Australian retirees spend their days on a mix of health and fitness, hobbies, socialising, travel, volunteering, part-time work, and family time. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians aged 65 and over spend an average of 6.5 hours per day on leisure activities more than any other age group. But retirement is not just about filling time. It’s about choosing how to live when work no longer dictates your schedule.
If you’re still working, retirement can feel like a big unknown. Some people imagine endless holidays. Others worry about boredom or losing purpose. The reality for most Australian retirees sits somewhere in between and how you spend your time is closely connected to how well you’ve planned your finances.
How Retirees Actually Spend Their Time
Health and Fitness
Physical activity is one of the most common daily activities for Australian retirees. Walking is by far the most popular but swimming, golf, yoga, cycling, gym sessions, and lawn bowls are all regular features of retired life.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, physical activity levels tend to decline with age, but retirees who maintain regular exercise report significantly better physical and mental health outcomes. Many retirees say their daily walk or gym session provides the structure that work used to giving the day a starting point and a sense of routine.
Regular exercise also reduces the risk of social isolation, particularly when it involves group activities like walking groups, community sport, or fitness classes.
Hobbies and Personal Interests
Retirement gives people time to return to hobbies they put aside during working life or to discover entirely new ones. Gardening, painting, woodworking, reading, photography, cooking, fishing, birdwatching, and learning new skills are all common.
Many retirees take up creative pursuits they never had time for joining art classes, writing groups, or music lessons. Others invest in hands-on projects like renovating, building furniture, or restoring cars.
The cost of hobbies varies enormously. Gardening and walking cost almost nothing. Golf memberships, photography equipment, or overseas art courses can run into thousands per year. Understanding what your retirement activities will cost is an important part of budgeting and one that’s often overlooked in financial planning.
Socialising and Community
Social connection is one of the most important and most underestimated aspects of retirement.
During working life, social interaction happens automatically through colleagues, clients, and daily routines. In retirement, it requires more intention. Many retirees build their social life around community groups, sports clubs, volunteering organisations, church or faith communities, men’s sheds or women’s groups, and regular catch-ups with friends and family.
Research from Beyond Blue shows that social isolation is a significant risk factor for depression in older Australians, particularly men who have recently retired. Staying socially connected isn’t just enjoyable it’s protective for mental and physical health.
In our experience advising 500+ Australian families, the retirees who report the highest life satisfaction in retirement are not the ones with the highest super balances they’re the ones who planned how they’d spend their time, not just their money.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a major part of retirement life in Australia. According to Volunteering Australia, older Australians contribute billions of hours in volunteer work each year in community organisations, hospitals, schools, environmental groups, and charities.
For many retirees, volunteering provides purpose, structure, social connection, and a sense of contribution that replaces what work once provided. It’s also free making it one of the most fulfilling and financially sustainable retirement activities.
Grandchildren and Family Time
Spending time with grandchildren and extended family is one of the most commonly cited joys of retirement. Many retirees take on regular childcare roles, helping their adult children with school pickups, school holidays, and after-hours care.
This is a significant financial contribution too grandparent childcare saves Australian families billions of dollars each year in formal childcare costs. For retirees, it provides purpose and deep connection, though it can also be physically demanding and needs to be balanced with personal time and rest.
Do Retirees Still Work?
Yes and this is increasingly common in Australia.
Part-Time or Casual Work
According to the ABS, a growing number of Australians continue working past traditional retirement age, either by choice or financial necessity. Part-time or casual work a few days a week, seasonal work, or project-based roles is especially popular.
For some, part-time work is about earning extra income to supplement superannuation. For others, it’s about maintaining routine, purpose, and social contact. Either way, even $10,000–$15,000 per year in part-time earnings can significantly extend how long your super lasts.
From age 67, the Work Bonus allows Age Pension recipients to earn up to $300 per fortnight from employment before it affects their pension payment making part-time work even more financially attractive for pensioners.
Consulting and Freelancing
Professionals who have built expertise over decades often continue contributing through consulting, freelancing, board positions, or mentoring. This allows them to use their skills without the pressure of full-time employment and often on their own terms and schedule.
For retirees with specialist knowledge (finance, law, medicine, engineering, education), consulting can provide meaningful income while requiring only a few hours per week.
Travel in Retirement
Travel is one of the most anticipated aspects of retirement and for good reason. Without work constraints, retirees have the freedom to travel outside peak seasons (at lower cost), take longer and slower trips, explore regional Australia by car or caravan, visit family interstate or overseas, and join group tours designed for older travellers.
However, travel is also one of the largest discretionary expenses in retirement. A domestic holiday might cost $2,000–$5,000. An overseas trip can easily run $8,000–$15,000 or more for a couple. Frequent travel adds up quickly and needs to be budgeted carefully within your overall retirement income plan.
The ASFA Retirement Standard (February 2026) includes one domestic holiday per year and one overseas trip every seven years in its “comfortable” retirement budget of $77,375 per year for couples. If you want to travel more than that, you’ll need to plan for it in your financial strategy.
The Moneysmart retirement planner can help you model how different travel budgets affect how long your super lasts.
What Does a Typical Week in Retirement Look Like?
