New statistics reveal that there has been an increase in cosmetic surgery among those 55 and older to enhance their look from head to toe. The rise of dating websites and apps have changed the dating scene. This is leading singles to make judgments on potential dates as fast as they can swipe their screen. With millions of Boomers actively using at least one of these dating services, they want to look their best. They want to feel confident in the modern dating world. This phenomenon is happening all over the world.
Subtle Changes from Cosmetic Surgery
“I’ve definitely noticed more baby boomers making appointments to explore which cosmetic surgeries can help them look as young as they feel,” said Anne Taylor, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon. “They’re not necessarily looking to turn back the clock to their twenties, but just to make some subtle changes to put their best face forward. For example, a lot of my patients have expressed concerns about their neck or double chin, especially when it comes to looking downward to take a photo or video chat on their phones.”
Dr. Taylor says boomers are interested in a wide range of procedures, both surgical and minimally invasive. The statistics show that surgeries such as liposuction (up 4%), hair transplantation (up 18%) and breast augmentation (up 4%) were popular among older patients. Smaller tweaks to freshen their look, such as Botox (up 3%) and fillers (up 3%) also increased significantly among those 55 and older.
There’s a multitude of different cosmetic surgeries you can do to feel like yourself again!
Regain Your Confidence
55-year-old Jody Pinkerton says she chose to have a tummy tuck and breast augmentation to help her feel more like herself. After her divorce, her new look also gave her the confidence to create an online dating profile and begin meeting new people. “Online dating can be scary, and you really need to be able to put yourself out there. People are initially judging you on a few photos, and I wanted to make sure I could have current photos that really represented who I am and made a good first impression.”
Having the courage to explore the modern dating scene eventually led Pinkerton to her husband, who she met online. “I have found my soulmate, and I don’t know if our paths would have ever crossed had I not been on that site,” she said.
Says Dr. Taylor, “My boomer patients are confident and accomplished men and women, and they just want to look in the mirror and see the person they feel they are inside. Finding the right cosmetic procedures can give them that extra boost of confidence when venturing into a new chapter of their lives.”
Feel like other gyms with their loud doof doof music and their selfie-takers are not for you? Then say hello to Club Active. This is a place specifically designed for you.
Club Active was created by Founder and Managing Director, Jonathan Freeman, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. He’s also a respected speaker on the benefits of exercise as medicine. Jonathan saw a need to provide a different kind of gym for the over 50s – that put wellness first and offered more support than a regular gym. Let’s be real here, this is the type of gym we always wanted but it didn’t exist – until now. Club Active is a unique chain of health and fitness centres for the over 50s, with a vision to change the way we age. And, they do this in a safe, fun and non-intimidating environment with the average age across its clubs being 62.
The facilities comprise of modern, spacious, light-filled open areas of medical-grade gym equipment, group fitness areas, cardio equipment, weights and other recreational areas designed to cater for all levels of health and fitness. So, if you are in the ripe part of your life, and want to get fit or keep fit, or use exercise to help mediate an illness, then this is a compelling proposition.
How is Club Active Different to Other Gyms?
Club Active is not like the traditional gym set-up with personal trainers, instead it is staffed with allied health professionals, including accredited exercise physiologist, dietician and physiotherapist. The university-trained exercise physiologists design and monitor tailored exercise programs for you that are housed on a Club Active ‘key’. This key allows the member to follow the program easily as it will only work on the machines programmed for that specific member and their goal.
The community aspect is also a big winner. Club Active offers a more ‘club’ feel, providing social engagement and connection. Individuals who live on their own or are limited in their ability to get out and about, love this about Club Active. It is a sense of belonging to a ‘community.’ This is a different feel to the fast-paced ‘swipe in, swipe out’ gyms. Club Active wants Baby Boomers to stay socially connected as loneliness can lead to disrupted sleep patterns, elevated blood pressure, increased cortisol levels. It can also lead to isolation and depression. Contact with your community also maintains cognitive function. We all know the benefits of exercise. But for Silvers, there are added benefits. Exercise can prevent and manage chronic conditions. And, strength and fitness mean Silvers can maintain an independent lifestyle.
Club Active, the gym for over 50s
Rebates and Incentives
There are government incentives and rebates through the Department of Veteran Affairs, as well as Medicare, private health insurance and NDIS. Because physical inactivity is the second largest cause of chronic disease and ill-health in Australia, the government wants Silvers to get into places like Club Active. The membership team can help you with this, so pop in or call. Remember, you are never too old to start and there has never been a better time to join a gym.
Who Should Come to Club Active?
Anyone who wants to take a proactive approach to their health to ward off or delay the onset of the various diseases associated with ageing. Great candidates are those who simply want to feel stronger, or lose weight, or keep mobile. The allied health professional team at Club Active can also help those who have diagnosed health conditions – for example diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart conditions, asthma etc. Or, those who have injuries or need pre/post-operative care to assist in the management of symptoms.
