Our lives have changed but for good as I reflect on the first few weeks of our permanent tree change. But don’t mistake this comment as meaning everything is perfect. As with any change, it’s like learning to wear a different suit of clothing that may need some adjustments here and there.

Bolly (husband and life-partner) says he is working harder in retirement than in his previous employment! But he is enthusiastic about his new adventure and tells people he is loving it. This property needs a little bit of attention and there is no shortage of projects and tasks to be done.

For me, a move back to the country was always my dream. My life as a naive country girl to city dweller has shaped and moulded my outlook on the world and my place in it. As I unpack my life contained in countless boxes of stuff collected over four decades, I am learning to let go and move on. Some things end up back in boxes and on shelves, while I bid farewell to others. It’s a gradual process. My husband was concerned that unpacking boxes and finding homes for our possessions was not a mentally stimulating task for me; knowing all the other grand plans and activities I want to pursue. But creating order and spaces to fulfill my ideas and vision for this place is a priority for this procrastination-inclined individual.

Daily accomplishments vary from small to large. Turning a house into a home has required some effort and will be on-going for some time yet. Memories of cold, frosty mornings have been replaced with dry, hot summer days. Outside jobs have taken priority to make sure we are “fire ready”. Removing leaf litter, cleaning gutters on both the house and shed,  checking the fire-fighting pump at the dam and the various sprinklers around the house are now completed. We have also managed to paint some rooms which has provided an instant facelift.

We are becoming much more aware of the local wild life with visits from kangaroos, foxes, frogs and snakes. The frogs manage to find a way into the house but thankfully no snakes yet! We love the views across our valley and to the hills behind us; always conscious of the weather and its changing patterns. Watching the sun come up as it gradually spreads its light across the paddocks and dip down in the evenings is a joy.  When a full moon bursts forth from the nearby hill and I can watch it set in the early morning from my bedroom window, there’s a sense of magic. Cliche as it sounds, humans need to connect to nature; well this human being does!

When we are not communing with nature, we are doing battle with a large telecommunications giant to get internet connection installed. Because we are in a rural area it is a little bit more involved but the level of frustration and time wasted in the process is unbelievable.  Plenty of customers are venting their rage over the mismanagement of our new national broadband roll-out.

Trips into town are planned and an opportunity to treat ourselves to a lunch-time treat. Being a tourist town means there is no shortage of places to dine at so we are working our way through them. Got to try them all so we know where to take our visitors for the best experience. It is also an opportunity to get to know many of the local business people and join yet another loyalty program! We are slowly slotting into a new church community. While a smaller and more traditional church, we are getting to know people and feel warmly welcomed. Town gets busy on long weekends and school holidays so we are fortunate to live in such a peaceful spot.

We are meeting our neighbours in the shared drive-way and over the fence. The winter rains provided good feed for cattle producers and good prices for stock at the sales. Our property sits between two cattle farms of about 150 acres each. We are baby sitting three extremely elderly cows who seem content to see out their days here. Our two city-slicker cats seem to have accepted country life and continue to make an art-form out of sleeping.

 I’m trying to set a rountine which includes walking and writing everyday. The walk takes twice as long when you meet your neighbour driving down the laneway who stops for a yarn and writing gets put off because I keep seeing things that need to be done. But as my husband and I are discovering there will always be something that needs doing and we just have to ignore it if we want to enjoy doing other stuff. Each day is an adventure and there is a bit of Dora the Explorer in me!