By: Karaka Pines Village Content Team | Updated: 23 October 2026
Karaka Pines Villages wins in the NZ's Best Awards
It’s official (again): Karaka Pines Villages is a winner! The Bay of Plenty’s Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa and Christchurch’s Woodcroft Estate have both been recognised as Finalists in the 2026 NZ’s Best Awards. Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa won a Finalist award in the Best Small Retirement Village – North Island category, while Woodcroft Estate picked up a Finalist award in the Best Small Retirement Village – South Island category.
Recognition that starts with our residents
A Seniors New Zealand initiative that has celebrated Karaka Pines Villages with eight awards since 2022, the NZ’s Best Awards judge villages through independent assessments, and the experiences and reviews of residents, families and friends. That makes these wins all the more significant, since they reflect the voices of people who know firsthand what it’s like to be a valued part of a Karaka Pines Villages lifestyle retirement community.
More than 5,500 reviews helped shape this year’s results. Across the retirement village and aged-care sectors, 227 facilities qualified for the shortlist, each achieving a weighted average score of at least 90% across all seven rated categories. Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa and Woodcroft Estate were among the 45 Finalists recognised.
Behind these wins are real people and their everyday experiences of the places they call home. We’re delighted to celebrate these accolades with our residents, their families and the teams who help make both villages such enjoyable places to be.
More choice, more to gain
Karaka Pines Villages operates eight retirement communities – in Auckland, Hamilton, Waihī Beach, Tauranga, Rotorua and Christchurch. Each has its own special character, but they all have one thing in common: their residents are empowered to keep living however they choose, secure in the knowledge that their capital gain is protected.
“We create a fairer option for retirees in New Zealand – and choice is a big part of that,” says CEO Liam Dickson. “That choice isn’t just financial – it’s about where you want to be, who you want to be with and how you live your life. That’s why we offer all kinds of possibilities for people, in terms of house plans, interior design, gardens, community participation and more.”
Thank you, everyone
To everyone who helps make our villages feel like home: thank you. We’re raising an extra toast to both of our winning communities, and to the people whose kindness, care and company make them such special places to live, including managers Trudi Andersen in Pāpāmoa and Corinne Blackie in Christchurch.
Above: Woodcroft Estate, Rolleston. Top: Staff (and resident!) at Karaka Pines Villages’ head office in Tauranga. From left: David Harris holding the South Island award, Stuart Cheeseman, Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa’s very first resident Barbara Treherne, CEO Liam Dickson, Trudi Andersen with the Pāpāmoa award, Julie Richards and Jennifer Belcher.
Want to discover for yourself the people, places and sense of belonging that make our villages winners for New Zealanders?
Frequently asked questions
Which Karaka Pines villages were recognised in the 2026 NZ’s Best Awards?
Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa in the Bay of Plenty and Woodcroft Estate in Christchurch each won Finalist awards, Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa in the Best Small Retirement Village – North Island category, and Woodcroft Estate in the Best Small Retirement Village – South Island category.
Which of our other villages have also won Finalist awards?
Karaka Lifestyle Estate in Auckland (Best Small Retirement/Lifestyle Village – North Island, 2022), Roseland Park Village in Hamilton (Best Small Retirement/Lifestyle Village – North Island, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and Kempton Park Lifestyle Village in Tauranga (Best Small Retirement/Lifestyle Village – North Island, 2023 and 2024).
What are the NZ’s Best Awards?
The NZ’s Best Awards are a Seniors New Zealand initiative that celebrates New Zealand’s best retirement villages and aged-care facilities. The awards draw on independent assessments, and the experiences and reviews of residents, families and friends.
How were the 2026 NZ’s Best Awards results determined?
More than 5,500 reviews contributed to the 2026 results. Across the retirement village and aged-care sectors, 227 facilities qualified for the shortlist after achieving a weighted average score of at least 90% across all seven rated categories. From this shortlist, 45 Finalists were recognised, including Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa and Woodcroft Estate.
What and where are Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa and Woodcroft Estate?
Both are part of Karaka Pines Villages group, which operates lifestyle retirement villages nationwide.
Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa is a new lifestyle retirement village in a prime Bay of Plenty location, just one street back from the beach. When complete, it’s expected to comprise 114 homes. Stage 1 of construction will see a total of 19 homes on site by the end of 2026. Most of these homes in this coastal village are now spoken for, but some are still available for application, and enquiry about future homes is very much welcomed. You can enquire here.
Woodcroft Estate is a lifestyle retirement village in Rolleston, Christchurch. Situated in the northern suburb of Levi Park, everything you need is on its doorstep. The village comprises 78 homes, with one more still to be built. This popular village is also almost fully occupied, but several homes do become available. Find out more.
What makes Karaka Pines Villages different from traditional retirement village operators?
Karaka Pines Villages is the only privately held, wholly New Zealand-owned retirement village operator that offers a capital gains model. In standard retirement village models, residents pay a Deferred Management Fee (DMF) based on the cost of the village unit they purchase, and they don’t share any capital gain when they sell it – most operators retain 100%. At Karaka Pines Villages, residents pay a DMF that’s based on the sale price of their village home, and benefit from 100% of the capital gain. This is rare in New Zealand and a fundamentally fairer financial outcome for residents.