What do Club Active Members Like Best?
According to surveys done by Club Active, women generally love the Group Fitness Classes – Groove, Move & Tone, Pilates. This is while the men are generally enjoying their tailored program designed by an exercise physiologist – and perhaps a Strength Group Class.
One of the many fitness classes available at Club Active
Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults
Stats about the over 50s:
Only one in 10 exercises enough to gain any cardiovascular benefit.
70% older people are overweight or obese.
Physical inactivity (low levels of physical activity) is the fourth leading cause of death.
The seven diseases most closely linked to physical inactivity (in descending order)
Diabetes
Bowel and uterine cancer
Dementia
Breast cancer
Coronary heart diseases
Stroke
Case Study
Lindy Lynch is 58. She has been a member since Club Active opened in May 2017. I was first referred to Club Active by my doctor. I had worked at a computer for a long time at my job and had some back problems. Jonathan at Club Active did some Exercise Physiologist (EP) work on me to help get me right again. After I retired, I continued to go to Club Active three times a week with my husband. He’s actually eligible under the Veterans Affairs’ benefit.
I love working on the machines, my routines are designed around my back issues. I have been able to build up my strength immensely and get back on the rower, which I hadn’t been able to do for years – but also because I was too scared. When you are told you have a bad back and you can’t do things anymore, you tend to believe it. But you don’t have to live like that. I have built up my strength with weights, which I love. The weight machines there are assisted and medical grade so it is easily controlled and you always feel safe. Now that I am well again, I will definitely continue going for maintaining my wellbeing.
Part of my regime is a lot of stretching. This strengthens my core. I find if I don’t do this, my muscles let go a little, and my back issues return. As I have become fitter and stronger, life becomes easier. I was at the point where I couldn’t get up off the lounge chair without using my hands, I could not get off the floor, and I could not roll over in bed. Now, I can just get up without struggle. It has been amazing.
Lindy Lynch enjoying exercise at Club Active
Here’s Why Club Active is for YOU
The benefits you can expect from attending a Club Active facility is the guidance, encouragement and assistance you’ll receive to stay fit, healthy and mobile. This will enable you to enjoy your lifestyle for longer – whether that be playing golf, gardening, being able to pick their grandkids up or get down on the floor and play with them or go on holidays.
Have you inherited the “family silver” and just stashed it away in a wardrobe somewhere? Well, it is time you looked carefully at that stash of heirlooms – especially if you have Irish relatives above you in your family tree.
Do you have a stash of ‘family silver’ hidden in your garage? Have you just stored it away, not knowing what to do with it? Well now is the time to look at it again. You might have a piece of valuable Irish silver. And, demand for these pieces is going through the roof.
Irish Silver Antiques
Antique silver items have always grabbed the attention of collectors. But recently, the price of Irish silver antiques has shot up. This is because collectors have worked out that Irish silver heirlooms are 100 times rarer than English silver made at the same time. And value is always connected to scarcity. Of all the valuable Irish antique silver items that are being traded across the world, the vast majority were made in Dublin.
Prices for items made in the capital are rising. But if you can get your hands on silver made outside the capital, you are onto a winner. Provincial Irish silver is becoming incredibly valuable. Silver items made in cities such as Cork and Limerick in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries are the prize catch. If you find something made in Kinsale, then you really have hit the jackpot. Many people in the New World with Irish heritage are starting to cotton on.
Finding Irish silver heirlooms can mean payday has come. Items that were bundled up and ferried from Ireland to America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on ships decades ago, can have extraordinary value. And the good news is that if you do find some Irish silver in your stash, you can sell it on the internet to collectors all over the world who are hungry for it. Is it time to check your own heirloom stash?
What Heirlooms to Look For
Silver items have always been a “thing” in Ireland. Of course, possessing such items was mainly a pursuit of the wealthy. And yet, middle-class Irish families still had stashes of heirloom silver that they hung onto and passed down through the generations. It is these hauls that could prove to be a bonanza. So you are now asking yourself, what do I look for? A good start is any tableware. This isn’t tableware that we would use today, necessarily. So here’s what you need to know.
Tankards
If you come across anything that resembles a silver cup, with a lid, then you could be onto a winner. Tankards were used on special occasions, and they were incredibly fashionable in Tudor times. The antique Irish silver tankard pictured is priced at over $10,000. Not only is it a rare 17th century item, it is hallmarked as Irish, which means it is way more valuable than an English equivalent.
Silver tankards were produced in the middle of the 16th century, and the Irish versions were copied somewhat from those found in Europe. Irish tankards can be very rare. The term only appears very occasionally in documents of the mid-16th century; hence their value as rare items increases.
