I’ve been keeping this under my hat, because there were times when I thought I might crack, or regret the decision, or fall completely apart. We kept on asking should we, or shouldn’t we, and deeply pondered the advantage of living in the country.
You see, we’ve bought a little house ‘down south’ as they say in WA. Far from the madding crowd. We’re leaving Perth and heading for the southern region of South West Australia.
A modern country cottage under the big gum trees
I wasn’t too sure about leaving Perth, city girl that I’ve become, but a tree change to the country is good for the soul and surely good for our time of life.
Aah, city life vs country life – which do you prefer?
Rural Living
Anyway, because I know some of you asked for some pics of our house after the previous Lifestyle Fifty Newsletter, I’m going to give you a glimpse of our new home, and hope that our little house will become a home into which we welcome many family members and friends. … perhaps one day I’ll get to meet you too!
In true English fashion, I’d like to give our house a name – has anyone got any suggestions?
The house is on a bend, under peppermint and gum trees, with parrots visiting daily and the call of magpies in the morning.
Ringtail Parrots are also known as the Cloncurry Parrot, Mallee Ringneck Parrot, Port Lincoln Parrot, Twenty Eight Parrot and the Nyoongar people called the bird the Darlmoorluk. It’s scientific name is, Barnadius zonarius.
So how about Barnardius Bend?
No?
What are your suggestions – I’d love to know in the comments section below 🙂
We are not so remote that you never see another car, and we are reasonably near to amenities. So this is not an official tree change in the true sense of the word. I think a true tree change means really remote regional doesn’t it? But having said that, we are more in the country and nearer to the sea than we were living in a suburb of Perth.
And moving to the country has raised all sorts of questions about city life vs country life. Of course not everyone is lucky enough to get to choose, and I don’t have research to prove if one really is better than the other.
Advantage of Living in the Country
I come from country stock. As children we lived miles from anywhere. On a farm. With sheep and ponies but not much disposable income. Life was simple and outdoorsy and I’ve kind of had an inkling I want to get back to that quasi innocence for quite a while. Living in the country is like getting back to a truer version of ourselves in many respects – we have less distractions without bright city lights.
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Living in the Country vs Living in the City
- I think that life slows down a little. You don’t have the expectations of the city upon you. You might have more time to read, or bake or grow veggies and get to know your neighbours.
- No rush hour traffic.
- The air is most likely cleaner.
- There will probably be nice walks in your neighbourhood without the background white noise of roads or railways. Perhaps even no planes?
- You might feel inclined to get out and do more exercise in the fresh air, and take your camera with you – perhaps take photography up as a new hobby?
- Perhaps you can go off-road biking on forest or country trails.
- You’ll most definitely be able to take off somewhere near to go camping if nights out under canvas and the silvery moon are your thing.
- Adventure of the natural kind – there should be lots of that – from swimming in the sea, to kayaking on rivers to bushwalking.
- Stars, so many stars.
- Peace and quiet.
Cons of living in the country
- I’ll miss the variety of pubs and bars and restaurants and cafes in the city, but then again our bank balance won’t miss them at all 🙂
- I’ll miss meeting up with friends in different locations, which in Perth never seem to be more than about 20 minutes apart in any direction, but I’m looking forward to renewing old friendships in the country and meeting for earl grey tea and home made drizzle cake in people’s houses.
- Oh Gee I’m going to miss the shows, and the concerts and the musicians in bars on a Friday night.
- In the country you cannot get anything you want at any time of day – like Dim Sum or maybe even Pizza (if you’re used to that!) but as we make our own, that won’t worry us too much 😉
- Public transport won’t be as good or as plentiful.
- Although there will be some, there probably won’t be so many gym classes, yoga classes, or general interest courses to get involved in.
What’s your preference? If you could choose and live anywhere, where would it be?
Oh, and don’t forget to add your suggestions for a house name too 🙂
Until next time.
Leona Edmiston – Pretty Frocks and Designer Glamour at a great price.
Hi Jo
I live in the wheatbelt an hour and a half from Perth – Pingelly. I visit my children in Perth often, go to opera, ballet, stage shows etc, but I’m always glad to get home. I drive over the Darling Scarp at Roleystone and breathe easy! I’m very lucky to have an Education Dept job in Narrogin – which is 30 minutes south of me.
I used to live 8 hours away from Perth in Norseman.
It looks like you’re in Dunsborough, which isn’t far from Perth – 2 hrs. Plus you’ve got all those great places to travel to. I suggest buying a map and packing a thermos!
Hi Ruth, oh Pingelly sounds lovely. I’ve been to Narrogin and a very good friend of mine used to live there. Yes, I do think it’s lovely to be able to go to the city for some excitement and then head back to peace and quiet afterwards. Yep, thermos at the ready and thinking of getting a camper trailer 🙂
Looks all kinds of wonderful to me. We are slowly, very slowly settling in. It’s been tough with the broken ribs because I normally do it all and have everything in its place and running smoothly in a matter of days. This move (hopefully our last for a long time) has given my family a real eye opener as to what is really involved when moving house.
I can’t wait till the bones have healed and I can redo both the linen and pantry to my liking. I think I’ll definitely feel more settled then.
Only 4 boxes to go. I’m cringing at how much ‘stuff’ we own and I’m contemplating another skip bin delivery and binning a whole heap more.
