So you’ve reached that stage in life we call retirement. The so-called blissful years.

Most of us spend the better part of our lives working the rat race, feeling the grind, eagerly anticipating our retirement.

But once you get there it’s a bit of a shock to the system.

You go from knowing exactly what you’ll be doing every day to suddenly not having a real idea of how to fill your time.

While I’m sure the first few months will be packed with all those jobs you’ve been telling yourself you’d get to when you had time, quickly they’re all done and then you’re just standing around twiddling your thumbs!

Well, I thought I’d give you a few ideas on how to fill your time and make retirement the enjoyable experience you always dreamed it would be.

Australia is well and truly opening and we are pretty excited about it!

We know all our customers are sick of being cooped up at home and are ready to get back out there and explore.

But we also know that Covid is still around and people may still be a bit hesitant. So, we wanted to put your minds at ease and let you know all the things we are doing to make sure you are travelling safely in 2022

When you see a tour called ‘Carnival of Flowers’ - you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s the sort of event that appeals mostly to gardeners.

But honestly, this incredible event is about so much more than flowers.

It is an explosion of colours, sounds and scents. It is a true experience, with music, entertainers, delicious food and of course, history.

There are many reasons you need to see the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

It is a long established successful tour for us and is always extremely popular. Our customers have said it’s a similar climate up there. So our people head up and get an idea of what to be gardening here in Dubbo!

But here are five more reasons you should jump on this tour.

Right from our very first trip with Langley’s, we knew - this is the way to see our country. The value of the service they provide is immeasurable.

And when I think about it - it’s what you don’t get with Langley’s that keeps us coming back. You don’t get the navigational issues at every turn. You don’t get the stress of worrying about whether you’ve booked a shabby motel. You don’t need to question where your next meal is coming from - and you don’t have to settle for Maccas for dinner!

We’ve always enjoyed travelling. We had done some overseas trips which were wonderful - but our first Langley’s Outback tour was just something else.

We’d always wanted to see more of Australia, and we were drawn to the Outback Tour because of Phil’s passion for it. So, we went ahead and booked it, expecting a nice trip with some nice people and a lot of red dirt!

Well - it went above and beyond our expectations, right from the get go.

When my wife Nancy and I retired, we weren’t sure what we were going to do, to occupy ourselves.

We didn’t have any great plans or scheduled hobbies - we just transitioned into this phase and enjoyed time together.

Then I saw that Langley’s was taking a tour up the north coast, through Queensland and up to Cairns. We had never really travelled for leisure before - I had seen some places with the military, having been posted to Vietnam, Hawaii and Fiji. But that was very different - you weren’t exactly there for a good time. We didn’t get a chance to look around.

So when I mentioned going on a coach tour through Australia to Nancy, it really was a new idea, something we hadn’t done before. But we said why not! And that is where our love affair with travel - and Langley’s - began.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

The Federal Government has banned Australians from leaving the country, declaring that returning Australians are the greatest risk of spreading the deadly coronavirus.

The safety and wellbeing of our customers and employees is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.

We know it’s difficult to plan a holiday right now, with all the uncertainty around travel and restrictions.

But just because we can’t plan - doesn’t mean we can’t dream.

At Langley’s, we have been in nostalgia mode in the office, thinking about the good old days. When we could gather in small groups and move between states and territories without having to self quarantine.

But what gets us through is the knowledge that - we will be back there again, soon.

The Government is keen to get businesses back to normal and are beginning to ease restrictions. Domestic travel will not be too far away - and our Prime Minister is having chats with his New Zealand counterpart to work out a travel deal with them.

Lucky New Zealand is one of our favourite places!

So - we decided, we want to get people excited about travel again.

Where do you want to go when this is all over?

While you have been stuck at home in isolation, where have you been wishing you were instead?

We’ve got some ideas, to get you thinking.

We all know 2020 has been… tough.

Especially for the Langley’s team. We’ve seen many tours cancelled, buses parked in the depot indefinitely - and the office staff scaled back.

But that doesn’t mean we’re not hard at work. I’m not one to sit on my hands and let a situation out of my control stop me from being productive.

