As more and more baby boomers enter retirement age, we are seeing an increased interest in “adventurous” retirement destinations. This generation of retirees is more intent on taking advantage of their free time and enhancing their lifestyles than they are on slowing down. As a general rule, baby boomers in their 50s and 60s are active, adventurous, and keen on getting every drop of living out of their golden years.
No longer does retirement mean moving straight to Florida to play canasta by the poolside in your fuzzy slippers, eat discount senior buffets for supper every day at 4 p.m., and go to bed by 8. There has been a shift in the concept of retirement in the past decade or so, and many seniors are looking to foreign countries and exotic locales for an exciting “lifestyle change” upon their retirement. A popular destination, especially for seniors with plenty of savings and a healthy income, is Australia. For seniors seeking comfortable, active, and interesting retirement villages Perth WA is a great place to begin your search.
A move to Australia (many call it “the Sea Change”) can be an invigorating lifestyle change for older adults. The country’s 3 million square miles only hosts a population of 21 million, ensuring that the beauty of the natural world dominates the landscape once outside of large metropolitan areas. The variety of Australian wildlife is astounding, with many species found wild only in Australia (though you may have seen them in zoos in the States!). In addition, international studies have found that average life expectancy is high in Australia, and stress levels are far lower than most areas in the US and Europe.
If you are one of the adventurous new baby boomer retirees looking to move overseas, consider Australia’s many high-end retirement villages, found in scores of locations across the continent. Australia is blessed with a wide range of desirable retirement locations. You may enjoy the warm, Eden-like atmosphere of Toowoomba or the friendly, small-town feel of Noosa in Queensland. If you enjoy a more historical environment, Echuca on the Murray River boasts a history as a paddle steamer town, and Queenscliff is an historical port at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay. And if you’re looking for a wide variety of different Western Australian retirement villages Perth WA may have just what you are looking for.
The retirement communities in Western Australia range from densely populated neighborhoods with small, apartment-like homes to sprawling suburban communities with lots of wide open spaces and expansive family homes. Among its retirement villages Perth WA even offers eco-friendly communities for those baby boomers who want to live green. St Ives Mandurah, for example, is an idyllic eco-friendly retirement village – surrounded on three sides by water – that blends in beautifully with its surrounding environment. The homes in St. Ives Mandurah boast such elements as natural stone, iron and local timbers, harmonizing beautifully with their natural surroundings. The community has a nature trail and boardwalk around a peaceful lagoon and along the riverside as well
The city of Perth – Western Australia’s state capital – is located on the splendid Swan River, and is surrounded by spectacular outback landscapes, beautiful vineyards, and warm, uncrowded Indian Ocean beaches. The region surrounding Perth boasts beautiful coastal beaches, a Mediterranean climate (with over 3,000 hours of sun per year), and a laid back lifestyle. Western Australia itself offers seniors adventure and outdoor recreation galore, such as water sports on its many beaches, hiking in the lush green forest of Kings Park, visits to wineries, tours exploring the caves near Margaret river, and snorkeling along Ningaloo Reef
One note: Retirement to Australia may be an exciting idea, but before you get too invested in the notion, be sure to check out the Australian Retirement Visa requirements. Unless they have family members who are Australian citizens, Americans hoping to move to Australia in their retirement must have large sums of cash or assets that they will be transferring to Australian accounts, and be ready to purchase properties or make investments of $500,000 and up. Check out the retirement visa requirements here.
So, if you are a recent retiree, and want to forgo the staid, predictable lifestyle of retirement to the American Sunbelt, consider making the Sea Change. You can find an adventurous lifestyle in a beautiful and exciting retirement village in the “Land Down Under.”
Originally posted 2013-07-27 12:50:48.