Hello Raych, oh gosh what a time you’ve had. Broken ribs are not conducive to moving house. I hope you’re not in too much pain, and that you’re not overdoing it? I know, ‘the stuff’ problem! I can’t believe the amount of stuff we sent to charity shops when we moved and I don’t miss it!
I grew up in the wheatbelt and I am desperate to move back to the country. I would love to bring up my kids in the country. My partner on the other hand worries about work but I figure it will all work out! I am still working on him to move.
Hi Anne, I think you have to back yourselves and then just jump and do it!
Far north Queensland on a cane farm Jo. We left when I was 14, but I do subscribe to the saying that ‘you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl’!
Were you really Jo? And that sounds idyllic! Yup, I agree with your quote!
Oh Jo – it looks gorgeous! The house looks beautiful and the countryside looks divine! It’s exactly what I’d like to do – move to the country. Not sure my husband feel the same way though. I’ll have to work on that. Not too far away … but well and truly out of suburbia is what I’d like. Can’t help you on the name – think I’d need to know more. I hope you enjoy your new home and location! 🙂 #TeamLovinLife
Thanks Min! I hope you can work on your husband – yes, not too far away but enough to be away from the crazy traffic sounds good.
Your new home looks lovely Jo. I’ve lived in the city, country and now live in a regional area, which is a nice mix of the two. There are things I like about both city and country, but I think I’m really a country girl at heart. #TeamLovinLife
Thanks Lyndal, sounds as if you’ve had a good mix of all three.
Is that your cottage? OMG! That is the cutest cottage ever! LOVE! As for a name … no idea. #teamlovinlife
Thanks Leanne! I’m still working on a name 😉
Looks like a gorgeous spot Jo – Is that the sea in the distance behind the wine glass?
I’m a country girl – or at the moment a coastal girl – I think its a better way round going up to the buzz of a city to stay for a couple of nights for an entertainment fix (or whatever) than trying to slow down on that rushed weekend getaway –
But as we all know – horses for courses 😀
Yes, I think that’s the best way of doing things Linda. And it makes it exciting too 🙂
I made a seachange 4.5yrs ago and have no regrets. Finding a job (and one that pays okay) has been the hardest thing, but I don’t miss the traffic, humdrum, rush and depersonalised feeling I get being in the city.
I know there are feral elements to the place I live but I hang out with nice people and there are enough local cafes and cultural events that I get my cultural fix. I can shop online if there’s stuff I can’t get locally. So I’m really missing out on nothing.
I thought it’d make me appreciate the city (and its many attractions) all the more when I go there, but it turns out I rarely want to go there.
Hi Deb, I can imagine that finding a well paying job was probably the hardest thing. Country areas and the regions have been doing it tough for the last few years. I know what you mean about the traffic, and I think I’ll be much the same as you and find that in time, I really I don’t need the city much at all in the end.
What about Nyoonga Country Nest?! What a lovely house Jo and beautiful environment – I’m sure you will easily adjust your lifestyle and find wonderful new friends and activities in a smaller community. I was raised in a rural area also, and think country living has just so many benefits.
Hi Jo, oooh that’s a great name! Thanks for the suggestion. Now you’ve got me wondering which rural area you were raised in?
Congratulations! Your house looks lovely. As you know, we’ve just done the sea-change & are regretting nothing. Sure, I miss dumplings & good yum cha. And, despite being a busy tourist area, we have issues associated with being in what is actually regional Queensland. Far from thinking we’ve done this 2 years too early – as I was thinking – I’m now wondering why we waited as long as we did. The answer of course is that the time then wasn’t right. #TeamLovinLife
Hi Jo, I love how you say you miss dumpling and good yum cha – oh the little things, hey! I’m the same. I know what you mean about thinking you’ve done something too early, only to find out you should have done it before – but timing is a funny thing. When it’s right for one thing in our lives, it’s wrong for another.
I love the look of your new country home Jo. I think there is a lot of merit in escaping the city for the country. Crowds and traffic are really annoying to me these days. I think that is one of the things I hate about living on the busy Gold Coast. The countryside around your new home is picture postcard material. I would name your new home ‘Peppermint Lane’. #TeamLovinLife
Hi Kathy, I love the name Peppermint Lane – it’s got such a cozy feel to it. Thank you. I’m going to run this and the other suggestions past Dave later on. Isn’t it funny how crowds and traffic get to us as we get older. They didn’t used to, but now I find myself getting much more niggled.
I’m amazed Jo that you have left the bright city lights of Perth and all that goes along with it. Though there are certainly lots of healthy great reasons for living in the country and I well understand the pull of the country lifestyle. My home town is starting to get a little too big for me. I wish I had moved to a “country” block or smaller regional town years ago. Happy moving days Jo. At least the bright lights are not too far away.
Me too Jill – I’m a bit amazed as I was loving living in Perth. But I think I’m going to be very happy here too. Yes, a big block would be nice, but then again, it’s a lot of work, and harder as the years go by to maintain.
I’ve never named a house before, so I’m drawing a blank!!
And I’m not sure, but I might be able to live in the country now that there’s the internet. It certainly would be a change!!
Jodie
Aha, I detect a city girl Jodie! Naming a house is such an English thing isn’t it? A big daft, but nice all the same!
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