Our brand new James Wattie Retirement Village in Havelock North is conveniently located at 122 Te Aute Road with superb views of Te Mata Peak. It is a short drive to The Village offering retail shopping, a supermarket, specialty shops, and a variety of dining options. Residents can enjoy the convenience of transport options near by.
There's a lifestyle option to suit everyone at James Wattie Village. You will be able to choose from a townhouse, an independent apartment or the extra support of an assisted-living apartment. If your needs change over time, our state-of-the-art care centre will offer resthome, hospital and specialist dementia care. James Wattie care centre will be located within the same village community and, as a Ryman resident, you will have priority access.
Amenities will include an all-weather bowling green, heated indoor swimming pool and spa, gym, beauty and hairdressing salon, movie theatre, library, and even a café.
There is always something to do; from organised events and shopping trips, to activities that inspire movement. The measure of a full life at James Wattie Village is certainly one that will get richer with age.
Immerse yourself in our wonderful James Wattie Village by viewing our virtual tour.
Step inside our beautiful townhouses and apartments. You can navigate your way through each featured living option and really get a feel for the space. All without leaving your house.
The menu at top left shows different areas of the village for easy navigation.
If you would like access to our plans and specifications, please fill in the form below.
James Wattie Village will offer living choices to suit everyone, so residents can live the way they want and blaze their own trails. Our apartments and townhouses are light and spacious, with clean lines and a clever open plan design layout that provides an easy flow throughout.
If down the track you need more support, we will offer assisted-living apartments and a range of care options. That freedom and flexibility is empowering for residents and knowing care can be dialed up as needed means, quite simply, ‘no worries’. It's all part of what we like to call the Ryman Difference.
Our pioneering approach to retirement living includes resident-friendly terms designed to protect you and your family. Our base weekly fee is fixed for the entire time you occupy your apartment or townhouse*, and our standard deferred management fee is capped at 20 percent – one of the lowest in the retirement sector.
*Some conditions apply.
Community is central to the lifestyle so we will offer amenities that encourage that sense of togetherness, such as a café, dining room, bar, hair and beauty salon, and shop.
Retirement is a great time to sharpen your skills on the passions and pastimes that you love. You will be able to spend time enjoying the movie theatre, workshop, craft room, billiards room, and library.
Incorporate regular activity into your everyday routine or enjoy the camaraderie of a little game time. Amenities will include a swimming pool, spa pool, gym and bowling green.
Jennett McGaw - Independent resident
Care is not an ‘add on’ at a Ryman village, it is built into the fabric of our villages from the very beginning. It’s comforting for couples and friends to know they can still be near each other even if their health needs are different.
The James Wattie care centre will offer a range of care options including resthome, hospital and specialist dementia care. Like all aspects of our villages, we constantly look for ways to improve both the care we provide and the innovation behind it. Care is customised using our myRyman Care app and residents love the food in our seasonal Delicious menu, which is prepared fresh on site by village chefs.
You will be able to treat yourself to a pamper session in our hair and beauty salon or a sweet treat in the shop.
Lounge and dining areas will provide spaces to relax and enjoy mealtimes. The food tastes great and the social interaction is good for the soul.
Tranquil indoor and outdoor spaces dedicated to our care residents will allow you to relax and meet with family and friends.
Brian - Independent resident
Take a drive up Te Mata Peak to take in the spectacular views of the region. If you want some fresh air you can walk the summit, starting with the easier yellow track.
Grab a coffee and spend your Sunday morning wandering the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market. Stock up for your week with fresh fruit & vegetables, meat, bread, eggs and more — all available straight from the local producers.
Hop on your bike and explore the 35 cellar doors in Hawke's Bay — all accessible from the Hawke's Bay Trail. The diverse region is best known for Merlot, Cabernet blends, Syrah and Chardonnay. Look out for the Hawke's Bay Wine and Food map.
Each Ryman village is named in honour of a Kiwi or Aussie trailblazer: Anthony Wilding, Lady Diana Isaac, Evelyn Page. They pushed further and set the bar high for others to aspire to. In creating communities that challenge the expectations of ageing, Ryman villages are also setting the bar high. They’re demonstrating that a retirement lifestyle brimming with new experiences, connections and fulfilment is something we should aspire to. Our Kiwi and Aussie namesakes represent the measure of inspiration, while Ryman villages represent the measure of retirement living.
Sir James Wattie was a highly successful and benevolent businessman who created the Wattie’s food processing empire.
The son of Scots immigrants, Sir James was a bright student who studied accounting at night school while working as a clerk.
In 1934, he spotted the opportunity to open a local cannery in Hastings, making the most of local produce that was being shipped out of the region for processing.
With the support of local farmers and a willing local workforce, Wattie’s started out as a modest canning business but grew into one of New Zealand’s largest food suppliers and exporters.
Sir James was a shrewd businessman. He planned carefully, believed in marketing, travelled overseas to develop new markets and invested in new technology. He shared his success with the growers who supplied him and the workers who kept his factories going.
Hastings became something of a company town and James Wattie was a local legend.
He was prepared to work in any section of the factory where help was needed.
He was on a first name basis with workers, and even in his last few years he would walk through the factory or sit down in the cafeteria mixing with staff.
In recognition of his company's achievements in New Zealand and the establishment of markets overseas, Wattie was invested with a CBE in 1963, and knighted in 1966.
He was modest, approachable, considerate and generous. He acknowledged the role his wife Gladys played in his success.
He was quick to share the credit and acknowledge the goodwill and support he received from others.
By the time he retired in 1972 he had built Watties into the biggest force in the food industry in New Zealand.
When he died in 1974, more than 2,000 mourners attended his funeral and he left a huge legacy in the bay.
Photo credit: Evening Post, PAColl-8557-20. Alexander Turnbull Library
Phone: 0800 588 222
Christchurch office: 03 366 4069
PO Box 771, Christchurch 8140
New Zealand