Every retiree’s week is different, but here’s what a balanced week might look like for an active Australian retiree:
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Walk or gym | Gardening or hobby | Dinner at home, reading |
| Tuesday | Coffee with friends | Volunteering | Family dinner |
| Wednesday | Swimming or yoga | Errands, appointments | TV, podcast, or music |
| Thursday | Part-time work or consulting | Free time | Social outing or club |
| Friday | Walk with a friend | Hobby or creative project | Dinner out |
| Saturday | Markets or local event | Grandchildren | Relaxing at home |
| Sunday | Church or community group | Garden, reading, rest | Weekly planning, phone calls |
The point is not that every day is packed it’s that there’s a rhythm. Retirees who have some structure report higher satisfaction than those who wake up each day without a plan.
The Financial Side: What Does Retirement Lifestyle Cost?
This is where a financial planning firm like Wealthlab can add value that a generic lifestyle article can’t. The activities you choose in retirement directly affect how long your savings last.
Here’s what common retirement activities cost annually for a couple:
| Activity | Estimated Annual Cost (Couple) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Health and fitness (gym, pool, walking) | $500–$2,500 | Walking is free; gym memberships vary |
| Hobbies (gardening, art, woodwork) | $500–$3,000 | Depends on the hobby; some are very low cost |
| Social activities (dining, coffee, clubs) | $2,000–$6,000 | Regular dining out adds up quickly |
| Travel domestic (1–2 trips/year) | $3,000–$8,000 | Caravan travel is cheaper than flights + hotels |
| Travel overseas (1 trip every 2–3 years) | $5,000–$15,000 | Varies enormously by destination and duration |
| Volunteering | $0–$500 | Usually free; minor costs for transport |
| Part-time work (net benefit) | +$10,000–$20,000 income | Extends your super rather than costing it |
| Grandchild care | $0–$1,000 | Mostly time, not money; some transport costs |
| Private health insurance | $4,000–$8,000 | Increases with age; essential to budget for |
| Home maintenance | $2,000–$5,000 | Older homes require more upkeep |
Total estimated lifestyle cost: $17,000–$50,000+ per year for a couple, depending on how active your lifestyle is and how much you travel.
The ASFA comfortable retirement benchmark of $77,375/year for couples covers all of the above plus essentials (groceries, utilities, transport, insurance). If your planned lifestyle costs less, your super lasts longer. If it costs more, you need to plan accordingly.
Finding Purpose After Retirement
One of the biggest concerns pre-retirees have is losing their sense of purpose. For someone whose identity was closely tied to their career, stepping away can feel like losing a part of themselves.
But purpose in retirement doesn’t have to look like work. Many retirees find deep fulfilment through volunteering for causes they care about, mentoring younger people in their former profession, caring for grandchildren and supporting family, learning new skills (languages, music, technology, art), contributing to community projects or local government, and writing, blogging, or sharing knowledge.
Research consistently shows that retirees who have a sense of purpose however they define it report better physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction than those who don’t. Planning for purpose is just as important as planning for income.
Is Retirement Boring?
For most people, retirement is only boring if it’s unplanned.
Retirees who stay active, connected, and purposeful tend to find retirement deeply satisfying. Those who struggle with boredom often benefit from adding structure, social interaction, or part-time engagement into their routine.
The first 6–12 months of retirement are often the hardest the adjustment from full-time work to unstructured days takes time. But most retirees find their rhythm within the first year, and many say it’s the best phase of their life.
The key is to plan how you’ll spend your time before you retire not after.
Retirement Planning Guides
If you’re thinking about retirement and want to understand the financial side, our guide on how much super you need at 60 explains whether your balance is on track and how the Age Pension can supplement your income.
And if you’re worried about the emotional and relationship side of retirement, our article on the biggest regrets in retirement explores what Australian retirees wish they had done differently and how to avoid the same mistakes.
FAQs: What Do Retirees Do All Day?
Most Australian retirees spend their days on a combination of health and fitness activities, hobbies, socialising, volunteering, family time (especially grandchildren), travel, part-time work, and household tasks. According to ABS data, Australians aged 65 and over spend an average of 6.5 hours per day on leisure activities.
Some do, particularly in the first 6–12 months. Retirement is a significant adjustment. But retirees who plan how they will spend their time through hobbies, volunteering, social activities, or part-time work tend to find retirement highly satisfying. Boredom is usually a symptom of insufficient planning, not insufficient money.
A growing number of Australians continue working past traditional retirement age. Part-time or casual work is popular for both financial and social reasons. From age 67, the Work Bonus allows Age Pension recipients to earn up to $300 per fortnight from employment without it affecting their pension.
It depends on your lifestyle choices. The ASFA Retirement Standard (February 2026) estimates couples need approximately $77,375 per year for a comfortable retirement and $51,299 for a modest retirement. Active lifestyles with regular travel and dining out cost more; home-based lifestyles with gardening and walking cost significantly less.
Staying socially connected, physically active, and purposefully engaged are the three strongest predictors of mental health in retirement. Beyond Blue recommends maintaining friendships, joining community groups, exercising regularly, and seeking professional support if mood changes persist after retirement.
Start planning before you retire. Think about what activities you enjoy, what social connections you want to maintain or build, whether you want to work part-time, and how much travel you want to do. Then work with a financial adviser to ensure your retirement income supports the lifestyle you’re planning for.
Plan the Retirement Lifestyle You Want
What do retirees do all day? They live on their own terms moving at their own pace, focusing on health, relationships, and interests, and enjoying the freedom to choose how they spend their time.
But the retirement you want requires the financial plan to support it. At Wealthlab, we help Australians plan for both connecting lifestyle goals with superannuation strategy, Age Pension timing, and sustainable income so your retirement feels as good as you’ve imagined.
Book a free consultation today and start planning the retirement lifestyle you want.