Feedback from permanent Grey Nomads?

Pomgonewalkabout · Newbie

Feedback from permanent Grey Nomads?

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Sold everything 5 years ago and hit the road.

Children live in Melbourne and I rarely go there.

I keep in touch through email/mobile/internet chat/Skype.

I have no regrets and I am completely satisfied and content with the lifestyle. But I knew this would be the case as I semi-retired in 1988, sold everything and travelled and worked part-time, for two and a half years and only stopped because daughter diagnosed with cancer which forced the adoption of a more 'sensible, stable' lifestyle and ultimately forced me to buy a property and get a full-time job.

I do a couple of months farm work each year for the exercise, different routine, mixing with younger (backpacker) generation and the money is always welcome

[edit: whoops sorry .... forgot to welcome you to the forum - you will get some good info from this mob ]

Cheers - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Monday 25th of March 2013 11:52:11 AM

buffy61 · Senior Member

We are just about to head out and do the same. Have sold the house. Bought caravan and tow vehicle.
I too am a nurse and will be looking for short term nursing contracts as we travel.
Would love to hear of others that have nursed their way around Oz re agencies to use etc.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Welcome to the forum Pomgonewalkabout!

This was discussed recently, heres the link..

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t53083589/financial-matters/

Best wishes!

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Welcome to the forum - and there are no regrets on our part - love the life ont he road.

pawsoz · Senior Member

ok here is a slightly different take on same question - I don't have anything to sell up, due to ill health for a number of years I have little by way of 'super' at present I am parked up at a friends, in her driveway, and she has invited me to stay there for at least the rest of the year, until my mature age study has been completed and hopefully I may have a few more $$ in the bank.....

I guess my dilemma is when I leave here do I stay on the road searching for work as I travel slowly - I have no family so no kids to fall back on if things went badly wrong...

annie

swinks · Member

pawsoz if things went pear shaped we would never rely on the kids so you could not rely on them anyway.kids drain the crap out me so do the grandkids. mate were all on our own may as well enjoy yourself.

Grams · Guru

We are selling up, we have already got our tug and have just bought our van. The reason we are selling is the place is too big and the gardens are just too much for us. Our youngest daughter is 17 in November and will finish school next year, so we are waiting for this then she is staying with her older sister to do TAFE studies. So when this happens and the house is sold we are gone.

We plan on coming back for special events, but otherwise full time nomads.

pauline · Guru

Have always thought we were becoming grey nomads but on thinking about it, I suppose we are what you would call itinerant workers as we travel around this great country in our van but we are guided as to where there is work and tend to stay for up to 6 months at a time, building up the cash reserves and then heading off to the next job with some sightseeing on the way............we had no house to sell so our motto is "have van will travel " our 1at year is coming up in about 10 days.

Pomgonewalkabout · Newbie

I suppose we have in a way already been Nomads having given up our jobs in Sydney in 2005 to live first of all in Leigh Creek then Mount Surprise in FNQ. Just thinking if we can do it permanently whilst working.

Dunmowin · Guru

We sold up everything, house and contents, and moved out on the road in July 2011. Have not looked back!

pauline · Guru

We are.............

Gerty Dancer · Guru

pauline wrote:
We are.............

What Pauline? Not "looking back" surely?

pauline · Guru

Pomgonewalkabout wrote:
I suppose we have in a way already been Nomads having given up our jobs in Sydney in 2005 to live first of all in Leigh Creek then Mount Surprise in FNQ. Just thinking if we can do it permanently whilst working.

No looking back Gerty, just meant we are doing it while working........

beiffe · Guru

I sold my house and hit the road Oct 2008.

Never regretted it for a moment. Best decision I made and wish I had done it years ago.

Kids are just waiting for the inheritance so spending as fast as I can and loving every minute of it.

if you et on OK with your kids then Ok perhaps organise return visits but if they are like mine I usually organise to sneak past as quietly as possible.

I find that work is offered just about every where you go and I hear that nurses nannies and general help is welcomed everywhere.

I often stay in an area for extended periods but I do mainly voluntary work or sometimes just stop somewhere with permission and then help them do farm work and general labour work whilst there.

I do have skills but prefer to do other stuff to expand my knowledge and learn something new (never to old you know).

If you want work and ask in the right places you will not find it hard to get that work. Often harder to get away once you get known in the area if you are good at your work.

I find the travel experience is enhanced when you travel slowly and help people as you go along. My first 5 months I traveled from Brisbane to Venus bay SA and then returned to Vic after the 2009 fires and have hardly been out of Victoria and NSW since.

Enjoy you travels and approach each day as a challenge and you will enjoy yourself.

Regards
Brian

vixen · Veteran Member

Can't really comment just yet we have only been full time Grey Nomads for 10 days!!!

We didn't own a house and sold/gave away most of our possessions that wouldn't fit in the van and car - already regretting getting rid of some things (only small crafty things, though) from talking to a lady who is making items from stuff I gave away (I can't see a use for these - shouldn't have tossed anything!!)

How long does it take to lose the feeling that this is life and not a holiday?

blaze · Guru

We left home (it will always be home, my youngest son is in care taker mode) in Tassie in jan 2011. so far we basicly drove to wa and have spent 12 months in Albany, 12 months in perth, now in broome for a couple of years. Work hasn't been hard to find. I am a diesel fitter but reluctant to work in my trade and the wife is in age care. We venture back home for a month each chrismas. There have been some stress ful times but no more than if we had been at home. Met a lot of people who we keep in touch with. Seen an a lot of aussie that some people don't get to see and when they lay me down for the final time I will have no regrets.
cheers
blaze
we are both 52 years young or old dependant on the day