Tankards don’t appear in old Irish wills that often, but they have been named in inventories of the household goods of grand houses and castles. For example, in 1590, paperwork from a castle records ‘two tankers gilt,’ valued at a substantial £10. An inventory of a 16th century Dublin merchant, Robert Fitzsimons, lists ‘1 silver tankard, double gilt’ and ‘1 small tankard.’ It leaves you wondering where these might be today.
An antique silver tankard heirloom
Where Are Tankards Today
Tankards are not something we use today, probably because of the inconvenience of the lid. So why the lid? There are many theories. Some say it was designed to keep poisons out that could be administered via a treacherous ‘friend.’ This method of enemy disposal became less ‘fashionable’ as time wore on, so eventually covers fell out of fashion.
Another theory is that the lid kept flies and fleas out of the vessel, important as plagues came and went. It might also have stopped the drink from spilling when things got raucous or when child servants carried the vessels. According to upper-class etiquette of the day, silver items like cups and plates were arranged on a sideboard, and the vessels were brought to the guests when needed. Drinks didn’t remain on the table; they were removed back to the sideboard until wanted again.
More Cups, Higher Social Status
Having a lid would have halted many potential spills in laps of very fancy ladies and gentlemen. (In great houses, a variety of cups were displayed on the cup horde, the more numerous and more magnificent the cups, the higher the social status of the family. A cup horde was a board or plank on which drinking cups were placed. These became open shelves constructed in steps and then of course, it became the ‘cupboard.’)
If there was a silver tankard in the Irish family silver, it did usually survive the cull when the owner died. So check out that family silver stash, you may get lucky. When it comes to going through your family heirlooms, something to note is that there may be a variety of drinking vessels that have value other than tankards.
Porringers
Another fashionable item in the late 16th century was for two-handled cups with covers. These were known as ‘porringers’ or ‘potingers.’ They were used for holding interesting-sounding liquids such as ‘spiced alcohol’ but also for the alarmingly-sounding ‘gruel concoctions.’ Mostly, this would be known today as porridge or soup.
Silver was a favourite for a long time for cups and goblets because people believed that precious metals were healthier to use than other metals or wood. In 1602, a Dr Vaughan, writing in his book Fifteen Directions for Health advised his followers that, “The cups whereof you drink should be of silver or silver and gilt.” (Gilt is when the centre is silver but the outside has been finished with a layer of gold.)
Tableware and Flatware
If you are really, REALLY lucky, you may have a marrow scoop amongst your heirlooms. This is something really rare, if you find one of these you are in big money territory. Pictured is a Kinsale marrow scoop. It is an extremely rare piece of early tableware, made in Kinsale circa 1750 by J&W Wall. Which means that only a very serious collector could buy this. It sold last year for $16,000 at an English auction.
Bone Marrow
So what was a marrow scoop used for in the 1700s and 1800s? To get the delicious marrow out of meat bones without abandoning table manners. In the 1600s, upper class diners invented new rules of etiquette. Forks appeared so that people would stop using their hands on cooked food so much. But forks didn’t do the job of getting the marrow out of bones.
Francis Hawkins (1628–1681) was an English Jesuit, known as a child prodigy and translator. He translated many etiquette books from French into English so that English speakers could read them. All of the books he translated were overly concerned with social behaviour.
Published in 1641, Youth’s Behaviour, or, Decency in Conversation amongst Men said, “Suck no bones. Take them not with two hands. Gnaw them not. Knock no bones upon thy bread, or trencher, to get out the marrow of them, but get out the marrow with a knife. To speake better, it is not fit to handle bones, and much lesse to mouth them.”
Marrow was quite the delicacy back then, a trend that has disappeared today. If you find a marrow scoop, get yourself to the nearest antiques dealer and fast. Especially if it was made in Kinsale.
Kinsale bone marrow scoop
Spoons
In terms of valuable antique silver “flatware” it doesn’t get better than a trefid spoon. But what is a trefid spoon anyway? Back in the 16th century, people didn’t have a cutlery draw. They actually had one spoon which they kept on themselves and they used it for every meal. The people who didn’t have a spoon had to use their hands to eat. But if you were lucky enough to have a spoon, and your spoon was made of something other than wood, you were really doing well in life.
The trefid spoon originated in France; the French call it pied de biche which translates as “deer’s foot.” Legend has it that Charles II of England, while in court in France, noticed they used a specific type of spoon. He immediately introduced it to Britain in 1660. Trefids became known as ‘the French fashion spoons’ and the style spread.
People brought their old spoons to the silversmith to have them melted down and re‑made into the new trefid style. In France spoons were laid face-down for table service. The design of the spoon is such that it sits easily facing down on the table. This is why crests or initials are on the back.
Drinking Vessels
Drinking vessels seemed to hold great importance to the Irish upper classes in the mid‑16th century. In this famous woodcut image of the Gaelic Irish MacSweynes seated at dinner, the drinking vessel shown is a large tankard with a lid, which we can only suppose is silver.
Woodcut image of the Gaelic Irish MacSweynes
What Heirlooms are Dealers Looking For?
