Women Who Travel Without Men Solo or With Other Women Across Australia in Self-Contained Accommodation: Their Travel Experiences, Health, Social Wellbeing and Access to Healthcare
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2025
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Growing numbers of Australians are travelling domestically for extended periods of time in caravans, campervans and motorhomes, amongst whom are women travelling by themselves or with other women. Little is known about this group, their healthcare needs and healthcare seeking practices.
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The primary aim of this research was to examine the characteristics, experiences and perspectives of women who travel across Australia without men in self-sufficient accommodation, particularly their experiences and health and social needs while on the road. The second aim was to explore the utilisation of health services in rural and remote Australia by grey nomads, particularly women travelling without men, from the perspectives of local healthcare professionals.
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In Phase One, an ethnographic exploratory field trip was planned, involving the researcher and a women companion towing a caravan and recruiting participants in the field. COVID-19 travel bans and movement restrictions meant this phase was modified; snowball sampling was used to recruit participants, and interviews were conducted predominantly via videoconferencing software or telephone. Phase Two employed a qualitative descriptive approach, with semi-structured interviews conducted with managers of healthcare facilities in remote New South Wales and Queensland.
Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
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Phase One participants were 29 women aged 35β76 years; 69% were aged over 60 years and retired. They were active, engaged, capable women who considered themselves healthy regardless of their chronic diseases. The main themes to emerge from the womenβs stories were freedom and independence, adventure in nature, safety and risk, anxiety and fear evolving into self-confidence, and home and health.
In Phase Two, 12 health service managers described a strong service and community ethos. They did not regard travellers as an impost on their services and treated them as they would any members of their community. Most travellers were described as well prepared for managing their health on the road and presenting with acute health events similar to those seen in local populations.
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This study is the first of its type to explore the lifestyle choices and experiences of a group of mainly older women travelling across Australia. Defying the predominant models of decline in older age and stereotypical roles of women, they exemplified a new form of positive ageing. Dispelling the myth of travellers as burdensome to rural and remote communities, the findings revealed that grey nomads were welcomed and valued by health services in rural and remote areas.
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