Defying societal expectations and rewriting the narrative of aging, older women are hitting the open road alone, embracing adventure, growth, and the promise of new horizons. Armed with caravans, campervans, or rugged 4WDs and tents, these intrepid travelers journey across Australia’s breathtaking landscapes—from the dusty expanses of the Oodnadatta Track to the pristine wilds of Tasmania.
Margaret Yates, a retired nurse and now a PhD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney’s Faculty of Health, delved into the lives of 29 such women. Her research reveals a compelling story of reinvention, with most participants over sixty and retired, proving that life’s grandest adventures can begin just when society expects them to end.
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Her research paper, Women Traveling Solo or with Other Women Across Australia: A montage of narratives, with Professor Lin Perry, Emeritus Professor Jenny Onyx and Distinguished Professor Tracy Levett-Jones, was recently published in the Journal of Women and Aging.
“For many of these women, this isn’t just about travel,” said Yates. “It’s about developing self-knowledge and self-confidence, experiencing the new and unknown, and taking control of their life and decisions, often after years of caring for others.”
“The four women highlighted in the study, two in their sixties and two in their seventies, exemplify a willingness to break away from what might be expected of women in that age group and redefine what’s possible,” she said.
The study is part of Yates’s wider PhD research examining the experiences, health and social needs of women travelers from the ‘grey nomad’ population. Many women, despite chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, report better well-being, with less stress and improved health due to the traveling lifestyle.
One of the case studies, Vivian, in her mid-sixties, has been living on the road for nine years. She said a discovery scuba dive in Far North Queensland was the catalyst to sell her business, rent out her house and take off on adventure. “The best choice I ever made,” she said.
After decades of running a small business seven days a week, she was keen for a change. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy and I knew there’d be hurdles and tough times,” she said. “That probably made me even more determined.”