Garrett Weldon is the owner of Weldon Irish Antique Silver, which has been in operation for 125 years in Dublin. So where are his rare and exquisite pieces of antique Irish silver coming from? “We have certainly seen pieces that have been hidden in attics for over 100 years, and people have only found them when they went to renovate. They find things that were hidden by their great aunt or by their great-grandmother. Or, alternatively, there are items that go down in the family line, that people would know as the ‘good silver.’”
Horrifyingly, some people have found silver in stashes in the attic and have not recognised their value as antiques. Instead they have had them melted down to sell as just plain old silver. Says Weldon, “The antique value of the silver, taking into account its age and condition, could be worth more than the silver content, which would be comparatively low. You have to also factor in that Irish silver would be 100 times rarer than English silver made at the same time. So for every Irish tankard available, you’d be able to find 100 English examples.”
Your heirlooms could be worth a lot of money!
Increasing Value in Heirlooms
Weldon says that through the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Americans and other emigrant Irish starting collecting Irish silver pieces. But as Ireland has become wealthier, Irish people have had the money to collect antique silver pieces too. This is why the value of heirlooms is going up: with the internet, anyone can view the pieces from anywhere in the world, buy it online, and have it shipped to them. Now collectors are finding it more competitive to get the items they want.
Says Weldon, “The world is now very small. With a website, people can find you, you are contactable, so national borders aren’t as big a deal as they were. People buy items online without seeing it first, as long as you have very detailed photos online with good descriptions. These items can be couriered within 48 hours.”
What Heirlooms Sell Well?
So what sells well? “The highest quality items are selling the fastest. That is, excellent quality, condition and rarity. We have a pair of spoons from the 1660s. Those are the rarest, earliest silver we have seen in 60 years. Think about how long they have survived – nearly 350 years. They are incredibly rare and incredibly early. By comparison, spoons from 100 years later are easily findable and plentiful. With the first glance, a novice might not know that there is something of extreme high value they have, mixed in amongst the rest of the spoons. The great danger is that the uniqueness might be missed. Be sure to go through the hallmarks, check online, educate yourself.”
The most common find in attics, according to Weldon, is tableware. So these are the things you need to keep an eye out for: teapots, tea sets, trays, knives, forks, spoons. All could be valuable treasures. So, it is time to check out your heirloom hauls that came over from Ireland with your grandparents.
What To Do If You Find Antique Silver Heirlooms
Since 1637, there has been a legal requirement to hallmark all silver sold in Ireland. This was brought in by King Charles I, and was intended then, as now, to be a form of consumer protection. The primary aim of a hallmark is a guarantee that the piece is sterling silver quality, that is 92.5% pure silver. The hallmarks also show who made the piece, in what year, and in which city. Irish silversmiths had to register with the Dublin assay office and submit an example of their maker’s mark; this has allowed people to research who made a particular piece, and when.
Irish hallmarks were stamped into the silver to show who made the item
Researchers have assembled lists of makers, giving us an almost comprehensive list of all the Irish silversmiths over the last 300 years. There are also several reference books which are very helpful, though some are out of print and have become collectors’ items in their own right! Good luck and may the silver odds forever be in your favour!
Examples of Heirlooms
Antique Irish Silver Tankard
This antique Irish silver tankard, made in 1772 by Charles Townsend of Dublin, is in very good condition with no damage or restoration. It is stamped with Irish silver hallmarks on the edge of the domed lid and on the body next to the handle. The asking price is $10,900.
Antique Irish silver tankard
Cake Basket
This George II Antique Irish Silver Cake Basket was made in Dublin in 1750 by Robert Calderwood. Large decorative items like this were used as a show of wealth and were rolled out when celebration cakes were presented. These are very popular today because they can still be used as attractive objects to display on a large table. Even when they were first made, they were very expensive items. Silver baskets were first produced in the 1730s, and early ones are rare. They were made more available in larger numbers from the mid-18th Century onwards. Irish silver was always popular so this cake basket dated at 1750 is quite the find. The asking price is a whopping $40,000.
Cake Basket heirloom
Trefid Spoon
This is an extremely rare Irish provincial trefid spoon, made in Kinsale. The spoon is stamped with two clear examples of the “W” within a heart. This is the maker’s mark for Joseph or William Wall. The spoon is in very fine original condition. It has a full shape bowl with a very tiny amount of wear to the tip. A pair of these spoons sold recently in Dublin for $45,000.
Trefid Spoon heirloom
Sugar Bowl
This rare Irish sterling silver George III era sugar basket was made in Dublin in 1799, by silversmith Randall Cashell. These days, they can range in price from $4,000 upwards, depending on the condition they are in. Silver baskets made excellent centrepieces across the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras. This is because the wealthy and middle classes became enamoured with dinner parties and dinner services as a means of displaying their wealth and taste. People of the era loved unusual types of dining pieces and serving items. The more unusual your pieces, the more cultured and knowledgeable you were perceived to be. Sugar baskets were a decorative novelty item, and were popular because of the demand for obscure items of silver tableware.
