A 60s and 70s sing along as Starts at 60’s wrap-up for 2019!

It was a very good year here at Starts at 60 and Travel at 60, packed with good vibrations as we went on a magic carpet ride of getting you great travel deals, introducing you to smart products and services and serving you helpful information and the stories you love.

And now we’ve got Christmas on our mind here at SAS HQ. Our newsroom will be working right through Christmas to bring you stories but we’ll be operating on light staffing so everyone can try and do some sittin’ on the dock of the bay.

Travel at 60 has been closed from the 20th December until December 30, then it’ll be time to hit the road, Jack, on one of the great deals we’re offering in our biggest-ever New Year’s travel sale! It will be huge, with heaps of operators bringing you their special deals! Really – keep your eyes out as the biggest operators have brought us some amazing deals for you.

I’m a believer that what we do is making a difference, and in 2019 we put another brick in the wall of growing Starts at 60 into the #1 national brand that really looks after the needs of Aussie over-60s, with media and travel combined. And, there’s more to come in 2020 so, people get ready! 

But in the meantime, put your head on my shoulder as we look back at the year that was 2019 at Starts at 60…

At Travel at 60, we gave you the ticket to ride (literally thousands of them, via hot travel deals), kept you up to date on the good, the bad and the ugly of what you need to know about national and global holiday-making and gave you everything we heard through the grapevine about how to cut your travel costs. 

And good golly, Miss Molly, Travel at 60 really did grow up this year, turning into a fully-fledged independent travel marketplace and full-service travel agency.

In addition, we introduced Travel at 60 group departures and saw hundreds of people from our community leaving  on a jet plane (as well as trains, cruise ships and coaches) together, knowing they wouldn’t be lonesome tonight (or at least, at dinner!).

Our group travel offerings will only get bigger in 2020 so keep them in mind. After all,  wouldn’t it be nice to book a holiday through a brand you trust deeply, with other people just like you?

Meanwhile, at Starts at 60 we walked the line with our information and stories, living up to our promise that over-60s will never walk alone in tackling the big stages of retirement, while still creating the news and fun stories you cherish.

We added a new layer to our daily Starts at 60 news output, called Reinventing Retirement. With our Reinventing Retirement program came weekly email newsletters focused on travel, money, health and community, that show we’re the leader of the pack when it comes to providing really useful tips and insights on the issues that matter most to you.

(If you’d like to change which emails you receive from us, you can manage your preferences here.)

One of the most important parts of our community newsletter are the pieces written by our over-60s bloggers, who decided they were born to be wild this year, sharing funny, furious and frank thoughts on everything from politics to sex and plenty in between.

Their stories were so great that before we runaway for some summer nights, we’ve lined up our ‘best of 2019’ blogs to publish right through the holidays, so keep an eye out for them.

Another big part of our community newsletter is our monthly meet-ups. We really did come together in 2019, with 85 Starts at 60 Community and Travel Lovers meet-up groups getting together around Australia and New Zealand. Our meet-ups are a great opportunity to make new friends (and potential travel companions) so if your boots are made for walkin’, make your way to a meet-up near you in 2020.

Finally, I’m telling you now that we haven’t lost that lovin’ feeling for our valued sponsors and advertisers in 2019, including Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Industry Super Australia, Blamey Saunders Hears, Hearing Australia, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Constellation Journeys, Gate 1, Tourism Vanuatu, Tourism NT, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Souvenaid, Ingenia, Holden, Anglicare, Household Capital and IsoWhey.

Starts at 60 and Travel at 60 couldn’t do what we do without the support of these companies so please trust them with your business whenever you can.

Likewise, the loco-motion of Starts at 60 and Travel at 60 wouldn’t be the same without our in-house team, which ranges in age from early 20s to (almost) 70s and is spread between offices in Brisbane and Sydney.

It’s amazing to look around and see talented journalists, software developers, travel consultants and product curators, marketers and human resources, finance and sales specialists all working what feels like eight days a week to build on what we want to deliver to you – the very best.

Lastly, we can’t close the year without mentioning Violet, the office puppy who really lights our fire! They say you can’t hurry love but this tiny Pomeranian charmed everyone in the office (and the clients and community members that visit) as quick as lightnin’ strikes. She’s a little star who’s been asking for her own column and Facebook videos in 2020 and we might just oblige!

As you can see, 2020 is looking very exciting. And in the meantime, we’re just wishing, please, Mr Postman, bring everyone in the Starts at 60 and Travel at 60 family and community a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year.

And thank you for your support and for being a part of why we are here! The best gift you could give us is to tell a 60-plus friend about Starts at 60 and Travel at 60 this Christmas!

Bec Wilson Xx