Many grey nomads are extremely wary about going back to places where they have travelled before, in case the new reality doesn’t live up to their earlier adventures.
The fear is that happy memories will be sullied, ‘magical’ places will have become ‘tourist traps’, and even that those stunning bushwalks which used to be a stroll in the proverbial park will prove too much for ageing bodies.
Yet, when the alternative is not going back to stunning destinations at all for fear of disappointment, the choice for most travellers is an easy one.
Grey nomad Gaye Christie is one ‘returning-to-the road traveller’ who is feeling more than a little trepidation about heading back to the Northern Territory in a month or so.
Gaye enjoyed exploring the MacDonnell Ranges over 30 years ago, and hopes that her return will be just as magical.
“It has been over 30 years since my first visit to the NT and I travelled on my own in a short wheel base Pajero and safari tent,” she said. “I simply loved the whole experience.”
Now in her early 70s, Gaye still treasures her time exploring places like the MacDonnell Ranges, Chambers Pillar, Heavitree Gap, Palm Valley, Henbury Crater, and the Devil’s Marbles.
“I left home at 40 to hit the road and travelled for four years,” she said. “From working on Thursday Island to seeing the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, Innamincka, the Dig Tree, the Flinders Ranges, and waterfalls in Tassie … it was the happiest time of my life.”
Gaye says that, eventually, life got in the way and she stopped her long-term around-Australia adventures … until now!
Following a family tragedy which made her re-assess her life priorities, Gaye recently sold her cottage and has now bought a 200 series LandCruiser and an On The Move 18’ 6” caravan.
She has just completed a towing course and says she is ready for another crack at the nomadic way of life.
“I simply wish to have that feeling once again,” she said. “I have mobility issues now so know I will not have the same experiences … but hitting the road is better than watching life pass me by.”
Gaye will be heading out on the trip, which she laughingly calls her ‘swansong’, with her beloved fur babies … two chihuahuas aged 11 and 12.
“I love this country and do not understand why people insist on travelling to Bali,” she said. “I have no home base and an indefinite timeframe so I’m just going where the whim takes me … it all adds to the adventure.”