Sugar Bowl heirloom
Have you been intrigued by the olden Irish ways and their fantastic heirlooms? You will love to read our article about the monks who lived on Skellig Island off the coast of Kerry, Ireland.
Senior Addiction: Addiction Specialist Counselor Bronwyn Schlesinger explains the new addiction phenomenon that is affecting the senior demographic.
We’re now living longer and sport a ‘never divorce’ mindset. Our personal needs weren’t recognised as important when we got married last century. Surviving longterm relationships can be exhausting, if not agonising. Coping with difficult partnerships can result in addiction, with alcohol and prescription medication being most commonly abused in the post-war generation.
Humans need love, respect, safety, security and satisfaction. Living in an unhappy marriage creates anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue and even sexual dysfunction. Lack of intimacy, unequal responsibilities and domestic duties, verbal, emotional or physical abuse and communication breakdown can all bring stress and conflict irresolution.
Reassurance in the Form of Drugs?
Seeking comfort in drinking or drug taking can appear to be the only way to find relief in a domestic war zone. Our ‘just get on with it’ attitude doesn’t help. Finding help isn’t part of our value system. We can be pushed too far without anyone knowing.
With the pressures of business, money, job security and mortgages, burnout is always lingering around the corner. Therapy is only for the weak minded, or maybe it’s only for women. Nah, I’ll get through somehow on my own.
Alcohol and drug addiction can happen to anyone, including you
Senior Addiction Drug Literacy
While the young are drug and alcohol literate, addiction can creep up silently on the older generations. With more, or even less, time constraints, drinking can seep into every part of our day, with work meetings, breakup parties, golf days, boys’ nights, ladies’ luncheons.
While the more socially acceptable drugs including Valium, Xanax and Endone start off as legitimate medication for anxiety, sleep and pain issues, over-use can slip into drug seeking and doctor shopping. Other problem drugs include Lyrica, Fentanyl and Seroquel.
You may have spent years being a social drinker but it’s daily now. Before long, someone close to you is noticing your excessive drinking habits. Your partner is concerned about how many pills are in your bedroom draw. You don’t have a libido anymore, or you have erectile dysfunction. You start hiding booze in the garage and you’ve used up all your medication too quickly.
Long Term Consequences of Senior Addiction
The long-term consequences of drug and alcohol use, memory loss, paranoia and agitation also have their toll on relationships. This can compound the addiction by seeking out illegal stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine to keep up. Detoxing and doing rehab may be out of the question. Without a stable, supportive homelife, it’s impossible to get sober and stay clean.
Many families have reached breaking point and clients seeking detox are often forced into ultimatums. The threat of divorce, bankruptcy, loss of income or media exposure can drive clients to rehab. The long-term consequences of drug and alcohol use, memory loss, paranoia and agitation also have their toll on relationships. This can compound the addiction by seeking out illegal stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine to keep up.
The consequences of senior addiction can be deadly
Detoxing and doing rehab may be out of the question. Without a stable, supportive homelife, it’s impossible to get sober and stay clean. Many families have reached breaking point and clients seeking detox are often forced into ultimatums. The threat of divorce, bankruptcy, loss of income or media exposure can drive clients to rehab.
The Private Alternative
The thought of leaving home for 10 days to detox can be overwhelming. And you hate the idea of sharing a room or going to hospital. But by choosing a private and confidential addiction withdrawal service, you can feel like you’re on a retreat. The new-era in addiction centres means you can have all the luxuries of a hotel, with the medical attention of a hospital.
Private centres offer flexible programs, smaller numbers and a higher level of care compared with government or not-for-profit services. Drug and alcohol withdrawal is a specialised area of medicine. Even your GP may not be the best person to consult for addiction.
With 24-hour medical supervision and addiction counselling, you can absolutely get through to the other side and be back at work before you know it at Gold Coast Rehab and Detox Services. And you don’t have to do it tough. Private withdrawal centres prescribe medications to ease your withdrawal symptoms and help you get a good night sleep.
The modern, adapted rooms to give you the privacy you need to recover from senior addiction
Beautiful modern bathrooms
Lovely adapted living space
Pick Up The Phone
Gold Coast Rehab and Detox Services on the Gold Coast provide a comfortable and safe environment for a mature clientele. We offer stylish accommodation with a maximum of 4 clients at any one-time, private rooms with an ensuite, chef-prepared meals, experienced 24‑hour staff and a stunning beachfront view. The staff create a warm and caring environment to rest and recover. By the end of your program, you will be a new person.
If you are struggling with any of these issues please call now on 07 5559 5811 or 0476 468 860 for a confidential discussion and visit our website at www.goldcoastdetoxandrehab.com
Are you looking for a retirement life that offers travel, adventure, and meeting people from all over the world? Follow Geoff and Leanne on their round-the-world cruise retirement.
