
I was a Bondi girl. A a real eastern-suburbs type who would get anxious getting away from the city for too long. Then when I became pregnant with my second child I realised, with two kids under two, I needed more space with my family.
So where does one go to get that feeling of space?
We tree-changed.
It was a big step, one we were scared to do. But once we decided to trust our instincts and take the plunge, we never looked back.
I could probably think of eighty-thousand reasons why I loved leaving the big smoke in exchange for wood-fired smoke coming from our chimney. So here’s a list of why any family thinking about making the move away from the city to a simpler life in the sticks should do it.
1. Space. It’s everywhere.
That old (expensive) chestnut. You just don’t have it in the big city! I mean, when you’ve spent your life in a bedroom at mum and dad’s, a two-bedroom apartment seems almost palatial. So I loved my Bondi flat with its courtyard for a WHILE, but as I got older I realised it’s quite nice to organise the clothes you spend good money on with an actual wardrobe.
Now, we have a garage and office downstairs at our house. I hadn’t had a place with a garage EVER in my adult life! And it’s my favourite place to hang out when mummy needs mummy time. A plus is that our wine is now stored downstairs because we have space, and when I stand in the garage with a glass of vino in hand, I feel like I’ve won life.
Christie talks about moving on this weeks This Glorious Mess
Also, once you throw kids in the mix, you’re going to have to get more space whether you like it or not. They like to run and it’s fair to give them more than a couple of metres of a lounge room. Of course there’s the local park and things I did within my power to expand their backyard, but at the end of the day, it’s quite wonderful to have a backyard. Just like I did at mum and dads growing up. We even chop wood outside and have a CLOTHES LINE (yes, the mundane thing I love nearly as much as my garage.) Parents wash a shitload of clothes.
2. Financial gains
The price we pay for our lovely big home only 45 mins south of the city, right next to all the beaches and the national park, would cost about $1500 rent per week in Sydney. Granted, there’s only about four cafes in our beautiful small town of Helensburgh, but everything here- our wonderful local deli, premium butcher and providore – is cheaper than a few herbs, carrots and a juice from a Sydney grocer.
Top Comments
An express train from the country to the city?? Really? No way!
Oh, I see, you're not from WA, you're from Australia. As you were.