‘World’s oldest backpacker’ hits the road again

A man described as the “world’s oldest backpacker” is poised to embark on his latest globe-trotting trip – at the age of 95.



Keith Wright, a pensioner from Queensland in Australia, will fly out to Europe on May 28, his eighth backpacking trip since he started travelling solo at the age of 85.

He has planned a two-month itinerary including Madrid, San Sebastian, Paris, Munich, Vienna and a trip to Britain to see the racing at Royal Ascot.

In the past decade, Mr Wright has visited many of the countries in Western and Eastern Europe, starting his backpacking a few years after his wife Barbara passed away.

His first trip was a bus journey through Turkey. Since then, he has travelled the world on a strict budget, saving up money throughout the year for flights and hostel accommodation.


“I have had itchy feet all my life and had always wanted to go to Gallipoli on Anzac Day, so I decided to sell our house and put the extra money towards a holiday,” said Mr Wright, who is a veteran of the Second World War.

“I have seen things that most tourists haven’t seen, because I walk the back streets and take trains or buses to nearby towns for the day.

“Most people I meet are surprised when I tell them my age and amazed that I have come all the way from Australia.”

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Iceland offers world's first tour inside a volcano

Visitors to Iceland are being given the opportunity to be among the first tourists to enter the magma chamber of a volcano.

The interior of Thrihnukagigur, which has been dormant for around 4,000 years, will be opened to ordinary travellers for six weeks this summer, from June 15 to July 31.

The volcano is a 30-minute drive from Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital. Visitors must then embark on a short 40-minute hike across a lava field to reach the volcano, before descending 120 metres to the bottom of the crater in an open cable lift. They will be able to spend around an hour inside the volcano in the company of a team of expert guides.

The tour costs ISK 37,000 (£180) per person, a portion of which will go towards further research into the country’s volcanoes. Visitors must be aged 12 or over, and are advised to bring walking boots, water, sensible outdoor clothing and a camera.

The chamber was first accessed by scientists in 2011, in what was described at the time as an historic development.

Black Tomato, the luxury adventure travel specialist, has launched an “Ultimate Volcano Adventure” package that includes a private, evening trip inside the Thrihnukagigur volcano, a tour of the Thingvellir National Park, and a trip to the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. www.blacktomato.com for more infomation.

For more information on the tour of Thrihnukagigur, see www.insidethevolcano.com.

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