Ever dreamt of selling up, seeing the world, and cruising the waterways of Europe? Well retirees, Geoff, and Leanne, are doing just that. They are a very ordinary Australian couple who have stepped up to a “life less ordinary”. Here Geoff describes how it all came about and how anyone can enjoy a similar cruise retirement lifestyle.
How it Began
Our friends all say that we’re ‘living the dream’ but I can tell you that’s just not true. Our wonderful lifestyle is way better than anything we could have dreamed up. In a nutshell, we’re an Australian couple who retired early at the end of 2016. We bought a motorboat in England and now spend about five months each year cruising the rivers, canals, and coastlines of Europe.
The end to another fantastic cruise retirement day!
The balance of the year we spend exploring the world aboard luxury cruise ships for free, by giving speaking presentations to fellow passengers, as well as doing pet and housesitting assignments. So how did it all come about? We lived on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland enjoying a wonderful lifestyle and way back in 2009 we had the opportunity to spend two weeks cruising the rivers and canals in Burgundy, France.
“Why Return To Australia?”
Whilst there, we met many Brits, Aussies and Kiwis who have retired and spend time each year cruising around the canals aboard their boats. They usually return home when the thermometer drops. Now this was a lifestyle we wanted for ourselves. Australia, like the UK, is an expensive place to live. When we did the sums, it became clear that we couldn’t afford to maintain a home in Australia resigned to the fact that this lifestyle would remain out of our financial reach. That is, until one day when a friend casually said, “So why return to Australia? There are much cheaper places to live abroad!”
The seed was planted. We certainly didn’t expect anything to happen until we turned 60 at the earliest, but in mid-2016, (while we were in our mid 50’s), events conspired that led us to review our current circumstances. When we did, there was the realisation that if we were careful financially, we could bring our plans forward. In fact, we could, and we really should do this now while we were still healthy and active enough to enjoy the lifestyle.
Boat Shopping
We started looking for the perfect boat to suit our needs. We wanted a boat that was versatile enough that we could take it through the rivers and canals of Europe but also something that would be suitable if/when we wanted to venture out into open water and cruise around the coastlines of the Mediterranean countries.
After a lot of research, we soon came across Broom Boats. They are a well-known English manufacturer with a reputation for quality. We were immediately drawn to this boat due to its versatility. The radar arch folds down to reduce the air draft or height of the boat to fit under low bridges in Europe. And we loved the large aft owners’ cabin with its own ensuite and shower.
We viewed several boats online before choosing a Broom 39, from James Dickens Marine in Southampton. I flew to England in November 2016 to obtain a survey report and to conduct a sea trial for the boat, and when everything went very well, our purchase decision had been made.
Retirement
Christmas Eve 2016 was our first day of retirement. Leanne and I made plans to sell or give away all of our possessions (nothing went into storage). After that, we rented the house that had been our home for the previous 20 years. We said farewell to family and a large group of wonderful friends, and left with only one suitcase each to travel to the far side of the world.
The cruise retirement life is a fantastic side-mission!
The End Goal
The end goal was to have no fixed address for an indeterminate period of time. Just before I finished up at work, I attended a cruise ship conference in Sydney. I was asked to replace a speaker who was ill and make an impromptu presentation. Afterwards I was approached by a woman who explained her role within the cruise ship industry. She was tasked with finding interesting speakers to entertain passengers. She asked whether I would be interested in being a speaker.
We didn’t really expect anything to come of it, but just before we flew out of the country, she contacted me. She asked if I would be available to present six talks aboard a ship leaving Singapore for a 14-day Far East Asian cruise. When I submitted my six topics the cruise line came back and asked if I would be available to do an additional 14-day cruise. Of course, part of the deal is that my wife Leanne gets to accompany me on these cruises.
Cruise Retirement Life
Leanne and I left Australia in early February 2017 and as well as the cruises spent some time in Penang, Malaysia which is an expat retirement haven. We had visited several places in Asia looking for somewhere that felt comfortable and was affordable.
We found that Penang ticked all the boxes. Accommodation is cheap, the food is incredible and affordable. Penang has the benefit of being very central, and culturally diverse. Penang is an ex-British colony, which means that most people speak some English.
Boat Pick Up
Leanne and I arrived in Southampton, England to pick up our boat in May 2017. We renamed it Sunshine Coast in honour of our former home and started to get used to our new home. We had never operated a boat of this size before and it took a few voyages to get confident with handling her.
This is the life! Geoff and Leanne on their vessel
Sights to See on our Cruise Retirement!
We took our time cruising along the English Channel, stopping to explore places like Portsmouth, Brighton and Ramsgate. We passed the iconic White Cliffs of Dover, before heading towards the big one, London. It was such a thrill to cruise up the Thames, under London Bridge, Tower Bridge and all the other bridges. We cruised past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and into our berth for the next month at Chelsea Harbour Marina.
