So you’ve reached that stage in life we call retirement. The so-called blissful years.

Most of us spend the better part of our lives working the rat race, feeling the grind, eagerly anticipating our retirement. 

But once you get there it’s a bit of a shock to the system. 

You go from knowing exactly what you’ll be doing every day to suddenly not having a real idea of how to fill your time. 

While I’m sure the first few months will be packed with all those jobs you’ve been telling yourself you’d get to when you had time, quickly they’re all done and then you’re just standing around twiddling your thumbs! 

Well, I thought I’d give you a few ideas on how to fill your time and make retirement the enjoyable experience you always dreamed it would be. 

Find a new Hobby

Retirement is the perfect opportunity to try something you’ve never done before.

You’ve probably lived most of your life on a pretty tight schedule, with little time for a hobby between work and family. 

So what’s stopping you now? 

You’ve got the obvious ones - golf, tennis, gardening. But why not try branching out? Take a pottery class, join a book club, learn an instrument, take up salsa dancing. 

There are so many fun and interesting things you can do to keep yourself busy and entertained in retirement - you’ve just got to try a few and see what sticks. 

Travel

It wouldn’t be a retirement guide from me without some travel! 

We all know Australia has some of the best travel spots in the world. 

And after a lifetime of hard work with only a couple weeks of holidays a year, retirement is the perfect time to get out there and see what’s going on in the world - or perhaps our own backyard. 

While some retirees are seasoned travellers, there are plenty who are just starting out on their travel journeys. 

We live in a pretty darn fantastic place here in Australia. There is so much to explore right here before you even think about leaving the country - so why not check it out. 

Embrace yourself in natural beauties like The Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, The Great Barrier Reef or Lord Howe Island. Meet some quirky locals in Lightning Ridge. Celebrate spring at Canberra’s Floriade. Eat some delicious seafood on the South Coast. Check out the vast National Parklands of Tasmania. 

The list is endless.

Travelling doesn’t have to mean long, expensive trips overseas. While some of the places on the Aussie map might not sound as inviting as the Maldives, or as fast paced and fancy as Paris - Australia is still a pretty amazing place - well we think so! The experiences you’ll have and the people you’ll meet will give you a whole new perspective on life - and this thing we call retirement! 

Socialise 

You may have noticed that as you and your friends get to retirement age, people start to move away. 

Maybe they’re chasing the coast or wanting to be closer to their grandchildren - either way, friendship groups start to diminish with age (among other things, but we won’t go there!). 

To some, making new friends at this age can be pretty hard. It’s not like when you’re young and meeting new people at work or at the kids' school. 

But guess what? You’re all in the same boat! Almost everyone reaching this age is feeling the same so it really is a great time to make new friends. 

Our tours are the perfect place to do this. 

Jump out of your comfort zone, be the first one to say G’day, show some interest, and you never know where it might lead!

We’ve had so many people leave our coach tours with new, lifelong friends - who knows, you might be next. 

Try it out for yourself

Don’t just take my word for it. 

If you’re looking for something to keep you entertained as you enter this new phase of life, have a look at some of our tours around Australia. 

We’d love to help make this time a little easier for you!