Top five places to retire in New Zealand

  • 12/05/2016
Pukehina beach
Pukehina beach

Insite magazine editor Jude Barback joined Paul Henry to talk about the best places in New Zealand to retire.

Jude’s top five:

Pukehina

- This is a beautiful stretch of beach in the Bay of Plenty with beach-front properties. - Close to Te Puke and Rotorua - which opens up all sorts of golfing, cycling, walking opportunities.

Diamond Harbour

- Sunnyside of the Peninsula. - Only 30mins from Christchurch - a short ferry ride to Lyttleton. - Small tight-knit community.

Great Barrier Island

- Pristine, beautiful beaches - great swimming. - Live with that 'on holiday' feeling all the time. - Biking, paddle boarding, fishing, golfing, bushwalks. - Would appeal to the arty retiree. - Real sense of community.

Greytown

- Not everyone needs to retire at a beach. Greytown has been described by some as "country village heaven". - Pretty, colonial, historic feel to it. - Small town New Zealand vibe - but in a upmarket sense. - Foodie haven and you're a stone's throw from great wineries. - Native bush walks in the Tararuas, the Rimutaka Cycle Trail.

Onemana

- The entire Coromandel peninsula is a paradise, but this little Bay is one out of the bag. - It's just five minutes from Whangamata, which has everything you need. - Tennis and petanque, yoga, walks to nearby beaches that you can only get to on foot. - Like all Coromandel beaches you have to be prepared for Aucklanders, but it’s still worth it.