New member from Australia, trying to stay active in my late 50s

General Chat Your Introductions!
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I’ve been lurking for a little while and finally decided to jump in.

I’m Tom, 58, semi-retired engineer from coastal Australia. Most of my free time disappears into road trips, short walks and taking far too many photos of odd things like old fuel pumps and crooked fences.

My lower back started complaining a few years ago, so these days I’m learning how to travel a bit smarter rather than just pushing through like I did in my 30s. Still want to keep driving, exploring and carrying my own bags for as long as I can.

If anyone has tips on staying mobile and comfortable on longer journeys after 50, I’d really love to hear what works for you.

Looking forward to getting to know folks here and joining some of the travel and motoring chats.

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Hi Tom. Welcome aboard.

What sort of engineer were/are you?

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What Bruce in Australia does to keep fit is to go kangaroo bare back riding. It is not so much the riding that keeps him fit, it is catching them first. Welcome to the forum

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Welcome to the forum of forums Tom!
Having had a good lurk I imagine you have some idea of what you’re letting yourself in for :wink:
But seriously…enjoy!

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Hiya there Tom :pig:

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Hi Tom, welcome to the site, check in with matron, she’ll put you right, what time you should be in bed, what to drink, what to eat and all those other usefull things, mmmmm

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G’day Tom.Welcome.
You’ve been lurking?So you know what you letting yourself in for then? :grinning:

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Hi, Tom! Welcome!

Be sure to check the morning thread where @Bruce regularly posts about his efficient and skilled work on his camper, truck, and clever improvements.

If you scan his avatar, it will take you to a website of his adventures.

Dive right in and we’ll discuss anything of interest.

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Welcome Tom, that sounds like me. Where about in OZ do you live?

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Hi Tom from Ozland. Like you, I was an engineer and travelled widely - except for Australia !

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Were you involved in commissioning electrical/nuclear power stations Bes? If so, then I’d be interested in your views of the small nuclear reactors that are due to be utilised in the UK. My chemical and electrical engineer friends advise me that “small” isn’t really that appropriate, unless comparing to sizewell!

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Hi @WanderTom, and welcome to the site. :smiley:

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Hi Dextrous. Yes, I did a lot of power electrical systems but power systems for paper mills, water turbines, cement mills etc, Essentially industrial systems but also some unusual applications - like the Orient Express…

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Please call me Dex. :blush:

A proper engineer then, who didn’t rely on spreadsheets/software to do quite so much of the heavy lifting? Total respect :+1::blush:

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For me it was an Electrical Engineer degree and a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

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Thanks, Dextrous. I was a mechanical engineer, mostly in manufacturing and maintenance. These days I just pick up the odd small project when it doesn’t clash with a planned road trip.

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Thanks for the warm welcome, Surfermom. I’ll definitely check out the morning thread and Bruce’s camper posts – that sounds right up my street. Still finding my way around the forum, but I’m looking forward to joining in.

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Thanks, Bruce – great to meet a kindred spirit. I’m in WA, down near Mandurah on the coast. I’ll have a proper look at your camper travels site later; always happy to steal a few good ideas.

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Mandurah eh? I am pretty sure @Bretrick holidays there on a regular basis.