoor and outdoor features so residents can always see the harbour.

Their assisted-living apartment is roomy enough for two to three people. Services like regular housekeeping and meals from chefs make this apartment a good option if your parents can no longer live on their own.

We’re just a bit disappointed with the unorganised parking practices of some villagers. Some of the cars are parked very near to the driveways and the street corners. 

My parents are in good hands

“It’s always a worry when it comes time for your folks to move out of their home and into a retirement village. What are regarded as small issues when you are younger become big issues of concern for older folk, and there are plenty of those when moving.  The Rymans WSRV in Devonport has to the best at what they do – they really have perfected customer relations and making issues that concern incoming residents go away. Kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, generosity, and friendliness are all hallmarks that I have observed at first hand from their senior management and it reflects down the chai  to all their staff. The village is immaculate and built to a very high standard – nothing seems to phase these good folk who have everything well organized, deal with matters in a calm and efficient way, and operate what I would regard as a world class facility.  It was nice to depart from the site knowing my parents were happy and in good hands.” 

-Roger MacDonald, Google Reviews

Highly recommended residence

“We have recently spent time  looking for a place for our elderly parents. Scott the sales manager was truly the loveliest  man who  gave us a generous amount of time showing us the options for our parents. All the staff we meet were gentle and friendly at this beautifully appointed retirement residence. I am sure that your parents would be extremely well cared for in this environment  . I would genuinely recommend this residence for the people you hold most dear”

-Victoria Carnell, Google Reviews

4. Murray Halberg Retirement Village

Murray Halberg is a community with welcoming residents, which we felt during our visit. It’s the village to live in if you want to be only 10 kilometers from Auckland Central.

It’s nice to know that their apartments are carefully designed to prioritise the accessibility and comfort of older people. We discovered this through the person who toured us inside the village. They have assisted-living units and rest houses, depending on what’s best for your parents.

What makes them one of the finest retirement communities in New Zealand is their vast onsite services. You can repair and maintain your parents’ unit without the need to call for external services, as they offer house services for almost everything.

That said, Murray Halberg is a bit pricey compared to other retirement villages on our list. But, the safety and comfort of your parents are guaranteed within their premises.

A great place to live

“Still under construction. The site is about half complete so visitor parking is at a premium.  The parking issue is a complete miss hit by the Parent company Ryman. To allow this vistor parking issue to arise in a retirement village is just really bad planning. The Halberg Village has a cafe. A bowling green. A cinema and very pleasant and helpful staff. It must be a great place to live.” 

-Ventura Valentines, Google Reviews

Feels like a nice place to live at

“Our village, (Miriam Corban),  recently enjoyed a mid-winter lunch here. The food was delicious, and plenty of it, as my waist will testify!! The village appeared to be large and spread out. The village management, staff and residents were most welcoming to us.”

-Chas Joyce, Google Reviews

5. Anthony Wilding Retirement Village

Anthony Wilding won our hearts with their different-from-one-another housing options they offer to people. They have townhouses and apartments. 

Their townhouses are ideal for a traditional family set up. Meanwhile, their assisted-living apartments ensure your parents’ welfare anytime. They come with daily support like housekeeping and chef-prepared meals, ensuring an easier day-to-day life for your parents.

We also really loved the activities they organise for the enjoyment of their elderly residents. Although not as frequent as Highfield Country Estate, they try their best to conduct activities to make the villagers stay fit and healthy.

One of their activities is Triple A Exercise, which stands for Ageless, Active, Aware. This exercise program is available to all residents and aims to remind them that they’re never too old to exercise.

Some visitors found the food expensive in some shops in the village. They said it would be a better place to live if prices went down.

Deserves an 11 out of 10

“I was in respite care for 6 weeks at the Anthony Wilding Rest Home after being sent there from Christchurch Public Hospital to help me in the healing process of recovering from a fractured ankle.While I was there it was difficult for me to except the fact I could no longer do any of the simple things I took for granted for myself anymore.I felt embarrassed but I needn’t have worried the Staff there put my mind at rest and were absolutely fantastic from the moment I arrived until the moment I left.The experience I had there was a most rewarding one indeed and I’ll be forever grateful to them for the part they played in the healing process that I went through and I wish them all the best for helping me out and if I could give them an efficiency rating of 11 out of 10 i would gladly do so” 

-Gavin Ratima, Google Reviews

Lovely village and friendly staff

“Arrived here to visit a friend who had just been relocated from another town. Parking was good and they also have a covered roundabout at the front entrance. Very helpful, especially if raining. Reception appeared dark on entering but friendly service on arrival from all staff that were around. Although I missed my friend as she had gone out with family, I’d love to come back and look around again. Looks like a large complex with lovely gardens. There is hospital level care, rest home level care and units within the grounds of Anthony Wilding.”

• Sal, Google Reviews

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