Cruising past the Big Ben on the River Thames, London
We had a magnificent time in London. We ended up being guests of the All England Lawn Tennis Club for the two weeks of Wimbledon where we got to enjoy some wonderful matches including the men’s semi-finals. Then, just again by fluke, we met the Director of Les Misérables, who invited us for a backstage tour.
Finally, we met a gentleman at Wimbledon who invited us to be his dinner guests at the Royal Thames Yacht Club. Our experience is that the more you put yourselves out there, the more opportunities come up for you.
Continental Europe
It was now time to start the retirement plan though, and cruise across to Europe. We had heard all the horror stories about the English Channel and Lea was extremely nervous about the crossing. Once again, we were lucky though, because early one morning in July while stuck in a dreary Ramsgate, the weather gods opened a window for us.
We decided to stick our nose out for a peek and found the conditions were good enough. We put the throttle down, arriving in Dunkirk two hours later, much to Lea’s relief. Our original plan had been to turn south at Dunkirk and head further into France. However, we befriended a Belgium couple on another boat at the Dunkirk Marina who said Belgium was very nice, so we changed plans and headed north. Our new friends were right.
We had a wonderful first season exploring the Belgium countryside visiting stunning cities like Kortrijk, Ghent, Brugge and Ypres. While in Belgium we took a side trip to Scotland. Before retiring I had assisted the Scottish Commonwealth Games team set up a pre-Gold Coast Commonwealth games training and acclimatisation camp.
Geoff and Leanne enjoying the final night of the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo
The team then invited Lea and I to be their guests at the last night of the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh in August 2017. Lea and I are both ex-military, so this was a huge highlight for us.
Winter Comes!
At the end of September, it started to get a bit chilly for us. So we put Sunshine Coast into hibernation at a marina in Antwerp. We had heard about people doing house and pet-sitting for people heading away on their own holidays, and decided to risk an investment of $200 on the site TrustedHousesitters.com.
We thought that if we were able to secure one week of petsitting and not have to pay for accommodation, it would have paid for itself. Within two weeks we had secured 23 weeks of pet-sitting in the UK and Cyprus. This is a win-win for everyone. Instead of the owners having to put their beloved pets into a home while they are away, we come in and care for the pets in their own environment. For us it’s great because we get to stay in some fantastic locations, at no cost.
We care for fur and feather families and getting our fix of unconditional love that only pets can provide. The only downside of our travels is not being able to have pets of our own, so we love the opportunity to pet-sit. Once we built up a reputation through references on Trusted Housesitters, we found that offers came in from all over the world.
We’ve been fortunate enough to pet-sit all over the UK, in Cyprus, Germany and Australia while on our cruise retirement journey. We’ve also had offers that unfortunately we couldn’t do, in places like St Kitts in the Caribbean, Whistler in Canada, the South of France and several places in the US. We have made some wonderful lifetime friends along the way.
Geoff and Leanne taking time off their cruise retirement in winter to pet sit
The Cruise Retirement Life
We have been enjoying this wonderful retirement lifestyle now for three and a half years. During that time, we’ve cruised our boat in England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany. Most of the rivers in Europe are connected and then interconnected by man-made canals. This was the way commerce used to be transported aboard barges before the introduction of trucks and trains.
The infrastructure is still there and usually free to use. Once again, we’ve made some wonderful friends and can’t get over how affordable it is to operate a boat in Europe compared to Australia. We simply can’t understand why more people aren’t doing this. Last season we spent most of our cruising season in Germany where the average marina cost for our 12 metre boat is about $18‑$26 moorings that we spent over 50% of our nights not paying anything. This included a berth right in the centre of Berlin.
Free mooring at Belgium – must be time for a drink!
People ask us if this cruising is similar to driving an RV or towing a caravan around. I suppose cruise retirement is in a way because you are travelling and visiting new places. However, while cruising the canals at 6 knots (the speed limit), you tend to take in everything around you and really appreciate your environment. You’re forced to truly relax. There is no worry of a road train hurtling towards you at 100kph or what will happen if a tyre blows.
Challenges in the Cruise Retirement
There are certainly some challenges with this lifestyle. We had to work out how to stay in the EU longer than just the three-month tourist visa would allow. Luckily, Australia has reciprocal agreements in place with several EU countries. We had to work out travel and health insurance, navigate language barriers and other issues. Yet, the enjoyment far outweighs the obstacles. In the end it is these challenges that build your experience and confidence and enhances the adventures.
Lecturing aboard cruise ships has been another wonderful experience. I didn’t have any public speaking or lecturing experience prior to retirement. I literally fell onto the speaking circuit because I had an interest in maritime explorers and adventurers. Last year Lea and I spent four and a half months circumnavigating the world aboard luxury cruise ships at no cost. Once again we met and befriended some incredible people and enjoying some sensational experiences along our the journey.
