By the time you reach retirement age, you have earned the chance to wander. Grey nomads are as much a part of the Australian landscape as eucalyptus trees and red dirt.
A grey nomad is a colloquial name for an older person, often retired from full-time work, who travels around the country, living in a caravan or motorhome. Drive down any highway or pass through any country town and you are likely to see at least one campervan loaded with travelling essentials and captained by retirees.
Travelling around Australian in your campervan, caravan or motor home has become somewhat of a tradition, a rite of passage into the later stages of life. Perhaps your grandparents are grey nomads. Maybe your parents have itchy feet and are gearing up for a bit of cross country dalliance.
Travel has been somewhat curtailed of late. We are hoping to see the grey nomads back on the road soon, alongside backpackers, fruit pickers and travellers of all kinds.
Each week, we have a look at a slang word from Australian English. You can see other Aussie Word of the Week posts from the Macquarie Dictionary here.
