10 exciting retirement adventure ideas
In the words of Mark Twain, “Years from now you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did.” Now you’ve got a little bit of extra time up your hands heed these words and start your own retirement adventure, like one of the 10 ideas mentioned here.
1. Drive the Great Ocean Road
We’ve already talked about eight reasons everyone should drive the Great Ocean Road in Australia. Observe what remains of the 12 apostles, visit the many amazing sites and enjoy some of the best scenery Australia has to offer.
2. Discover the Red Centre
By land, air or water there’s never been a better time to discover the Red Centre. And because you’ve got nothing else going on you could do it all. It’s surprisingly cheap to book a helicopter tour of Uluru, a four wheel drive is classic and even a river cruise through Katherine Gorge is nice!
3. Head to a music festival
There are a number of festivals that cater to older (and more discerning) musical tastes. The Bluesfest in Byron Bay is a popular choice and recent festivals have included classic acts for all ages like Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
4. Head to Asia
You’ve probably been to Asia before, but now you can really explore. Bhutan is one of Asia’s best kept secrets and retirement is a great time to finally explore it. This land of rugged mountains, ancient shrines and awe-inspiring natural wildlife is a must now you’ve got more time.
5. European Peace Walk
This newly started walking trail (self-guided) sees you walk 550km across central Europe from Vienna to Trieste, via Bratislava, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia. This annual walk marks the anniversary of World War I and is designed to celebrate and promote the creation of peace in Europe.
6. Cross the Arctic Circle
This is an ambitious trip, but now that you’ve got some more free time you can afford to be a little bit more adventurous! Depending on your age, budget, fitness and appetite, you can do anything from a four hours trip to an extensive, week-long trek where you’re camping under the stars!
7. Master a new sport
Now’s your big opportunity to try and master a new sport! Sure, maybe you’ve left it a bit late to try cliff diving, or to get into the octagon as an MMA fighter, but that doesn’t mean there’s any reason to not give any sport you’ve considered trying (but never had the time to) a red hot go.
8. Go caravanning
As recently mentioned in our recent community contributor article, how I drove a caravan around the world in retirement sometimes retirement can signal the start of your adventures rather than the end! Explore Australia or even head abroad and enjoy the bliss of life on the open road.
9. Volunteering in retirement
Giving up a little bit of your time to help others can be an adventure in its own right. As we outlined in our article, 5 reasons to volunteer in retirement, evidence shows that giving a little time to help others in retirement isn’t just good for the community, it’s good for you.
10. Pick up a new hobby
With a little bit of extra time on your hands, you’ll relish the opportunity to explore some of your interests. Whether it’s a new musical instrument, arts and crafts, or even learning how to fly a helicopter, with less restrictions on your time you’re only really limited by your imagination.
Image: Getty
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