Woman, 24, becomes best friends with 75-year-old stranger she met while travelling in Australia
Ella Wilson Sharp only expected to stay with David Cox for a week. Two years later, the unlikely friends are travelling, hiking and exercising together.
A 24-year-old woman who moved in with a 75-year-old stranger while travelling says the pair have become "best friends" despite their 51-year age gap.
Content creator Ella Wilson Sharp, from Canterbury, Kent, met David Cox while travelling in Sydney, Australia, in September 2024.
Ella had run out of money and was staying on a friend's sofa while working in a café to build up some savings.
She was desperate to find somewhere of her own and began asking customers if they knew anyone with a spare room.
One customer told her about someone who had a room available, but made no mention of his age.
The following day, she brought David into the café to meet Ella.
Although Ella admits she was initially a little apprehensive, the pair immediately hit it off.
David offered her the use of his spare room for a week while she found somewhere else to live.
But what was supposed to be a short stay turned into six months as an unexpected friendship blossomed.
Ella has since returned to Sydney and now uses David's home as her base whenever she is not travelling.
Over the past two years, the unlikely friends have shared a string of adventures, from hiking and speedboating to skateboarding and visiting Uluru.
They also enjoy cooking together, going to park runs and attending exercise classes.
Ella says their 51-year age difference has never been an issue because they share the same attitude to life and are both willing to try something new.
She said: "At first everyone was a bit unsure of the situation, especially my parents, but I've learned to trust my gut whilst travelling.
"Our friendship was so unexpected, but I think we bring out the best in each other.
"We're in hysterics every day, and we've got the same outlook on life, we're both up for anything.
"He's like my Aussie granddad, it's been amazing, we've been on so many adventures.
"He's my best friend; we do everything together."
When Ella first moved into David's Sydney apartment, she had expected to spend several months working and saving money before moving on.
Instead, she found herself with a ready-made companion for her Australian adventures.
"I've stayed in lots of random places on my travels, and always felt like I was in someone else's space, but I felt so comfortable with David straight away," she said.
"I'd decided to get my head down and work for a few months, so I assumed I would be a bit lonely whilst I was working in Sydney, but it was the complete opposite.
"I suddenly had a built-in adventure buddy."
The pair soon settled into a routine at home, sharing meals and ending their evenings with fruit and ice cream.
Ella also began introducing David to new recipes after discovering he tended to cook the same two meals on repeat.
"One of us cooks and the other washes up, we never have to discuss house chores or anything," she said.
Their friendship has since taken them well beyond the kitchen.
Ella recently introduced David to hiking and says he surprised her by embracing increasingly demanding challenges.
"I took him on an unexpected half marathon hike the other day," she said.
"I wasn't sure how he'd handle it, but he loved it."
The pair are now planning some "crazy hikes" in Tasmania in October, while they have also set their sights on training for a Hyrox competition together next year.
Ella says David feels as though he is "reliving his youth" through their adventures.
"He says he's reliving his youth, and I'm so glad I'm able to give him those opportunities," she said.
"He's taught me to slow down and appreciate the little things in life as well; it's been great learning to see the world from his perspective."
Ella left Sydney to continue travelling in March 2025 before returning to the UK for a time.
She eventually returned to Australia in January 2026 and moved back in with David.
She now sees his home as a permanent base between trips and says their friendship has given her a sense of belonging thousands of miles from home.
"It's so nice to have a home away from home, and to know I have someone on this side of the world that cares about me," she said.
Ella has also become part of David's wider social circle, attending his exercise classes and meeting his friends, while her own friends regularly visit them at home.
Her father met David last year and the pair apparently hit it off immediately.
"My dad met him last year and they were inseparable which was so cute," Ella said.
"He's definitely part of the family now.
"The age difference doesn't really matter, because we both love a challenge, and will say yes to anything."
Ella shares her travelling adventures and friendship with David on social media at @ellatravellife.