well the day finally came, I officially finished work after 47 years at 3pm today, Thursday!
Hubby NOT happy as he has to stay working for two or three more months until both houses are sold.
Anyway he is eight months younger than me so he should stay longer I say!
We have put our deposit on a 24 foot Grandcruiser Ritz Caravan from Newcastle, seeing we will be living fulltime travelling round Oz.
My new home on wheels has to at least be roomy enough to get to other end of van from him & dog if we don't see eye to eye some times lol.
Having my long awaited operation on 16th June after last debarkle, hope I get it this time & not sent home. Recovery about six weeks so I'm told if all goes well says Docs.
So with all that behind us we hope to catch up to all you wonderful GNs very soon.
Stay well & stay tuned. Cheers Dawn the better half of Greg & Dawn lol!

Congrats Dawn....on retirement All the best from everyone here of the operation and speedy recovery... your new van will be twice as long as our new Goldstream Mini 12ft , arriving mid July. Dave

Well done Dawn!! After 47 working years you deserve to enjoy the retirement years, especially in style. I will look forward to your postings.
Cheers

Lucky lucky lucky  ....  

I can still recall our retirement life style change of 12 years ago. 

Wish we could relive it...

Such a joy to go for a drive during the week to beach side spots at Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast or even the hinterlands & then off for 6mths or so in the van...  Felt like it was only us doing it & felt like we were on an everyday  sickie.

But after all this time it's all still good!

Enjoy every day ...

goodluck Dawn - hope to see you 'in the great outdoors'

Good luck! I'm not old enough to be 'retired' yet, but feel I have the best of a 'working' life. A couple of months of work ..... then 6-8 months on the road!
I'm sure we will meet around the block somewhere!
Cheers,
Dianne

Ah! Reading a good book by the water, maybe a little fishing. Sitting around a fire at night with a bottle (or 2) of red. Certainly sounds better then working.
Jane retires next week and I have 4 weeks to go. Yippee!
Then it's on the road for a couple of months (16'6" POp Top) and home again for a month or so then back out on the road again. Maybe even a Christmas cruise.
Although we'll be retired, I'll still be  a consultand director with Oz Parks and doing some park inspections along the way. And hopefully getting a few free nights in our parks. LOL.
But the part of retirement that has me perplexed is the Aged Pension rates.
The unions, government and the industrial court representitives all sit down and negotiate a minumim livable wage. They have detirmenied that the minimum wage required to sustain life at a reasobaly leve is in excess of $550 a week. New wage case begins shortly where the unions are pushing for an increase if $26 per week.
After all their diliberations for this minimum livable wage they then expect a pensioner to live on less than half the minimum wage.

Ah! Retirement. Bring it on. Although we expect to loose weight on a pension.
ozjohn.

ozjohn wrote:

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Ah! Reading a good book by the water, maybe a little fishing. Sitting around a fire at night with a bottle (or 2) of red. Certainly sounds better then working.
Jane retires next week and I have 4 weeks to go. Yippee!
Then it's on the road for a couple of months (16'6" POp Top) and home again for a month or so then back out on the road again. Maybe even a Christmas cruise.
Although we'll be retired, I'll still be  a consultand director with Oz Parks and doing some park inspections along the way. And hopefully getting a few free nights in our parks. LOL.
But the part of retirement that has me perplexed is the Aged Pension rates.
The unions, government and the industrial court representitives all sit down and negotiate a minumim livable wage. They have detirmenied that the minimum wage required to sustain life at a reasobaly leve is in excess of $550 a week. New wage case begins shortly where the unions are pushing for an increase if $26 per week.
After all their diliberations for this minimum livable wage they then expect a pensioner to live on less than half the minimum wage.

Ah! Retirement. Bring it on. Although we expect to loose weight on a pension.
ozjohn.

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G'day ozjohn,

With both you and youir wife on full age pension you should be receiving $528 each per fortnight = $1056 per fortnight between you plus all your concessions.  Now I realise it is not a fortune and it is below the minimum wage but you should be able to travel reasonably comfortably on it.  If by any chance you run a bit short on a trip simply hole up somewhere nice until the pension comes in once more and then off you go once again.

Also if you are 60 or over remember the Seniors Card as this gives lots of discounts, which make life a little easier.

 

Thanks all for your wishes - will keep you posted and hope to be out there soon!

Best wishes for a long and happy retirement out on the long paddock, and anywhere else too Jim

good luck with the operation hope all goes well and you will thoroughly enjoy life out there on the road as we all do. Helena.

Happy retirement Dawn.
Sounds like you are going to enjoy it.

Welcome to the club Dawn!!!!!        Might catch you on the road.

Congratulations & enjoy, our tracks may cross at some time.

Cheers.

I hope retirement brings you all you want it to. I am only a spring chicken so got a while to go yet.

Retirement?? Im doing more now than ever..But its for us now thats the differance.. Good luck out there, It can be fun ..And good luck with the opp. Bob n Bev

-- Edited by BobnBev on Monday 24th of May 2010 02:10:26 PM

Thanks for all your best wishes hope our paths do cross in the not too distant few months after my op if all goes well should be hitting the road for wherever.

Can't wait to say the same thing, "retired today". Although it is not good to wish ones time away. Best of luck with whatever your op is. Get out there as soon as you are fit enough and do it justice.

Terro