News

Nothing captures the magic of the season quite like a festive Christmas market, and our villages are brimming with holiday cheer. At Remuera Gardens, residents enjoyed delightful treats such as homemade chocolates, Christmas puddings, and jams, along with charming gifts—from toys and stylish clothing to elegant handbags and jewelry—to share or keep as special treasures. We're also looking forward to our fun Christmas quizzes and the much-anticipated Christmas dinners happening in the coming weeks.

Take a look at these stunning photos of our show apartment – it’s easy to see why interest is soaring for our spacious Avenue Apartments in Remuera. Offering independent retirement living with modern interiors, sunny outdoor balconies, and thoughtful design, these apartments are truly exceptional. We’re making it as easy as possible for you to secure your favourite floorplan - so a fully refundable deposit of just $2,000 will be all you need for now. With summer already here and interest rates starting to ease, it could be the best time to sell your current home. Come and talk to us and we can show you how easy it can be.

At Real Living, November is all about celebrating the Melbourne Cup. For the residents of Remuera Gardens, it's one of the most joyous occasions of the year! Residents and staff come together in their finest outfits to mingle in the Lounge and share in the excitement of the race. The atmosphere is vibrant as everyone gathers to cheer on their favorite horses while indulging in delicious treats and refreshing drinks.

Check out the amazing team of caregivers we have at Remuera Gardens! At Real Living, our residents' wellbeing is our top priority, which is why we carefully select only the most compassionate, skilled, and dedicated caregivers to join us. Each member of our team is committed to providing personalized care, creating a warm and supportive environment where our residents feel valued, comfortable, and safe.

At Remuera Gardens, residents enjoy a heated swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a library, and even a 45-seat tiered cinema. What more could they wish for? On top of all that, they also have a coffee van that visits every Friday, serving freshly made barista coffee. Staff and residents gather in the beautiful gardens to meet the friendly Sanji, who undoubtedly makes the best lattes this side of Auckland.

At Real Living, food is about connection, celebration, and building community. In August, Remuera Gardens hosted two elegant Oxford High Teas, themed around the 1920s Art Deco era. Residents enjoyed a selection of delicious treats in a warm and inviting atmosphere. These gatherings highlighted the special bonds that make village life truly exceptional.

Take a moment to admire the wonderful peggy squares that our residents at Remuera Gardens have been knitting to support local charities around Auckland. The Pins and Needles group meets every Monday afternoon, and they’ve been hard at work crafting these beautiful squares, which will later be crocheted together into cosy blankets. At Real Living, we understand that contributing to a good cause enriches both the receivers and the givers, fostering a strong sense of connection and well-being for everyone involved.

At Remuera Gardens, you can travel around the world without stepping outside of the village. The townhouses and apartments are enveloped by a spacious landscaped park with several hundred species of trees and plants. Each one is meticulously labelled by the village’s passionate gardener and includes gorgeous native species from Italy, Brazil, South Africa, Fiji, China, and of course, New Zealand. Are you ready to embark on a journey through these diverse landscapes?

At Real Living, nothing is more important to us than the comfort and contentment of our residents. That's why we are thrilled when we receive heartfelt letters like the one we recently got from Cynthia, a Remuera Gardens resident. Cynthia has recently transitioned to the newly opened Kensington House Care suites, which provide full medical and nursing care around the clock. "It's such a wonderful addition to Remuera Gardens." says Cynthia. "Three months after moving, I'm happy again settled in with the wonderfully caring Kensington House team looking after me!"

Check out our new, spacious care suites at Remuera Gardens, designed and beautifully furnished to offer warm, secure, and easy-to-live-in environments. We have 3 generously sized suites available, each between 30 and 40sqm and providing full medical and nursing care around the clock. You can relax with confidence, knowing you’ll receive friendly, personalised medical attention when you need it in the privacy of your own home.

Come and discover The Avenue Apartments, a unique and exclusive community development in Remuera. We’re holding four Q&A sessions over the next few weeks to find out everything you want to know about this new and luxurious retirement complex. With up to 163m² of floor area, forget about scaling down worries... you can have all the space you need!

Have you ever wondered what happens in an Open Day at one of our villages? We know it can feel daunting when you start to look at retirement villages with many unknowns ahead. Coming to an Open Day is the perfect way to have a look around, chat with our Sales Agents and our residents, and ensure that it feels like the right fit for you. Rest assured, there’s absolutely no pressure to buy during your visit to an Open Day.

We can highlight the benefits of our serviced apartments as much as we want, but there’s nothing better than hearing it directly from our residents. Compact in design, our 1- and 2-bedroom self-contained studio apartments cater specifically to those in need of additional support. Curious to discover what our residents have to say about their experiences?

Could you imagine living in an apartment right next door to a movie theatre? Remuera Garden’s best kept secret is the 45-seat tiered cinema that resides inside the village. March is Musical madness, and the residents are being treated to a festival of musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Grease and South Pacific.

