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What is a Grey Nomad?

September 8, 2022

The term “grey nomad” refers to a subset of Australians, typically over 55, who spend most of their time travelling, usually in a caravan. Grey nomads will generally travel anywhere from weeks to years on the road at a time. These prolonged travel periods can cause some people to think that grey nomads live entirely on the road. However, most grey nomads are, for the most part, retired with a home and have a caravan for their long-term trips.

Learn what it means to be a grey nomad in this article as we look at how this group of adventurers travels around Australia, the best places to visit, and job opportunities that help maintain the grey nomad lifestyle. We’ll also include useful links to grey nomad forums where the broader community discusses various helpful topics.

Popular grey nomad destinations

The greatest appeal of the grey nomad lifestyle is adventure! Australia is a country of boundless beauty and outback, with vast and remote bushland covering around 70% of the continent. There are beautiful natural sights, diverse people, and exciting tourist destinations all over Australia.

Grey nomads typically plan their route according to the season. They might go to tropical Queensland during the winter, for example, and then move around as the weather changes.

There are many beautiful locations that grey nomads commonly visit in Australia, including:

Broken Hill, NSW

A fantastic location for visiting numerous mining museums as well as beautiful galleries.

Darwin, NT

Darwin, which is particularly lovely in winter, has a plethora of tourist attractions and is close to the magnificent Kakadu and Litchfield national parks.

Canberra, ACT

Enjoy your stay at Canberra’s many gorgeous campsites, such as Cotter Campground, located close to the stunning Brindabella Ranges or Namadgi Park. Other fantastic camping locations include the Wee Jasper Reserves and Brooklyn Springs Farm Escape.

Kimberley Region, WA

This area is surrounded by beautiful rocky ranges and has two tourist towns, Broome and Kununurra, that offer great history and tourist attractions.

River Red Gum Drive, VIC

Speckled with numerous camping spots and wineries, this 354-kilometre route offers a laid-back adventure.

Bedourie, QLD

A perfect spot for some rest and relaxation in the hot springs baths at Bedourie.

Kangaroo Island, SA

A spot full of Australian wildlife – Kangaroo Island offers koala-filled exploration sites and a fur seal colony at Seal Bay.

One of the most popular grey nomad adventures of all, sitting at the top of everyone’s bucket list, is The Big Lap.

The Big Lap Australia

The Big Lap, is a journey around the border of Australia using Highway 1. However, the Big Lap can also refer to a journey that includes each of Australia’s states. This trip also includes Tasmania, meaning many travellers use a ferry to bring their car or caravan to Tasmania and complete a lap from Launceston to Hobart and Freycinet before looping back.

Most grey nomads complete their lap around Australia within 10 to 12 months, allowing for plenty of time to enjoy the journey. One of the best ways to plan the Big Lap is to get involved with the grey nomad community.

Grey nomad vehicles

For grey nomads, a caravan is the best travel option, providing mobile accommodation, comfort, and functionality. Additionally, grey nomads prefer to opt for caravans due to their luxury comfort and robust off-grid capabilities.

Off-grid caravanning refers to caravanning in remote spaces with self-sustaining electricity and water. Off-grid features are especially beneficial to grey nomads because they often travel to more remote destinations. Some of the top caravans for grey nomads include:

The Paramount Micro Range

If storage or towing capacity is an issue, this compact, functional caravan range can also be a great choice, available in lengths from 14’6” to 17’6”. The Paramount Micro Range is suitable for off-grid travel with one roof-mounted solar panel (with additional solar panels available on upgrade), two 95-litre fresh water tanks and one lead acid battery.

The Viscount WILD SHARK Range

The Viscount WILD SHARK Range is perfect for a long, off-grid grey nomad adventure. This caravan has two fixed 170-watt solar panels, one 110 AH deep cycle AGM battery, two 95-litre fresh water tanks and one 100-litre greywater tank.

The Paramount Commander Range

The Paramount Commander Range of caravans is available in lengths from 18’6″ to 23′. This caravan is ideal for off-grid caravanning, with features like electronic stability control, solar panels, and a 12v water pump.

These caravans act as functional and comfortable homes while on the road for extended periods of time.

Grey nomad jobs

The longer the trip, the higher the cost! While most grey nomads have some form of retirement savings, they will generally look for casual employment opportunities while travelling to sustain their adventurous lifestyle for longer. This can encompass various industries, such as the farming, hospitality, beauty, and automotive industries. Working while travelling not only helps fund the trip but also adds to the travel experience, allowing grey nomads to interact with the community and participate in outback jobs.

Grey nomads typically do many jobs, such as:

Caravan park relief work

With experience in management, some grey nomads work in relief staff roles, as caravan park relief workers or managers, to cover holidays and vacancies at the park where they’re staying. This role can involve grounds maintenance and administration work, among seasonal activities and team management.

House sitting

Some nomads fund their travels by house sitting for others, sometimes even keeping a pet or two company! These opportunities are often posted online on house-sitting job forums.

Hairdressing

With the right skillset, providing haircuts for travellers in caravan parks is an easy way to make money.

Mechanic work

Many long-distance travellers have experience caring for their vehicles, so doing some maintenance or repair work for minor issues on neighbouring caravans can help keep funds up.

Farm duties

Light farm duties, such as fruit picking, are a good way to get some exercise while earning money.

Creative work

More artistic travellers may sell their paintings, jewellery, or hand-crafted clothing on the road.

Volunteer work

For a fun experience and some community knowledge, volunteering at a local museum or art gallery can be a good way to get involved.

There are always work opportunities in local communities or online on grey nomad forums.

Grey nomads forums

Grey nomads use online forums and resources to find the best places to travel and the best job opportunities. Forums help travellers plan their journeys and connect with other like-minded people for activities and meetups.

Among the most popular grey nomad resources are: