OUR PEOPLE
Couple cruises into retirement While the life of a grey nomad was appealing, one couple wanted to step their retiremenet up a notch. GLENIS GREEN meets some nomads who have discovered a life packed with adventure after heading for the water.
D
oing their sums and taking the plunge to retire early, Geoff and Leanne Peters decided to swap the lure and freedom of the open road for something a little more cruisy. So rather than hauling a caravan – with all the stresses and demands of driving long distances – this enterprising
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couple flew to England, bought a motorboat and have spent almost half of the last four years cruising the rivers, canals and coastlines of Europe. It was quite the change of pace for Geoff, 60, and Leanne, 59. In fact it was a dream lifestyle – cruising on their boat, spending another
portion of their year on cruise ships where Geoff was in demand doing maritime history speaking presentations, and then the rest of the time house and pet sitting in idyllic locations. That was until Covid-19 put a temporary halt to their luxury gypsy lifestyle. Making the most of the hiatus, they spent the festive season at a rented unit on the Sunshine Coast, busily planning their next round of adventures , ready to go as soon as the pandemic is brought under control. “There are worse places to be marooned,” grins Geoff, while Leanne admits it is frustrating, but they are philosophical about it and making the most of it. Geoff has joined the local coastguard to hone his boating knowledge and help out. Always full of great ideas and extremely tenacious in carrying them through, Geoff began his career in the Navy at the tender age of 15 before moving into work at the tax office. He later worked for the Endeavour Foundation, and then moved on to local
government. Leanne, whose background was in the army, met Geoff by chance at a social dinner when they were both living in Toowoomba. Sparks flew and last month on Australia Day they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. Geoff says their lifestyle since they bit the bullet and retired early in 2016 has
“It’s a thrifty lifestyle, with mooring fees much cheaper than in Australia” been nothing short of amazing, including meeting a range of wonderful new friends and high flyers. They have even ended up rubbing shoulders with the stars at Wimbledon and meeting the director of Les Miserables at a theatre in London, who took them for a personal back stage tour. Leanne is particularly enamoured with their occasional pet and house
Brisbane
28/01/2021 10:30:48 AM
