Check out this five-star retirement village across the ditch

Australia is considered one of the world’s most expensive countries to retire in, so try a luxe but affordable alternative near Queenstown, New Zealand.

Northbrook, Ayrburn, New Zealand

Australia is considered one of the world’s most expensive countries to retire in, but developer Chris Meehan is offering an affordable alternative near Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island.

Mr Meehan, who developed the Belle Property brand in Australia, has returned to his homeland and recently opened the $200m Ayrburn hospitality precinct on the outskirts of New Zealand’s chocolate box township of ­Arrowtown.

With five venues, including bars and restaurants, now operational, Mr Meehan has turned his attention to developing an up-market retirement village at Ayrburn that will fund the ongoing development of Ayrburn.

The interior of a display apartment showing Northbrook Ayrburn’s interior.

The launch of Northbrook Arrowtown comes on the back of the existing Northbrook retirement locations in Wanaka and Wynyard Quarter in Auckland. Two others have been consented but not registered in Avon Loop, Christchurch and Launch Bay in Hobsonville Point.

“We had approximately 300 people through the Northbrook Ayrburn display suite over the opening weekend, and a number of parties are signing this week,” Mr Meehan said.

The Northbrook development at Ayrburn will feature 168 residences covering one, two and three bedrooms and penthouse options, including 26 care suites.

Prices start from $NZ1.36m ($1.24m) for a one-bedder rising to $NZ8.5m for a penthouse, with amenities including a concierge, cafe, library, cinema, salon, healthcare club, heated pool and hydrotherapy spa.

Higher care, including dedicated care for dementia patients, is also available in the project, which was designed by Woods Bagot. Construction is expected to begin next year with completion by 2027.

The Northbrook development at Ayrburn will feature 168 residences.

Northbrook Arrowtown encompasses five buildings across 33,659sq m of development.

Mr Meehan said Northbrook Arrowtown’s location was unmatched, offering its future residents five-star hotel-like living in one of New Zealand’s best locations.

“I am pitching it as the BMW of retirement living,” Mr Meehan said. “The pitch is it is for people who like living in five-star hotels with their mates.

“We will run the retirement villages like a hotel.

“Retirees still want to have fun and want to be surrounded by friends.

“A developer probably only gets a site this good once or twice in their life,” Mr Meehan added, discussing the sprawling 160-year-old sheep farm he has developed into Ayrburn.

Northbrook, Ayrburn, New Zealand

Positioned on land that has become known as Waterfall Park – a unique location within the Wakatipu Basin, where Mill Creek spills into the site as a ­waterfall – the retirement development extends down to the historic Ayrburn Farm, now known as Ayrburn. Six venues are still to open at Ayrburn, including an up-market restaurant.

“Northbrook Arrowtown is surrounded by natural beauty and will be one of our most spectacular later living projects,” Mr Meehan said.

“Residents will enjoy immediate access to Ayrburn and its ­hospitality offerings, connection with the surrounding walkways, cycleways and world-class golf courses, as well as the proximity to both Arrowtown, Queenstown and its international airport.”

The exterior of the Northbrook Ayrburn display apartments.

Mr Meehan said he hoped the sprawling Ayrburn development would soon become Queenstown’s most visited destination. A stand-alone boutique hotel will also adjoin the site.

Mr Meehan’s listed Winton Property Group is working on 26 developments in New Zealand, with one in Australia, in the Hunter Valley wine region of Cessnock. But would he develop more projects in Australia?

“I love going to Sydney but I don’t need to compete over there,” he said.

“The planning is a lot tougher in New Zealand than in Australia, but once you have the planning approval you have a good pool of high-quality tradespeople. You can get it done with less fuss in New Zealand, but (gaining) consent is really tough.

“The whole of New Zealand is like Byron Bay, no one wants anything developed.”

The sale of the retirement apartments by Mr Meehan’s Winton is funding Ayrburn. Winton is listed on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges and is predominantly working on subdivisions around Auckland.

Mr Meehan sold the Belle Property franchise to private ­equity in 2009.

The writer was a guest of Winton Property Group.