Life's too short to have the brakes on

By Carolyn Boyd


Some retirees don't want to live in the slow lane.

IN THEIR early 60s, Jeff and Sue Lovett are taking life by the bicycle handles. The couple, who live at Bangalow on the NSW north coast, have just returned from cycling in Vietnam and Cambodia.

They've barely unpacked their bags and already are planning their next trip – a bike ride across the Nullarbor from Perth to Bangalow. They intend to travel to Perth on the Indian Pacific and cycle back.

They've had plenty of practice. In the decade or so since they started travelling – after their two eldest children left home – they have done everything from walk across England to cycle around Italy for four months. Other journeys have taken them skiing in Argentina and Japan, and, closer to home, riding 1100 kilometres from Bangalow to Young to visit Sue's brother.

The Lovetts opted to do the Vietnamese trip through tour company World Expeditions.

"Vietnam and Cambodia don't use the alphabet as a general rule and it's very hard to find your way and cross borders without some help and a guide, especially when cycling," Sue says.

The Lovetts are semi-retired after building a successful real estate business. To afford to travel, Sue says they live fairly simply at home, with few meals out. On trips they often camp or opt for mid-range accommodation.

The Lovetts are just one couple heading into an active retirement. Many retirees are now taking the opportunity to live it up.

Some activities require a reasonable budget but others can be done virtually cost-free. The options are as broad as your imagination. There's everything from volunteering to playing sport, taking up a hobby or even the old favourite: gardening.

Keen gardener Christine Rethers, 70, is the secretary of the Ku-ring-gai Horticultural Society. The former high-school teacher became involved in gardening in a serious way about 10 years ago, after she retired. She says being an office-bearer allows her to use some of the skills she developed during her working life. Above all, Rethers loves socialising through the club.

"I have developed some very, very good and close friendships through meeting people of like minds," Rethers says.

"I think that's important when you get older because one of the worst things that I think happens to older people is that they lose touch.

"They're not going to work every day and they lose touch with people in the wider world and they are very much just at home and that can be not very good for older people."

Rethers places much importance on keeping active and getting out and about.

You don't need to have a huge block of land to be involved in a gardening club. "A lot of [members] . . . are people who have had to move into retirement villas who have been, in the past, great gardeners," Rethers says. "Unfortunately, time moves on and we get to the point where we're not as agile and can't maintain a big garden any more but we still want to maintain the interest in it."

Professionals winding down from paid work might want to look at goodcompany.com.au, an initiative that matches charities in need of volunteers with professional skills to those who have time to spare.

Goodcompany is targeted at professionals who have a university degree or several years of work experience. Since its inception last year, goodcompany has attracted thousands of skilled volunteers and helped provide more than $8.5 million worth of pro bono services to communities.

The internet has made searching for leisure activities much easier.

Don't stop now

Travel See worldexpeditions.com. World Expeditions has trips designed for over-55s.

Volunteering See govolunteer.com.au. Like using a jobs board, plug in your postcode and opportunities in your area pop up.

Gardening See gardenclubs.org.au. Find your local garden club here.

Sports club See ausport.gov.au/participating/find-a -sporting-club.

Services organisation See lionsclubs.org.au.