Real Living villages have a heart of gold, and they show it time and time again with their ongoing support to various charities. They always try to have lots of fun at the same time, as we can see in Remuera Gardens’ latest charitable initiative. Their “Wear it Pink” event to support the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation was a day full of laughs and heartwarming moments.

Most retirement villages have a minimum entry of 65 or even 70 years old, but at Real Living we welcome everyone from 55 years old. This is the main reason why Craig (61) was first attracted to Remuera Gardens, and then he instantly fell in love with the village after his first visit. In August he celebrated his first anniversary at the village with a sense of fulfilment: “It’s more than I ever expected. Remuera Gardens is ticking all the boxes I hoped it would.”

At Real Living we know that life doesn’t stop when you retire, but quite the opposite. Our villages offer a wide range of activities to keep you busy, including a big selection of cultural events. At Remuera Gardens they organise regular trips to shows, museums and libraries, and if you prefer to stay at home, they also have a 45-seat tiered cinema for you to enjoy.

When we say that Remuera Gardens is a feast for the senses, we’re not exaggerating! The village has around 130 different varieties of camellias which flower during the autumn and winter months. The residents love walking around their little slice of paradise and they always stop and talk to Aaron, the village’s most devoted gardener. Aaron has spent the last seven years cataloguing every plant and believe it or not… he hasn’t finished yet!

At Real Living we have many residents with remarkably successful careers. At Remuera Gardens we are very proud to have Nan Gibson-Brine among our residents. Working under the name of Nan Gibson, she is an accomplished concert pianist who has performed in England, Australia, SE Asia and New Zealand. Nan is so passionate about her music that for many years she shared her talent with the village organising delightful concerts and sing-alongs for her neighbours.

Shaun Wallace, aka “The Dark Destroyer” from The Chase, is touring New Zealand and we’re so thrilled that his first stop was Remuera Gardens! Did you know that he loves New Zealand and he’s a big fan of… kiwi onion dip? Yesterday Shaun fulfilled one of his dreams: to meet the inventor of our most famous dip, Rosemary Mount, who happens to be one of our residents at Real Living!

Did you know that Remuera Gardens has a Men’s Club with a monthly outing to amazing locations such as Maraetai Beach, the Maritime Museum, or Hallertau Brewery? The Men’s Club is not only a great deal of fun but also the best way for their members to stay active, engaged and connected with their peers.

What a spectacular village party we had on Friday at Remuera Gardens! The residents had a blast listening to the Madeleines, a vintage vocal trio who sing jazz and swing from the 20s to the 60s. For the residents it was a great occasion to gather with their friends, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and get their feet tapping to sophisticated tunes.

One of the most popular events at Remuera Gardens are the Quiz Nights. They’re run by a professional quiz master, Brendan, who has been hosting quizzes for more than 25 years. Around 50 people attended this week’s competition that was full of thrilling moments and lots of laughs. Next month’s one will be even more exciting: it will have the virtual participation of Shaun Wallace from “The Chase”!

During uncertain times like the ones we’re living, it’s more important than ever to have caring staff who will go above and beyond to keep our residents safe. Megan Batra is one of our most valued employees. Being Remuera Gardens Clinical Manager, she oversees the running of the rest home with health and safety protocols at the top of her priorities.

At Real Living we’re very grateful for all the cultures that make up our villages. Remuera Gardens recently celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights. The residents had a real taste of the traditional sweets, and they were thrilled with the dance demonstration performed by the staff.

Remuera Gardens celebrated International Coffee Day on Friday with a special round of Bingo. The residents gathered outside to play a couple of games while they enjoyed a delicious treat, freshly made coffee from the Coffee Guy.

How much are you missing your hairdresser? Angela, Remuera Gardens’ own hairdresser, is looking forward to going back to work once alert levels drop. She has one simple advice for her clients; “Please be strong and don’t cut your own hair!”

Tai chi is the most popular exercise at Remuera Gardens, with classes running four times per week. The residents love practicing the gentle movements of this ancient Chinese practice that embodies mind, body, and spirit. Their experienced teacher, Joe, guides them through several sequences of exercises, most of them can be done sitting in a chair. He keeps reminding them that “tai chi is not about muscle strength, but mind strength”.

Remuera Gardens has a very enthusiastic Theatre Group that goes out at least once a month to see plays, musicals, concerts, or ballet. At the beginning of July, they attended a concert by the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, and they were all very impressed with Auckland-born pianist Henry Wong Doe.

The sky may be looking grey, but the stalls were full of colours today at Remuera Gardens. The residents had all morning to browse through the stalls of homemade goodies and garments. One of the most visited stalls was the one that displayed all kinds of preserves and jams.

The Wednesday Wanderers at Remuera Gardens went on a day trip to Hamilton to visit the Classics Museum. The museum has over 100 cars for display and an extensive collection of petrol, pedal cars and early pinball machines.