Dating Over 70 in Australia: Company, Conversation and a Bit of Romance

Plenty of Australians in their seventies live on their own and run their own lives very nicely, thank you. They drive, travel, volunteer, look after the garden and keep a social diary that would tire out someone half their age. What a lot of them would like is someone to share it with: for a meal, a trip away, a long talk on the verandah, or something more romantic if it comes to that.

Just Older Dating welcomes singles over 70 right across Australia, from Hobart to Darwin. It's part of a site for everyone over fifty, so you'll be meeting people of your own generation who understand why a good lunch beats a late night.

Retirement village romance, and the gossip that comes with it

If you live in a retirement village, you'll know the problem. Walk someone to the bus stop twice and the whole place has you engaged by Friday. Village life can be wonderful for company, but it's not always the easiest place to start a romance with any privacy.

Dating online gives you more choice and a bit of breathing space. You can meet someone from outside the village, or from the next suburb, and get to know them before anyone at the Tuesday barbecue has a chance to comment. When there's something worth announcing, you can announce it yourself.

When the family lives interstate

Australian families spread out. Sons and daughters move to Perth for work, grandchildren grow up a flight away, and the Sunday visit becomes a Sunday video call. That distance can make the quiet days longer, and it's a common reason people in their seventies decide to start dating.

It can also make telling the family a little awkward. A few tips:

Bringing the family along

Tell them early, keep it light. "I've joined a dating site, I'm having lunch with a nice man on Thursday" is easier to hear than a surprise announcement later on.
Share the safety plan. Let someone know where and when you're meeting. It puts their mind at rest, and it's sensible anyway.
Do the introduction by video. If things get serious, a quick hello on the next family call breaks the ice without anyone booking a flight.

What over 70s dating in Australia tends to look like

Daytime, mostly. Morning tea, a pub lunch in a country town, a drive to the coast, a matinee and dinner straight after so everyone's home before the news. Some people are after a travel companion for road trips and holidays. Some want a regular dinner date and good conversation. Some are, quite frankly, after romance and see no reason to pretend otherwise.

All of it's welcome. Say on your profile what you're hoping for, and mention how you get around (still driving, happy on the train, prefer to stay local), so it's easy for the right person to suggest a plan.

How a first chat might go (a made-up example)

Your profile says you fish off the jetty most mornings. Catch anything worth bragging about?

Mostly sunburn. The odd bream when they're feeling generous.

I make a mean bream with lemon and butter, if you ever land one.

Now that's an incentive. Coffee on the foreshore Saturday, and I'll report back?

Being upfront about health and energy

By seventy, most people have a few things they work around: a dodgy knee, hearing that isn't what it was, a strict rule about not driving at night. It's worth putting the practical ones on your profile. "Happy to walk a few kilometres, prefer quiet places to noisy ones, home by dark" helps the right person plan a date you'll actually enjoy. Nobody your age will think twice about it, and it saves a lot of polite suffering through a loud pub.

Dating sites for over 70s in Australia: what makes one easy to use

The right set-up is the one you'll actually use. Just Older Dating runs in your web browser, so there's no app to install, and a tablet gives you a nice big screen for reading profiles. You can search by location to see who lives nearby, send messages and photos, drop into the group chat room for a natter, or keep things private in one-to-one chat.

Take your time. There's no rush to reply, no pressure to meet, and nobody minds if you'd rather chat for a few weeks before suggesting coffee. For the bigger picture, including meeting halfway and dating in the regions, see our page on over 50s dating across Australia.

Seventy-odd years of practice at conversation. It would be a shame to waste it on the telly.

No app to downloadWorks in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

Messages and photosWrite as much as you like and share the photos you choose.

Search by locationSee who lives within a sensible drive first.

Chat roomsA friendly group room, plus private one-to-one chat.

Dating over 70 in Australia: your questions

Are there many people over 70 on the site in Australia?

Yes. A good share of Australian members are in their seventies, and some are older. Search from your own postcode area and you'll see who lives within reach.

Is it safe to meet someone I've only talked to online?

With a few sensible habits, yes. Get to know them in messages, then hear their voice on a call. Choose a busy café for the first meeting, go during the day, and make sure a friend or one of the family knows where you are. Anyone who asks for money, for any reason at all, isn't someone to keep talking to.

I'm not confident with technology. Can I still do this?

Yes. If you can use email, you can use the site. A tablet makes reading easier, and a friend or neighbour can help with your photo if you'd like.