Senior travellers enjoying the views after hiking Kings Canyon Rim trail, Red Centre – Australia

The Independent Senior Travellers

Our Story

Welcome to The Independent Senior Travellers.

For more than sixty years, we have explored the world as independent travellers, creating unforgettable memories through road trips, hiking adventures, and authentic travel experiences. This website shares our favourite destinations, practical travel tips, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.

The first fifty years of our lives were spent in Germany, where we developed a lifelong love of hiking, nature, wildlife, wildflowers, and mushroom foraging.

Our early travels took us throughout Europe, from Denmark in the north to the former Yugoslavia in the south. Flying was uncommon in those days, so most journeys were made in our trusty Volkswagen Beetle. Travelling by car gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace and discover places beyond the usual tourist routes.

At the age of fifty, we migrated to Australia and began exploring this remarkable country. Retirement opened even more opportunities to travel, taking us throughout Australia and on to New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and North America. Wherever we travelled, we sought beautiful landscapes, memorable hiking trails, fascinating wildlife, and genuine encounters with local people and cultures. Although we have slowed down a little over the years, our curiosity and passion for discovering new places remain as strong as ever.

Why We Choose Independent Travel

Independent travel has always given us the freedom to create journeys that reflect our own interests and pace.

Planning a trip is part of the adventure. Long before we leave home, we enjoy researching destinations, studying maps, reading about local history and culture, and discovering scenic walks and hiking trails. Arriving well prepared allows us to experience far more than simply visiting the major tourist attractions.

Travelling independently also gives us complete flexibility. We can change our plans whenever we choose, spend extra time in places we love, and avoid rushing from one destination to the next.

Rather than staying exclusively in hotels, we often choose holiday homes, cabins, caravan parks, and motorhomes. Preparing our own meals, enjoying a barbecue, or sharing a camp kitchen with fellow travellers often becomes just as memorable as the destinations themselves.

Over the years, we have travelled by car, rental car, motorhome, ferry, train, and plane. While independent travel remains our preferred style, we occasionally join local day tours or hire expert guides to gain a deeper understanding of a destination’s history, culture, and hidden gems.

Above all, independent travel gives us something we value most—the freedom to explore, the flexibility to follow our curiosity, and the opportunity to create lasting travel memories.

Explore Our Travel Destinations

Australia – Our Home and Adventure Playground

After moving to Australia more than 40 years ago, this remarkable continent quickly became—and still is—the perfect place for us. As outdoor people, we love hiking, nature and a good beach, and over the years we have explored almost every corner of this vast country, always looking for adventure and enjoying the wonderful people we met along the way.

We have loved hiking in Tasmania, exploring the tropical north and driving through the colourful landscapes of the Red Centre. We flew into the Bungle Bungles and walked among the iconic beehive-shaped domes, canoed the Ord River in the Kimberley, and snorkelled on both the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef.

Hiking in Western Australia was another unforgettable experience—although we were rarely on time because we had to stop constantly to photograph the spectacular wildflowers. Australia has also given us the chance to experience its rich wildlife, discover Aboriginal rock art dating back more than 20,000 years, explore its endless coastline and camp in beautiful national parks.
And whenever we needed a break from nature, Australia’s vibrant cities were never far away.Explore Australia

Europe – History, Culture and Scenic Journeys

Europe – History, Culture & Scenic Journeys

This is not a European travel guide, but a collection of our travel memories. After many years living in Australia, we returned to Europe to revisit places we loved, explore destinations we had missed, and catch up with family and friends. In Germany, we returned to Nuremberg and Franconian Switzerland, remembering the wonderful hikes, spring wildflowers and relaxing stops at traditional pubs. We finally explored Berlin, once a divided city that we had never visited. What a fantastic surprise it was—a vibrant and exciting capital filled with history, impressive architecture, museums and a lively atmosphere unlike any other city we visited.

