Retirement, Recovery & the Road Ahead

Retirement has been interesting — for want of a better word.

I officially retired on 19 December 2025, and just five days later, on the 24th, I became unwell. It wasn’t until Australia Day (26 January) that I truly felt well. I’m still very tired and run down, and the virus hit hard — not helped by having Influenza A in October and pneumonia in November. And, as my boys keep reminding me… I am getting old!

The upside of not being able to do very much is that I’ve had plenty of time to plan. And plan I have!

At the moment, the idea is to leave Sydney at the beginning of August, flying to Vienna via Dubai or Oman (still undecided but leaning towards Oman), and then spend around four months traveling throughout Europe.

I have a river cruise booked, a cruise on a working ship up the coast of Norway and into the Arctic Circle (and back again), and another cruise from Denmark to Iceland, returning via the Faroe Islands. Sadly, it’s the wrong time of year to see puffins — but I will just have to go back again.

There’s also a trip through the Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — a journey to the very top of Scotland including the Orkney Islands, and a visit to Türkiye. In between, I’ll be spending time in Scandinavia: Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland and the Balkans: Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia… so far.

It sounds like a lot — and it probably is — but I know I need to travel slowly. Between each organised trip, I’ve deliberately left space for rest and recovery. The only tight connections are between cruises, so I know I can manage it all without wearing myself out.

Before all of that, though, comes another adventure.

In March, my oldest son Ian and I are heading to South Africa on safari. It’s something that’s always been on my bucket list — something I never really thought I’d get to do — and yet, here we are. We’ll also be spending a few days in Cape Town, which I’m very much looking forward to.

This blog is about travel, yes — but it’s also about new beginnings, facing fears, slowing down, and discovering what comes next.

Until next time, enjoy your story — wherever it takes you.