Marlborough

Why choose a retirement village in Marlborough?

If you’re looking for a geographically diverse, yet beautiful spot to spend your later years, Marlborough can offer fantastic choices for retirement living.

Surrounding the main town of Blenheim, you’ll find over 150 wineries where you can enjoy meeting friends and family for a glass over lunch. The region makes up three quarters of New Zealand’s wine production and has access to world-renowned seafood from the Marlborough Sounds, so you’re guaranteed to find something to satisfy your tastebuds!

The bustling port and maritime life of Picton is the perfect base to connect with the North Island, with Wellington just a short ferry ride across the Cook Strait to see an exhibition at Te Papa or go to a sports games or concert.

Like all New Zealand communities, there are plenty of activities on offer on your village’s doorstep as well as within the village, so you can be as involved as you like, where and how you like. If you prefer to spend your days more quietly, that’s fine too.

A retirement village is a community specially built to cater for the needs and lifestyle of older people. Choosing to live in a retirement village can be a great option for those wanting to maintain their independence while living among a like-minded community of people.

Research shows most people enjoy a high level of satisfaction when living in a lifestyle or retirement village. For residents, the benefits can be numerous; these may include giving you peace of mind, new and varied activities and interests, new friendships, and time to be able to spend on the things you most enjoy.

Villages vary greatly – you’ll notice different-sized villages, from very few units to some with hundreds; different types of units within the same complex; newer villages and older villages. You will discover the community offering a wide range such as swimming pool, bowling green and café. Eligibility age differs across villages too – some villages may allow residents to enter at 55 while others commonly have an entry age between 65 and 75.

As well as providing a range of different accommodation options, many villages now offer alternatives, such as care suites, which combine village offerings and residential care components. Make sure you visit a village more than once before you make a decision, and if possible visit more than one village to get a feel for how each has its own culture.

When you are ready to visit some retirement villages, our checklist may help you with your assessment.