Living an epic retirement means continuing to do what you love, regardless of age.

Ryman resident Brian embodies this philosophy every day.

After moving into Raelene Boyle Village with his wife Karlene in 2022, Brian quickly discovered where he would spend much of his spare time — the workshop.

For seasoned travellers Rodnie and Bryan, retirement is the perfect time to embrace new experiences and explore the world. The Ryman Village couple have trekked through Nepal, navigated the icy landscapes of Antarctica and immersed themselves in Aboriginal culture in the heart of the Australian Outback, proving adventure knows no age limit.

“We’ll keep travelling for as long as we can,” says Rodnie.

Rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into an ANZAC project in the workshop has been the perfect way to forge a friendship, say Ryman village residents Roger and Tony.

“If it wasn’t for the village workshop, we wouldn’t have known each other,” says Roger, who moved into the village in October last year. “It’s been great getting to know Tony. We’ve got quite a bit in common.”

It's one of life's little ironies that, when you retire and finally have time to spend gardening, you might not have the same energy levels to maintain a big garden anymore.

Many retirees are loath to the idea of abandoning gardening altogether, but are happy to find ways to indulge their green thumbs on a more manageable scale.

Moving to a home with a smaller garden, or with someone on site to help with the heavy jobs, can be the perfect solution.

Loneliness can double a person’s chance of developing a chronic illness and more than quadruple their likelihood of developing depression and social anxiety, Australia’s first State of the Nation Report on Social Connection says.

Speaking on Ryman Healthcare’s Pod of the 3rd Age podcast, Ending Loneliness Together Scientific Chair Dr Michelle Lim said loneliness was a critical health issue experienced by nearly 1 in 3 Australians.