In the late 1970s, my parents did something that, at the time, seemed radical. They sold our family farm in Mudgee, packed five children into a campervan, and spent the better part of a year driving across the United States. It was an education that didn’t happen in a classroom, and my children’s headmaster later crystallized the same philosophy when he told me, “Education doesn’t stop at the school gates.”
For my parents, that trip was an anomaly. For my generation, it is becoming a movement.
We are witnessing the rise of the “Golden Gap Year,” a demographic shift where older travellers, and specifically women, are claiming the freedom they deferred in their youth. A new report recently released by Intrepid Travel confirms what I have observed anecdotally through my close friends and work as Editor of Women Love Travel: 80 percent of Australians over 55 never took a traditional gap year. We were the generation that moved seamlessly from university to employment, to mortgage, to motherhood. The “pause” button was simply never pressed.
But as the data suggests, the regret is palpable, and the correction is underway. Nearly two-thirds of this demographic are now considering “making up for lost time.” Many of my friends and three sisters are among them, and I’m even on a What’s App group called “My Golden Gap Year.”
As for me, while I had a gap year at 18, I then spent decades building a career and raising my two sons, both of whom are now living overseas, perhaps proving that the wanderlust gene is hereditary. I also find myself in that statistical sweet spot because I am travelling more now than I ever did in my 20s, and arguably, I am travelling better because it’s slower, more considered and I daresay I’m much more grateful for the experience.
Interestingly, the Intrepid data notes that 40 per cent of older travellers report a deeper appreciation for different cultures now than they did in their young adulthood, while 32 per cent feel more confident and open to new experiences. This resonates deeply. When I recently enjoyed a trip to Cambodia where I stayed at Six Senses Krabey Island and rode pillion behind an armed anti-poaching ranger in the jungles surrounding Shinta Mani Wild, I felt liberated. I had a feeling of clarity and capability that my younger self might have lacked.
My next itinerary, a journey through South America with Intrepid Travel is with my husband of 30 years Jo. We are heading to the Ibera Wetlands and Iguazu Falls as we celebrate our milestone wedding anniversary together. There’s none of the hedonism of trips we’d had in our twenties as we flew to Ibiza for a weekend, it’s more of a “structured adventure” that appeals to our 60+ life stage. We are trading backpacks for small-group expeditions, seeking safety without sacrificing the thrill of the unknown. But enjoying a challenge never goes away and I’m determined to hit the dance floors in the tango rooms in Buenos Aires.
So, for me the “gap year” is no longer the province of the school leaver. Rather my generation has reclaimed it and for a good reason; we finally have the time, the resources, and perhaps most importantly, the wisdom to truly appreciate it.
The Golden Gap Year: By The Numbers
The Research
- 80% of Australians aged 55+ never took a traditional gap year.
- 67% have considered “making up for lost time” later in life.
- 62% say they would take 12 months off to travel if given the chance.
- 40% have a deeper appreciation for different cultures now than in their 20s.
The Competition Intrepid Travel is giving away a “Golden Gap Year” to one Australian aged 55+.
- The Prize: A 12-month adventure designed by you and an Intrepid Adventure Consultant.
- Value: Up to $100,000 in trips + $25,000 for flights.
- How to Enter: Submit a written application or video sharing why you missed out the first time and why you are ready now.
- Deadline: Entries close 11:59pm, 15 March 2026.
Enter here: intrepidtravel.com/golden-gap-year