Slow Travel in New Zealand: Our First Big Adventure After Retirement

This is our first extended vacation since retirement, and it has been pure joy. Instead of our usual winter escape to Florida, we chose something completely different this year: seven weeks of slow travel in New Zealand. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

We’ve visited New Zealand before and checked off most of the must-see tourist attractions. This time, there’s no packed itinerary and no rush to see it all. We wake up each morning, look at the map, check the weather, and decide what sounds good for that day. The only fixed plans are the days we move between towns and hotels. Everything else is guided by mood and curiosity.

Traveling this way has been incredibly freeing. For the first time in years, there’s no work to monitor in the background. When you run a small business, you’re always “on,” even on vacation. Emails still get answered, questions still pop up, and part of your brain never fully clocks out. Retirement has changed that. Being able to truly unplug while traveling has brought a level of relaxation I didn’t know existed..

Five weeks in, my husband and I are still speaking, enjoying long walks, scenic drives, and unhurried mornings. I’ve been reading for pleasure, writing a little, exercising every day, and sleeping better than I have in years. The pace is slow, intentional, and exactly what we needed.

The past year and a half has been intense, and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to fully disconnect from the stress of it all. But somewhere between the mountains, the winding rivers, and the quiet coastal towns, we let ourselves relax. We’ve embraced doing less, lingering longer, and saying yes to rest.

This extended New Zealand road trip has been more than a vacation. It’s been a reset button. A reminder that retirement travel doesn’t have to be busy to be meaningful, and that sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. As we start a new year, I’m deeply grateful for this time to recharge, reconnect, and simply enjoy the journey.