Golden shores for your golden years: Top 5 places to retire in Australia

This is branded content.

Australia has garnered itself a fairly strong reputation for being one of the greatest countries to retire to. With our abundance of crystal clear swimming holes and invitingly warm, sandy shores, it's no secret that Australia has plenty to offer any travellers who are enjoying their golden years.

In fact, many homegrown seniors and international travellers alike take to Aussie highways every year with the intention of kickstarting their retirement with a good, old-fashioned Aussie road trip.

Of course, seasoned retirees know that the road tripping phase of your golden years does come with an expiration date, and after a while, all you'll want to do is find your own little corner of the world to enjoy the greatest and most enriching years of life. So where are the best places to settle down as a retiree in Australia?

We'll be breaking down the top five places to retire in Australia as decided by Aussie retirees across the country. Read on to find the perfect setting to live out your golden years in comfort.

A retirement village in Marsfield, Sydney may very well be the perfect setting to live out your golden years in comfort. Why? Well for some, it's not about escaping at all, but more staying near the ones we love and maintaining access to all of the experiences that we hope to have throughout our years in retirement.

If you do decide to settle down in Sydney's picturesque outer suburbs, the leafy suburb of Marsfield is likely to be one of your top picks, as it possesses a modest yet diverse population, and a booming property market that seniors should be able to enter with minimal fuss.

It's also worth mentioning, however, that Sydney has been named one of the best cities in the world for retirees on numerous occasions, with many citing the city's general accessibility and superb mix of both urban and rural elements as key for many seniors who are looking to make the most of their retirement years.

The freedom to go from coast to country with ease and at any time of the year allows seniors to maximise on their leisure time whilst still ensuring that they stay near their friends and loved ones.

A favourite getaway destination for Melbournian families, the Mornington Peninsula is packed full of activities that can fill up any weekend away, ranging from wine tastings to hiking to hot springs and even horseback riding across the beach. Life moves a little slower at Mornington, which is exactly why the region has become a favourite amongst Aussie retirees.

The Mornington lifestyle has been praised as the perfect combination of laidback beachtown vibes mixed with all the class and sophistication of inner city Melbourne living. Property prices in Mornington are also rather affordable when compared to other top destinations for retirees, so this happy little region may be the perfect place for seniors who are looking to downsize or find themselves a beachside unit or villa with killer views.

It wouldn't be a breakdown of Australia's greatest retirement destinations without mentioning Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The original golden shores of our dreams, the Sunshine Coast is actually already home to a substantial number of Aussie retirees, with coastal towns like Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Noosa, and Caloundra already boasting substantial populations of happily sun-kissed retirees.

There's plenty to see and do both in and around the towns that make up the Coast, so Aussie retirees can expect to be content when settling themselves down anywhere across the region.

The Sunshine Coast also provides the ultimate 'sea change' experience for Aussie seniors who have been living and working along Australia's south and south-east coasts for their professional lives.

If you're well and truly sick and tired of the cold and gloom that accompanies Melbourne and Sydney winters (and sometimes even summers!), then relocating to the Sunshine Coast will allow you to enjoy nothing but luscious beachscapes and a warm, subtropical climate throughout your golden years. Is there any better way to spend your years in retirement?

As we mentioned earlier, there are retirement villages across Sydney and the greater Sydney region that allow Aussie retirees to enjoy idyllic country living whilst still ensuring that they maintain access to dedicated healthcare facilities. If you are looking to make the move to country living but aren't quite sure you want to necessarily find yourself 'off the grid', then New South Wales' Hunter Valley region may very well just be the perfect setting for your years in retirement.

Just north of Sydney and a stone's throw from Newcastle, the Hunter region is known primarily for its rich viticultural history, being the proud home of some of Australia's most prestigious vineyards. The air is fresher out there than in the Sydney CBD, and there's plenty to see and do year-round, which is precisely what draws many Sydneysiders to the area on long weekends and day trips.

For those who decide to relocate to the region, there are plenty of locales to choose from, as Hunter Valley spans around four council districts. We do recommend finding a property south of the Hunter River if you do hope to stay relatively close to the greater Sydney region.

Last but not least, there's lots to be said about taking the opportunity presented by your retirement years to rediscover an Australia that may have otherwise been lost in the hubbub of modern life. Like many Aussies flock to Tassie with the intention of getting off the grid for a little bit, Tasmania's own Huon Valley is filled with salt of the earth Australians who appreciate the peace and serenity that can be found at the country's southernmost tip.

In fact, Huon Valley has been described as one of the best retirement destinations for Aussie seniors who are looking to detox from the grid entirely, and there's no wonder as to why this is the case.

As the perfect destination for exploring the 'heart' of Australia, Huon Valley is still only just a hop, skip, and jump away from the bustling city of Hobart, as well as some of Tasmania's greatest attractions, including the breathtaking Bruny Island.

Huon Valley is also well known for its impeccable vineyards and for being home to the must-experience Southern Wine Trail. Aussie seniors who love the finer things in life alongside the simpler things, will have plenty to be thankful for when relocating down to this veritable hidden gem of a region.

~

Although the destinations we've outlined above are some of the most popular places to retire in Australia, there are an abundance of other notable suburbs and townships across the country that may perfectly align with your personal retirement goals.

You should absolutely consider doing a little independent research and travelling over the first few years of your retirement in order to find the perfect place to settle down and savour your golden years.