Travelling means different things to different people. For some, it’s an annual getaway with the family, for others it’s a year-long jaunt across the globe, while many are happy with a low-key weekend away nearby. Whatever travels is for you, there are a whole host of travel bloggers and Instagrammers who are inspiring retirees to get out and explore the world. Here are just some who are worth liking, following and getting some travel inspiration from.
Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning left their home and their jobs in 2010 to travel the world full-time. “We concentrate on destinations and experiences many in our age group desire: historic sites, national parks, cities and cultural destinations, food and drink, active travel, and personal connections,” the pair says.
A life of long hours and hard work led husband and wife team Duncan and Jane to seriously consider the option of an early retirement. “We began to ask ourselves if we really could keep this pace up for another decade,” the pair say on their blog. “We worried whether, at the end of that time, we’d still be healthy enough to follow our travel dreams.” Once their kids left home, they downsized and began their travel adventure. They’ve visited 21 countries and travelled more than 18,000km in the process.
Jonathan Look decided to sell all his possessions and retired early with hopes of travelling the world. Now that he’s done that, he wants to inspire others to do the same, especially baby boomers. “I started this blog to demonstrate to my fellow baby boomers that the world is not some scary place to avoid, but it is still open and available to those who are motivated and curious enough to go out and see it for themselves,” Jonathan says.
Donna and her husband Alan decided to travel after they watched Alan’s parents move into a retirement village together when they each left the workforce. It wasn’t long after that the pair started to get itchy feet to travel the world. “Take me on a trip” Donna’s mother-in-law would say. In 2000 Donna and Alan married, went on their honeymoon in Hawaii and haven’t looked back from a life of travel since. “Boomers bring energy to their travels. We’re willing to try new activities and embrace new experiences with an open mind. Boomers have a zest for life, both at home and on the road,” Donna says.
Once Veronica and David’s kids moved out, they were left with an empty nest. But rather than feeling down about the children having moved on, they felt excited about what the future could bring. Unfortunately a lot of the information they found about being an empty nester was negative and they decided to change that. “Just about everything we could find was lamenting how terrible it is that the kids aren’t around anymore. A lot of self-help, and self-pity. We don’t personally respond well to self-help, we prefer a kick in the butt,” Veronica and David say.
Dayanne Kruger has spent the last 30 years visiting more than 40 countries. Now in her 60s, Dayanne recently backpacked solo through South Africa and Mozambique for two months, relising her dream of going on safari in Kruger National Park. “My surname is Kruger, and the park is named after my great-great-bazillion-great uncle,” Dayanne says.
Barbara Weibel was a corporate high-flyer until she decided to throw it all in to become a travel writer and photographer in 2007. She continues to write about her trips around the world and has recently been to Austria, Mexico and Switzerland.