Re: Driving around Australia
 

Yes, it's obviously popular but not for me.

I do fancy travelling around North America for a few months by road - we'll probably do that a few times. I'm actually seriously contemplating doing a Phd when I retire, so kind of shows you my way of thinking when it comes to my latter years!

Re: Driving around Australia
 

What would you do your PhD in? It's a good idea if your brain is up for it. I enjoy life long learning, but I wouldn't necessarily take another degree program.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Travelling, camping and seeing all of Australia is the same experience whether you're 20, 40 or 60+. 'Grey nomads' are just older (usually retired) people who now have the freedom and financial security to travel for longer stretches of time. They often keep their home and return to it either intermittently or permanently when they've finished their Australian travels. None of that precludes travel to other countries, for shorter or longer periods. Not sure how that equates to 'life over'.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Each to their own

For me it would be

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Something around economics or history of economics. I'm fascinated by the subject and studying it at a high level has completely changed my way of thinking. I want to know more

I'm also keen to do another Masters - at the LSE this time, but the acceptance rate is around 10%, so I'd have to up my game to get in

Re: Driving around Australia
 

I agree with you entirely, to each their own. Was just puzzled why you feel that a (for example) 6 month trip around Oz when you're older equates to your life being over. My older sister did a caravan trip like that a few years ago, didn't get quite all the way around but travelled to a range of diverse places in Oz. Since she's been back, she's spent 5 months travelling around the UK and Europe and has been on several shorter trips of 6 weeks - 2 months each to Crete, Hungary, Canada, New Zealand and Scotland. She's no sooner back and she's off again, she has a great life!

Although she has sufficient income to fund her travels, she owns a property in Mount Lawley that she sometimes rents out on a short term/holiday accommodation basis which is a great topper-upper of the retirement funds.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

As others noted it is doable and is a "thing" here especially for retirees. As Troubadour noted the road is not pure coastal it does go inland quite a bit in parts. The road is Highway 1. It's something like 15,000 kms long.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

It's a fascinating field but probably better to study when you're younger and can apply it to current events and/or work. Not sure how open LSE would be to retirees joining their PhD program, guessing not very.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

It would be a Masters at LSE. A PhD there be impossible

I don't care if I don't use it for work - not one iota, it's about doing it for me and getting knowledge into my noggin!

Re: Driving around Australia
 

You've certainly got to love driving, anyone who's intending to travel long distances in Oz. There's not always much to see along the way. Years ago, my wife and I were part of a ten-car two-week safari from Perth up to Port Hedland on the inland route via Meekatharra and Marble Bar, and back along the coast road via Carnavon and Geraldton. A few sites worth seeing, but not many. We were glad to have done the trip, for the experience. We had come to Perth from Melbourne on the train - much more comfortable, and just as interesting! She had been to Alice Springs and Ayer's Rock in her youth, by train and bus; and I'd driven with a friend from Brisbane down to northern Victoria - again, interesting, but heavy work behind the wheel.

Nothing to compare with travelling in Europe, using the same amount of time and energy. There (from London to Ankara, and back via Prague and Moscow) we saw more wonderful things each day than we saw in any two weeks in Oz. My advice to oldies is to give Australia a miss, especially if you want to drive everywhere.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Indeed travelling around OZ is a long hard slog, in my book with a minimum return for cost and time involved. Very glad to have done, what have done, but frankly there are far more interesting places to while away one's time in retirement. Probably better in various aspects to do when younger and become part of the back packer party scene.
Still fine for an escape when older for a shorter duration, but you would have to be keen to spend many months 'on the road ' , for that basically is what it is.
Not sure why anyone would bother with a PHD in the age either. All that work requiring submitting requiring time and discipline. Far better be wilder. . This time of life is one where personal freedom is at a maximum best use it. Providing health allows, one has a final stab at living and freedom before frailty sets in and chances of living a life doing what ever evaporate. Plenty of adventures out in our world other than a somewhat mundane transverse of the roads of Australia or indeed returning to school. Lots of opportunity out there to undertake new adventures and learn things never contemplated before and go out with a blast in a mountain retreat in Tibet rather than a nursing home in Bendigo.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

My thoughts pretty much. Nice to have done it, but wouldn't bother again as hardly on the list of most memorable places seen or travel feats achieved. It doesn't compare at all with Europe or indeed the other countries.
More Aussie ageing are indeed giving the 'grey nomad' thing a mess. Cruising, seems to occupy the time of many, but hardly necessary adds to their worldliness, but have met a few interesting retired Aussie couples travelling in Asia. Full of beans and life. That doesn't include the hordes of retired Aussie men living in retirement in Vung Tau in Vietnam (plus other locations in Thailand)of course, who seem to drink from early morning to late night with a possible 'whore' break 'if able' and not particularly 'wholesome' characters to be around, by any stretch of the imagination.

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Cool

Re: Driving around Australia
 

You could multi-task, keep up with your studies through LSE online while travelling through North America :thumbup:

Re: Driving around Australia
 

Quite right... We start our grey nomad apprenticeship on Friday id say.... Should be camping somewhere on the Sturt Highway close to the SA border friday night. ... Coober pedy will be our first 3 day camp... Then on further North..... Vans got the all clear.. Pick it back up tomorrow.. Pack it up over the next coupla days.