When Betty first floated the idea of a holiday, she was thinking a little closer to home.
The Ghan was on her list.
Her son Tony, however, had another idea. Why not go overseas?
At first, Betty wasn’t convinced. At 89 years of age, she didn’t have a passport and felt she might be too old for such a big adventure.
“Mum said she was too old to travel, and I told her that wasn’t a good enough excuse,” Tony chuckled.
But after a few conversations about where they might travel, it began to feel increasingly possible, until one day Betty simply said, “Let’s do it then.”
Betty's adventurous spirit was already well known at BaptistCare's Abbey Gardens, where she enjoys a busy social life and has embraced everything that comes with community living.
Betty has never been one to sit still. And so, the “BettyDoesBritain” Instagram handle was born.
Tony created the Instagram account as a social media travel log so family, friends and staff at Abbey Gardens could follow their month-long journey across England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
Before long, and early into the trip, Betty was attracting Instagram followers she didn’t know.
The fun photos and humorous updates captured everything from Betty’s daily highlights to sampling Guinness in Ireland, Mumm champagne in France and standing beneath a beautifully lit Eiffel Tower.
Her newfound status as an unlikely 89-year-old travel influencer also landed Betty a regular radio spot with ABC Gippsland.
Breakfast presenter Mim Hook was among those following “Betty Does Britain” and immediately connected with Betty’s adventurous spirit. She invited Betty to join the program each week to share updates from her travels.
Each Wednesday at 6.30am Australian time, Betty would dial in from Europe at 9.30pm to share the latest instalment of “Betty Does Britain”. Tony said his mum was a natural, so much so that when she returned home, Betty handled her final radio appearance on her own, wrapping up the adventure for listeners.
While Betty had plenty to report, some of the most meaningful moments came in Scotland. Betty's father was born in Edinburgh and Tony vividly remembers his mum's reaction as they crossed the border from England into Scotland.
“It just feels good, it feels like part of me has come home,” Betty recalled. “I feel so relaxed, it’s amazing.”
In Inverness, the connection became even more personal when Betty found herself singing along with a local musician to traditional Scottish songs, she remembered her father singing to her as a child.
The adventure continued in Ireland, where Betty and Tony visited Schull in County Cork to explore the family history of Betty’s late husband.
But it was an unplanned outing in Dublin that delivered one of the trip’s best stories.
After discovering the All-Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football finals were being played at Croke Park across from their hotel, Tony had no luck finding tickets online. Betty suggested Tony ask two men who appeared to be security officials to see if they could help.
They could.
Before they knew it, Betty and Tony had been escorted inside to a corporate box and found themselves sitting alongside family and friends of the players.
For Tony, however, the real highlight wasn't a particular destination.
As one of six siblings, spending a month driving, sharing rooms and exploring one on one with his mum provided a rare opportunity to gain a greater insight into his mum’s life. Their conversations often turned to Betty's childhood and family history; with the places they visited triggering memories and stories Tony had never heard.
Back home at BaptistCare's Abbey Gardens in Victoria, Betty is pleased to be home.
She enjoys her life at the aged care home: bingo is on Tuesday, breakfast is whenever she pleases, and it’s always easy to grab a taxi if she feels like a spot of shopping.
Tony affectionately describes his mum as the “queen” of Abbey Gardens, where her friends and staff gave her a hero’s welcome after following her overseas adventures through “Betty Does Britain” and her weekly radio updates.
When asked if she will travel overseas again, Betty quickly responds, “No”.
But Tony isn't so sure. “Mum will have a go at anything.” So, we’ll just have to wait and see.