Greece brought us ancient history and beautiful islands, while Istanbul became one of the most fascinating and enjoyable cities we have ever visited—although three days were far too short.
Explore Europe

New Zealand – A Land of Natural Wonders
Having spent years escaping the summer heat of our home in Tasmania, New Zealand has become our absolute favorite retreat. While many flock straight to the rugged dramatic wilderness of the South Island—with its spectacular ocean-to-mountain landscapes, with fjords, rainforests, wild coastlines and glacial peaks. We enjoyed hiking and kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park, exploring Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound, walking around Lake Wānaka and Lake Tekapo, and wildlife spotting in Kaikōura and the wild Catlins.
As seniors, we found the North Island’s gentler terrain much better suited to our pace compared to the South’s challenging hikes. It offers a wonderfully warm, relaxed atmosphere with incredible variety: rich Māori culture and geothermal wonders in Rotorua, golden beaches in the Coromandel, scenic walks through Tongariro National Park, vibrant city life in Wellington, and world-class wine surrounding Napier’s striking Art Deco architecture.
Explore New Zealand

North America – Scenic Drives and Hiking Adventures

North America – Alaska & Canada: A Nature Lover’s Dream

For us as nature lovers, a dream came true with a journey through Alaska and Canada. Originally planned as one big trip, it eventually became two unforgettable adventures.

First came a Inside Passage. Instead of joining a large cruise ship, we took the ferry from Bellingham to Juneau, travelling close to the mainland and stopping at small, remote hamlets along the way. With only around 400 passengers, a small cabin, cafeteria, restaurant and saloon bar, plus ranger talks about wildlife and local life, the three-day journey was heaven for us. In Juneau, we spent another three days exploring breathtaking Mendenhall Glacier and watching a black bear catching salmon.

A year later, we continued with Canada. We hired a motorhome in Vancouver and travelled through the spectacular national parks towards Banff, hiking around Emerald Lake and to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse above Lake Louise. After relaxing in Banff‘s hot springs, we followed the magnificent Icefields Parkway to Jasper, stopping at Peyto Lake and the Columbia Icefield. Back towards the coast, we went mushroom foraging in Wells Gray Provincial Park, explored beautiful Vancouver Island, and finished our journey with a Zodiac boat trip from Victoria to spot orcas.
Explore North America

Southeast Asia – Culture, Temples and Great Rivers

Southeast Asia – Culture, Adventure and Wonderful People

We travelled through several Southeast Asian countries, each different and fascinating in its own way, and loved every trip. What we remember most are the wonderfully friendly and helpful people—especially their kindness towards seniors.
I must have aged since my previous visit! At airports, staff regularly took me out of the check-in queue and moved me to priority check-in, often asking, “Do you need a wheelchair?” No, thank you—I was still walking four to six kilometres every day! In busy cities, friendly locals would even take your hand and help you safely cross the road.
We loved the fascinating cultures, delicious and sometimes surprising food, vibrant cities and beautiful countryside. Staying in small hotels also gave us the opportunity to get to know the local staff and experience the warmth of Southeast Asian hospitality.
Vietnam offered unforgettable highlights, from Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter and the limestone landscapes of Ninh Binh to a Ha Long Bay cruise, vibrant Ho Chi Minh City and the fascinating waterways of the Mekong Delta.
From Vietnam, we made a short but exciting trip to charming Luang Prabang in Laos. Highlights included golden temples, an unforgettable Royal Ballet performance and a Tiger Trails hike to a Khmu village and Tad Sae Waterfall.
Not being the youngest traveller anymore, I joined my first-ever guided tour in Cambodia, visiting Siem Reap before continuing on a Mekong River cruise to Saigon, Vietnam. In Siem Reap, the highlights included the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat, a traditional Apsara dance performance and a visit to the floating villages of Tonlé Sap Lake. The Mekong River cruise offered another fascinating experience, with excursions revealing the ever-changing life along one of Asia’s great rivers.