This year we joined the mass movement of Kiwi Baby Boomers moving south. To be fair, lots of them also crisscross the North Island, but that’s another story.
Every year, like clockwork, a remarkable phenomenon occurs in New Zealand’s South Island. When the school kids head back to school and life returns to normal, but summer is still a thing, that’s when the Grey Wave becomes self evident!
We noticed it before we knew it had a name – a surge of retirees from the North Island eagerly making their way to the South Island, seeking to get away from it all, or have an adventure, and very often a bit of both.
Welcome to Ferry Land
If you are going by road, there is only one way to cross the Cook Strait, and that is by ferry. Which needn’t necessarily be as straight forward as it sounds. But hey, what is life without the occasional challenge to overcome!
Two ferry lines operate roll on/roll off ferries across the Cook Strait – Bluebridge and InterIslander and both were having their issues with sailing on time (or at all) for a number of reasons.
Best advice is to book early (at least a month ahead if possible) and keep in close contact with your ferry operator as your sailing time approaches. No doubt they will sort their issues out but rather be safe than sorry.
And Away They Go
Anyway, with the responsibilities of work and raising families mostly behind them, the Grey Wave head south armed with maps and (mostly) camper vans, embarking on a journey that promises relaxation, breathtaking scenery, and a vibrant community of fellow adventurers.
Having suffered at the hands of a confused government response to Covid-19, many Kiwis decided that if they couldn’t travel abroad, then the South Island it would be! Covid-19 has magnified a trend that has been around for a while.
As we were to learn, this Grey Wave represents a determined shift in the way retirees choose to spend their golden years.
Don’t Act Your “Age”
If sixty is the new forty, then seventy is the new fifty! The Baby Boomer generation is probably healthier and wealthier than any previous generation in history and they are not content to gently slide off into their twilight years!
In this respect we recognized a bunch of kindred spirits. After all, notiesnoheels.com is a (somewhat patchy) record of our travels starting in our 7th decade on this earth! 🙂
So the Grey Wave/baldies head out determined to make the most of the great outdoors and experience everything New Zealand’s South Island has to offer.
Within sensible limits of course – given that some of the outdoor pursuits available would physically tax an Olympic decathlon athlete. Or sometimes not……
Because, despite the odd old war wound, many of the Grey Wave Brigade can be found kayaking the crystal-clear waters of the Milford Sound or hiking the famous Kepler Track, or bungee jumping off the Kawarau Bridge.
Fortunately the South Island is a fairly small land mass and so it’s not too difficult to get from the top to the bottom, or indeed from one side to the other to sample what is on offer.
Be Flexible
As a consequence, it’s not uncommon to bump into familiar faces in different places. Campsites and holiday parks become vibrant communities, where like-minded individuals gather to swap stories, share travel tips, and sometimes, form friendships.
We changed plans several times based on information we gleaned while cooking dinner in the communal kitchens found at all campsites. On one occasion, at a campsite on the Banks Peninsula, we were the recipients of a box full of unopened groceries donated by a couple who had over catered and were flying out of Christchurch the next morning.
And so it goes across the South Island.
Use it, or lose it
In essence, the Grey Wave represents a celebration of life and the fulfillment of long-held dreams. It is a reminder that retirement is not a time for slowing down, but rather an opportunity to experience the many wonders of the world, both big and small.
As the Grey Wave have proved, life truly begins at retirement.
You either use it wisely, or lose it.
The choice is yours.
