Intrepid Travel launched a ‘Golden Gap Year‘ consumer competition in early 2026, geared to reward one over-55s Australian with 12 months of trips to take a long-awaited midlife do-over. Meet the inaugural winner.
Intrepid Travel’s consumer campaign tapped into the booming over-55s market after research revealed 80 per cent of this demographic did not take a traditional gap year with one in five regretting missing this rite of passage.
After receiving more than 2,800 entries nationwide, Brisbane nurse Yvonne Reynolds, 59, is the lucky winner of 12 months of Intrepid experiences.
She will receive a travel experience worth up to $100,000, plus $25,000 in flights, working with a sales consultant to design a year of travel that reflects her interests, choosing from more than 900 small-group Intrepid trips globally.
Originally from South Africa, Reynolds moved to Australia in her twenties and has spent more than four decades working as a nurse, often across multiple roles, while raising two children as a single parent.
She said growing up during apartheid, travel wasn’t always accessible, and that sense of curiosity has stayed with her. Now, she’s looking forward to experiencing the places and cultures she’s encountered through her work in a more personal way.
“I’ve served the community for 41 years and currently hold three jobs, at a boys’ school, children’s hospital as a paediatric nurse and at a doctor’s surgery as a registered nurse,” Reynolds said.
“While I love each and every moment, last year I had a health scare that made me rethink what I want to spend more of my time doing.
“I will never stop serving the community, but I just need a time out and having a gap year to follow my dreams would just be incredible!”
Across its one-month run, the campaign generated more than 300 pieces of media coverage, strong engagement across owned and earned channels, and $180,000 in attributed revenue. Reynolds will also share her Intrepid Travel adventures over the coming year.
Intrepid Travel ANZ General Manager PR & Communications Zoë Tostevin said the overwhelming campaign response highlighted a shift in how Aussies think about travel.
“We saw a really strong response from people who have spent so much of their lives focused on work, family or other responsibilities and are now thinking about what travel could look like for them,” she said.
“Yvonne’s story is one of many. What stood out was her openness to new experiences and her genuine curiosity about the world, like our own Intrepid travellers.
“While there could only be one winner, the campaign has brought forward a wide range of stories that reflect a growing appetite for meaningful travel at every stage of life.”
