One of New Zealand's finest retirement villages will soon be built in Ōmokoroa and is expected to attract retirees from all over the North Island.

Luxury retirement village developer Sanderson Group has just announced plans for Ōmokoroa Country Club which will feature 170 stand-alone villas, approximately 50 apartments, an 80 bed dementia-friendly care facility, plus a clubhouse, health spa and lake house – all with premium facilities.

Sanderson Group is long-recognised as the leaders in high-quality retirement living, having developed Queenstown Country Club, Bethlehem Country Club, Tamahere Country Club, Bethlehem Shores, Ōmokoroa Country Estate as well as several other quality retirement villages across New Zealand. The Group want to continue in the Bay of Plenty and now intend to raise the standard even further than their previous developments.

'Our new village in Ōmokoroa will refine and improve on what we've done in the past,” says director Daryl Scott. 'Certainly this will be the nicest retirement village in the Bay of Plenty by some margin and one of the very best in New Zealand. With our ageing population there's huge demand for retirement living and care facilities and we feel Ōmokoroa is the perfect location for our high-end approach.”

Daryl expects strong demand from Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Auckland retirees who want to enjoy a warm, relaxed coastal environment while still being close to Tauranga. For those coming from Auckland, it is an easy drive back north of the Bombay Hills.

'Ōmokoroa is an ideal location. It offers a wonderful lifestyle – there are golf courses, bowls clubs, beaches, walking and bike trails everywhere, all nestled within a beautiful setting. A new town centre is being built just down the road and you're only 15-20 minutes' drive away from

Tauranga. It is also within easy reach of Auckland and Hamilton. It will have great appeal to those looking for a high-quality retirement village with all the bells and whistles.”

Site clearance has been completed and earthworks for the new 17ha development on Prole Rd are now underway. Scott expects resource and building consents will be granted by the end of this year or early 2023.

'It is getting exciting now and with earthworks underway, progress is going well on site. We expect to have some marketing material available in August so people can begin to see how special this project is and what a wonderful lifestyle opportunity it will be.”

The 1800 square metre clubhouse - one of the biggest in the country - will house a bar, restaurant, café, dance floor, billiards room, state-of-the-art movie theatre and library. While a separate health spa will feature a swimming pool, spa, sauna, gymnasium, hairdresser and two specialist consulting rooms for bespoke treatments from beauticians and massage therapists.

'Down the back of the property we're going to build a lakehouse beside our lake. This will be an additional social area with a bar and kitchen facilities – somewhere you can enjoy an amazing sunset and listen to the piano with friends. It will be pretty special.” A men's shed will also be located on site as a space for residents to tinker, fix and fulfil their practical needs.

Renowned architects Warren and Mahoney have been engaged alongside landscape architecture specialists Rough Milne Mitchell. Daryl says the new village will be designed for active retirees who want to make the most of their new lifestyle.

'Public biking tracks are woven all around the edge of our property, and golf and bowls will be a big part of life here. We're going to have our own golf driving range and putting facility on-site, as well as an international-size four lane bowling green and croquet lawn.

"We're excited to create a really unique, warm, relaxed, very high-quality retirement option here in the Bay of Plenty. It will set a new standard of retirement living, well above what has been done before.”

Ōmokoroa Country Club also represents another evolutionary step for Sanderson Group. Scott will oversee the project alongside his wife, Heidi, whose father, Fraser Sanderson, founded the company in 1987.

Heidi Scott admits she's lived and breathed retirement villages her entire life.

'Sanderson Group originally developed Ōmokoroa Country Estate and I lived on-site there when I was a child,” says Heidi. 'Our family chat around the dinner table was always retirement villages. So it's quite nice to continue on the family legacy of providing luxury retirement living by spearheading this development with Daryl.”

Over the past three decades Sanderson Group has completely changed the standard of retirement living in New Zealand. Fraser Sanderson passionately believes people should enjoy freedom and security in their retirement, along with the rewards of their own hard work.

'We've always specialised in building luxurious homes and first-class communal facilities for people to enjoy and I have no doubt that Daryl and Heidi will continue to uphold this vision. They've chosen an ideal location and Ōmokoroa Country Club will set the bar very high indeed.”