[newphase]

Have you done the tree change thing and did you/have you regretted it or loved the choice?

I am Seriously considering moving from Melbourne to Regional VIC and would like to hear any stories for and against.

My final 2 considerations are Wodonga or Wangarratta....have been researching both. HAve been to both in the past, one more recently than the other....like 25 years more recently lol. Would need to revisit both to make a final decision though. If you lived in either or have lived....feel free to praise or condem. or just give your 2 cents worth.



TIA

[applepie83]

Curious OP - what sparked your decision re the tree change? It is something I am hoping to do in the next 12 - 24 months.

Good luck!

[i-candi]

Love it. We had to move to Sydney but there was no way I'd live in suburbia so we went semi rural.

One huge setback though is kids schooling. The local school isn't great and we couldn't get DS into the local Catholic school as it was full for his year. The high school is a joke so our kids will go private, DS did have to travel an hour to get to school - the closest Catholic (I grew up Catholic). It didn't work so DS goes to a much closer Anglican high school and it's working perfectly .

After growing up in Perth I suppose I miss the beach, we are too far to go for just a walk but close enough to go for a trip but we are not beach people. Still I miss just being able to have a walk on the beach.

[newphase]

I- Candi I have looked into the schooling options, treying to cover all bases before I move. I can't just move and work things out when I get there...not that kind of person.

Applepie83 I need a change. I grew up in rural Vic, born and lived in rural NSW for first 7 years prior to VIC.
I am over suburbia. I am over having my Mum (as loving and great as she has been) living in my backyard in a flat and minding my kids all the time because I do shift work. I want to raise my kids my way. My daughter with high functioning Autism needs boundaries and Grandma is soft....but I get she is a grandma, I do not begrudge her anything.

[Madnesscraves]

Regret it. It's been really hard. Mind you I have no car so I'm quite isolated. I thought I could do it but I can't. It's sad cos its so beautiful here and peaceful but hard. So moving back to the city in a few years.

[countrymel]

Sort of tree change here.

DP followed me when I moved back to rural Tasmania - he has been a big city urban boy his whole life but has taken to it with gusto.

The problems he faced were to do with work opportunities - very limited. And finding like minded friends.

If you have never lived in a small town learning that you can't just isolate yourself with 'people like me' is a bit of a learning curve, but after several years now he has embraced the fact that he now has friends of all shapes, sizes and vastly differing life experiences to himself. (he has, if you will, dug deep and found his inner bogan!)

We do miss the ease and convenience of inner city life and we pine for theatre, good restaurants, live music and high paid work (well he misses high paid work! I have never had high paid work!) and career advancement options.

DP also was going to do his Phd but realised after moving here that the logistics just didn't work out.

But we love our home, we love the peace, the quiet and being surrounded by nature. He still gets a kick out of the fact that we are 20 mins drive from a National Park where we can nip out and have a picnic tea and almost guarantee we will be the only people there. He loves going for a swim at the local waterhole on a Friday night and being disturbed only by the birds and the dragonflies.

And he LOVES the fact that behind the rows of buildings on the main street of our little town are paddocks filled with cows!

[ThreeLittleLambs]

I could write Madnesscraves post right now

I was all gung ho and ready to get out there and meet new people once I got here but everyone sticks to themselves.

On top of this I don't have a car or licence so am feeling pretty isolated.

Before I came here I had visions of barbecues, going to the pubs and beautiful beaches the place has... but instead dp and I are just bored out of our brains!

Having said that dp and I have agreed to move again to another country town. This time we will be visiting it first to see how the people are. We most certainly won't be relying on reviews that we read off the internet again either :-/

[bellygood]

Kind of a tree changer. Left this area 20 years ago, lived in cities/travelled etc, then returned to same area but different town (so essentially different circle of friends, starting up new etc).

Plus side: natural beauty of the place, I really couldn't live anywhere else, this area is good for the soul

Minus: work is really the only minus for us. With two young kids a 'city life' of dining out etc wouldn't work anyways. My DH has a great job so its just a matter of him protecting that, I have yet to find a good part-time job (and have to admit... I haven't even really looked)

The difference is that I am from this area - not this town, but this region - so know it like the back of my hand. I wouldn't be so sure going somewhere as a total newby.

[newphase]

Thanks for all the replies!

[Foogle]

I echo i-candi's thoughts - semi-rural is great (we live in the same area). Far enough away but not too far and also Country-Mel's post as well.

Our local water-hole where the kids can swim and canoe is 3 mins down the road and I look over cows and horses everyday from our vista.

Just on a personal note, i-candi, I'm so pleased that the school is working out for your DS.