We are already brainstorming tours for 2021 - because we are choosing to be optimistic! - and hope this COVID19 situation has calmed down by then. We also have some other projects in house we will be dedicating our time to, whilst we are not touring.

One of our bigger jobs we are quite excited about is - our super luxury touring coach!

As many of you know, our fleet has all sorts of coaches, big and small. Each has an important job.

But our newest addition will be a game changer.

School Excursions have come a long way since I was a young lad.

I was pretty happy to just head to the creek in Yeoval to study the tadpoles and learn about the ecosystem. That’s about as exciting as things got for us,

And we generally walked wherever we were going - none of this air conditioned transport kids get today!

I’m not suggesting the big, exciting interstate school excursions aren’t important - I think the kids are so lucky they get to experience this.

But after working in the transport industry for as long as I have - and helping so many schools organise their excursions - I’m seeing the pressure teachers are under, to come up with the next great idea. The next excursion bonana.

We all know that first-hand experiences are not only the best way to learn - but the most enjoyable way to learn.

But let’s go back to basics, and remember the benefits of school excursions. Because enriching experiences don’t have to be stressful to organise - or break the budget. 

I have a deep connection to outback Queensland - my family is from there and my great grandfather is buried near Charleville.

It’s a devastating thing, to witness the decline of what were once thriving little towns in the outback.

They are the towns from my childhood. I used to pass through and see the main street bustling with people, enjoying their day.

Now, I drive through these same towns, and the shops are boarded up, with ‘for lease’ signs. There are a handful of people on the street. 

It’s not what it once was.

But, for some towns in the outback, the opposite is happening.

We are seeing growth in some areas that are becoming more popular for tourists. 

In our Outback Tours, we take you through both - the towns in decline, that need your support, and LOVE visitors.

And these other gems that have risen to stardom with visitors, because they have special things to offer.

School teachers perform such an important role in our society.

They are nurturing the young minds of our future leaders! The learning of our precious children - and grandchildren, nieces and nephews - are in their capable hands.

So, without stating the obvious, teachers always have a lot on their plate - between teaching, lesson planning, fundraising and extra curricular activities.

Let alone coming up with school excursion ideas!

At Langley’s, we offer a School Excursion service. We can plan your educational excursion from start to finish as an all inclusive package, including full itinerary planning, transport, accommodation and activities.

One of the toughest parts of planning a school excursion - is coming up with ideas!

We know you want to make it an interesting and educational experience - but of course, it needs to be FUN!

Here are some school excursion ideas, you can use as some inspiration.

December is my favourite month.

I know it’s hot, I know it’s busy. But - Christmas! And with Christmas comes… food!

If you’re like me, and you love Christmas, and celebrating, and ham - our Sunday Christmas Lunch Tour is something you would definitely enjoy.

2019 has been a tough year, the drought has been a challenge for everyone. Not just in our community - but many parts of the country.

It can be hard to stay positive amongst all this. And Christmas might be something many of us are worried about - instead of being excited.

That said, I think it's really important to take some time to appreciate the good things we have in life.

Our families, our health, our friends - and FOOD!

This tour is a chance for you to get together with some friends - and toast to a new year, with new prospects.

Whenever I’m throwing myself a pity party because things aren’t perfect, and I’m thinking ‘gee, I’d love more of this… or I wish I could do that…’ I take a minute to stop and reflect - to remind myself of all the things I do have.

And when I do take the time to think about it - I realise, I’ve already won the lottery. To be born in this country, with my family around me. Doing what I love.

We live in a pretty darn fantastic place. We are so lucky to call Australia home.

So why is it, when the time comes to plan a trip, many people are inclined to jet overseas, before taking a look around their own backyard?

This country has so much to offer - it would be impossible to cover it all in one article.

So I’ve broken it down into the things I love most about travel - and how Australia delivers on them.

Sometimes you just need to get away with some mates and let your hair down.

What better way to do it than a once in a lifetime concert, or theatre show?

We offer our Theatre Tours because they are a great way to have a short break, see some places - and experience some fantastic shows.

And we’ve got some absolute crackers coming up = so I thought I would go through them!