Proudly flying our flag in Germany!
In the beginning, Lea was very hesitant, first about retiring early, and then about leaving the Sunshine Coast. We had to name our boat Sunshine Coast so she could still live on the Sunshine Coast! She was very nervous about travelling to the far side of the world to live on a boat for the first time.
Everything we’ve done though, has led us to another wonderful experience or adventure which has, in turn led to another. Lea would now be the first person to say, that retirement was the best decision we have ever made.
Pet Sitting Opportunity
If you would like to try pet-sitting, then join Trusted Housesitters with the code RAF155789 to enjoy discounted membership. If you would like further information about the lifestyle contact Geoff or Leanne at Retiredafloat@gmail.com or their Facebook page Retired Afloat.
Do you love to travel, but would rather something a little more close to home? Check our this interesting article following Peter and Jan on their trout fishing journey in their caravan!
Pet’s Health: Could your aromatic scents and diffusers be harmful to your pet’s health?
Your house may smell like a summer flower garden, but your dog could be driven up the wall about it. The Animal Welfare League Queensland tells us what we need to know about your pet’s health. The popularity of oil diffusers has exploded. They are an easy way to release fragrant oils into your home. But lately, there has been an emergence of alarm about how these oils may affect pet health in the home. In their concentrated form, essential oils can be a danger for pets.
The Animal Welfare League: Looking our for Pet’s Health
Animal Welfare League Queensland (AWLQ) is here to assist us with keeping our furry companions happy and healthy around essential oils and diffusers. Essential oils are typically extracted from certain compounds within a plant and have a powerful fragrance or essence of that plant. For a long time, they have been a popular remedy for a number of ailments including nasal congestion, anxiety and sore muscles.
Essential Oils and Diffusers Affecting Your Pet’s Health?
People love their pets, so it is natural that people who also love their oils are seeking alternatives to other pet-cleaning or pampering products. Unfortunately, while many essential oils are beneficial for humans, they are often harmful to pets.
This also applies to oils that you are not placing directly on your pet but may be using in a diffuser. Some oils are more harmful than others however, there are several factors that affect this such as concentration level and what the product is mixed with. Due to the variability in concentration, formulation, and possible quality of essential oils, it is best to completely avoid directly applying them to your pet.
Be careful with diffusers around your pets
Harmful to Cats
Oils that are harmful to cats include, but are not limited to:
Wintergreen
Sweet birch
Citrus
Pine
Ylang ylang
Peppermint
Cinnamon
Pennyroyal
Clove
Eucalyptus
Tea tree
Thyme
Oregano
Lavender
Harmful to Dogs
Oils that are harmful to dogs include, but are not limited to:
Cinnamon
Citrus
Pennyroyal
Peppermint
Pine
Sweet birch
Tea tree
Wintergreen
Ylang ylang
Anise
Clove
Thyme
Juniper
Yarrow
Garlic
Symptoms
There are several common symptoms of poisoning in pets. A good rule of thumb as a pet owner is to stay alert if you see any changes of behaviour in your animal. Here are some other symptoms to watch out for:
Difficulty breathing
Drooling
Fatigue
Weakness
Difficulty walking or stumbling
Muscle tremors
Pawing at the mouth or face
Redness or burns on their lips, tongue, skin, or gums
Vomiting
Tips For Your Pet’s Health
If you think your pet has come into contact with an essential oil the key is to act fast and seek veterinary treatment immediately. Be sure to also follow these tips:
If the oil is on your pet’s fur or skin, wash it off immediately.
Do not give your pet any treatments without a vet’s approval.
Take the oil with you to the vet so they know what they are dealing with.
Using an oil diffuser for a short time period in a secured area – one that your dog or cat cannot access – is not likely to be an issue to your pet’s health. However, if your pet has a history of breathing problems, it may be best to avoid using one altogether. Keep in mind, that your pets have a much better sense of smell than we do, so something that seems light to us may be overwhelming to them. If you do decide to keep your diffuser, ensure that it is in a place where your pet cannot knock it over and potentially expose themselves to the oils. The best way to avoid exposing your pets to dangerous substances is always to err on the side of caution and by pet-proofing your space.
Make sure your pet’s health is in top shape!
September is National Desexing Month!
The National Desexing Network (NDN) is an initiative of Animal Welfare League Queensland. It is an Australia-wide referral system giving pet owners in financial need access to low-cost desexing. The goal is to end pet overpopulation by making desexing available and more affordable to pet owners who need it most. If you are a pet owner, you could be eligible for discounted desexing for your pet. Contact the NDN team on 1300 368 992 or visit ndn.org.au to find participating vets in your area.
Desex your pets this September!
Are you worried about your own health as well as your pet’s health? Check out this article about erectile dysfunction and see if you suffer from the symptoms included in the feature.
