First Date Ideas For Over 70s

First date coming up and no idea where to go? She will be right. Nobody expects you to plan a bungy jump. The best dates at our age are the ones where you can hear each other, sit down when the knees start grumbling, and be home before the six o'clock news. Here are six ideas that work as well in Kaitaia as they do in Invercargill.

1. A Long Lunch

Lunch is the smart choice for a first date over 70. The cafe is quieter, the light is better and nobody has to drive home in the dark. Pick somewhere handy for both of you, so one person is not stuck on the Southern Motorway while the other strolls round the corner. A vineyard restaurant in Marlborough or Hawke's Bay, a country pub, or the local cafe with the best cheese scones will all do nicely. One tip: leave the whitebait fritter with extra lemon until you know each other a bit better.

2. A Stroll Through The Gardens

A gentle walk takes the pressure off, because you are side by side instead of staring at each other over the tomato sauce. The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, the Wintergardens in the Auckland Domain, the Hamilton Gardens or simply the park down the road all make a lovely setting. Slap on the sunscreen, as the Kiwi sun has a real bite, and finish with a flat white. If the conversation stalls, the tui will happily fill the silence.

3. Be A Tourist In Your Own Town

When did you last visit a museum in your own town? Te Papa in Wellington, the Otago Museum or your local heritage centre are full of things to chat about, and plenty of smaller towns have a hidden gem or two. If you are 65 or over, your SuperGold Card can get you free off peak travel on many buses and ferries, so leave the car at home.

4. A Matinee And A Cuppa

A film is a perfect first date, because for two hours nobody has to think of something clever to say. Choose an afternoon session: it is quieter, you are home before dark, and many cinemas have a cheaper seniors price, so ask at the counter. Afterwards, find a cafe and have a friendly argument about whether the ending made any sense. A show at the local theatre or a kapa haka performance works just as well.

5. Out On The Water

There is nothing like a trip on the water to get the conversation flowing. Depending on where you live, that might be a ferry across to Devonport or Waiheke, a cruise on Lake Taupo, or a trip on the TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu. Take a jacket, as it is always cooler on the water than you expect, and hang on to your hat when the wind picks up.

6. A Wander Round The Garden Centre

It is hardly rock and roll, but a good garden centre with a cafe is a winner. Wander past the hebes and the flax, swap stories about what the frost or the possums did to your vege garden, and finish with a scone and a pot of tea. If you both love gardening you will never run out of things to say, and if your date can name every native in the place, you may well have found a keeper.

Wherever you go, meet somewhere public, let a friend or whanau know where you will be, and make your own way there and home again. Most of all, enjoy yourselves.

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