Rowena Jackson Retirement Village
photos: operator / Village Guide
Retirement living · Waikiwi, Invercargill

Rowena Jackson Retirement Village

Rowena Jackson Retirement Village Limited · Waikiwi, Invercargill · independent living, assisted apartments + full care for life
Life Score
97
Exceptional
Capital Back
50
the money ↓
See what life here is like — then weigh what it means for your family further down.
The village

Life here

Nestled in the heart of Waikiwi amongst beautifully landscaped gardens near Thomsons Bush and Queens Park, Rowena Jackson Village offers independent townhouses, assisted-living apartments and a 154-bed care centre all within one thriving community. Residents enjoy the peace of their own sanctuary combined with vibrant village life—from movie nights and swimming to organised outings and social events. Whether you're taking a holiday knowing your home is secure, or enjoying grandchildren in the pool, life here balances independence with the reassurance of 24-hour staff, chef-prepared meals and priority access to care when needs change.

Your home

Living options

Independent & Assisted Living

Light, spacious townhouses designed for the 70-plus person, plus serviced apartments with housekeeping and chef-prepared meals included.

Architecturally designed townhouses
Serviced apartments with assisted living support
Secure, lockable units with emergency call systems
Lawn mowing, window washing and mail collection while away
Living options
A day in the life

What living here is actually like

Community is central to life at Rowena Jackson.

Amenities & Activities

The village offers an exceptional range of facilities encouraging connection, skill-building and active living. From the all-weather bowling green and heated indoor pool to the cinema, library and craft room, there's always something to inspire.

All-weather bowling green & lawn bowls
Indoor heated swimming pool & spa pool
Cinema & movie nights
Library, computer room & craft studio
Café, dining room, bar & village shop
Hair salon & beauty services
Gymnasium & exercise classes
Billiards, petanque & indoor bowls
Organised entertainment, shopping trips & social outings
Resident dinners, quizzes, bingo & choir
Church services available
Always something on
On your doorstep

Facilities & services

Community Centre
Cinema
Library
Computer Room
Hairdresser
Village Shop
Gymnasium
Billiards & Pool Table
Petanque
Dining Room
Bar
Spa Pool
Indoor Swimming Pool
Bowling Green
Communal Lounge
Café
Arts & Crafts Studio
Peace of mind

Care for life, on site

If your health changes, you won't have to leave the place you know. Rowena Jackson Retirement Village offers these levels of care on site:

IndependentServicedRest homeHospitalSecure dementia
✓ Registered nurse available for appointments · Emergency call system in units · In-home personal assistance (showering, grooming) · Village van · Meal deliveries
Care and community
Where it is

Setting & neighbourhood

Rowena Jackson Village is wonderfully located in the heart of Waikiwi, Invercargill, nestled amongst beautifully landscaped gardens. The village sits close to Thomsons Bush and Queens Park—an 80-hectare sprawl of stunning gardens, bird aviary and animal enclosures perfect for leisurely strolls and picnics. The neighbourhood offers easy access to local attractions including Bill Richardson Transport World (the world's largest private automotive museum with over 300 classic cars) and The Seriously Good Chocolate Factory. Queens Park's vibrant gardens and recreational spaces are just moments away, making this a peaceful yet well-connected location for active retirees.

Interested?

Like the look of Rowena Jackson?

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Now the practical part

The money — what comes back to your family

You've seen why you'd love it. This is the part most families only discover at the exit statement — so we put it in plain sight. Every figure is from the village's own filed Disclosure Statement.

Capital Back score
50
Around average · #180 of 520
Better than 65% of NZ villages — yet the market median is just 46. The sector is tough.
Deferred fee
30%
charged on your entry price
Your share of capital gain
0%
operator keeps 100% of any uplift
Time to get capital back
~105 days
median, from 17 recent resales
Fees after you leave
Stop
good — many villages keep charging
Before you sign, get independent eyes on the contract.An ORA-review lawyer or independent financial adviser — never paid by any operator — checks what it really means for your family.
⚖ Get independent advice →
How the 50 is built

Nothing hidden — every component

The Capital Back score is a transparent weighting of five filed terms — you can see exactly where this village wins and loses.

Move-in fee you don't get back Deferred Management Fee — weighted 30%
30% deferred fee — lower is better.
25
Share of capital growth Capital gain to resident — weighted 15%
0% — the operator keeps any resale uplift.
0
Speed your capital returns Median resale time — weighted 30%
105 days across recent resales.
93
Fees stop when you leave Weekly fees on exit — weighted 15%
Charges end on vacancy.
100
Interest if repayment is slow Interest on delayed capital — weighted 10%
No interest on delayed repayment.
0
The filed terms, in plain English

What the Disclosure Statement actually says

Every operator uses different words for the same thing — we normalise them so you can compare like with like.

%

Deferred Management Fee

30%

Accrues over your first 2.5 years, charged on the entry price.

Market: median 30%; only 16% of villages charge under 25%.

Capital gain

0% to the resident

Any increase in the licence value at resale is kept entirely by the operator.

Market: just 8% of NZ villages share any capital gain.

How fast your capital comes back

~105 days median

Your capital is repaid once the unit is re-licensed to a new resident.

Market: median 154 days; 21 villages still average over a year.

Fees & interest on exit

Resident-friendly

Weekly fees stop when you vacate.

Market: 220 of 520 villages keep charging weekly fees after you've gone.
Before you sign the ORA

The reckoning usually arrives too late

  • You're buying a licence to occupy, not the home — you can't sell, rent or borrow against it.
  • A large deferred fee is gone within a few years, whatever the unit later sells for.
  • Your family carries the risk of how long resale takes — and the operator's ability to pay.
  • None of this is hidden — it's all in the Disclosure Statement most people sign without reading.
Have someone independent read it first

We'll connect you with a retirement-village review lawyer or independent financial adviser — no operator pays to be here.

Request an ORA review → Talk to a financial adviser