Killerjoe Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Hi AllFirstly thanks for all the help with my application, move and settling in. I am now 1 year in Australia and think it was the best move I ever made. I am currently employed in a job I was not doing in South Africa. I have not used the experience or training I have in IT here in Australia because I am in the country where there are not many IT jobs. I love the country because of its slow pace. Much different from being in Pretoria where it is too busy.I also find time for hobbies here in Australia and doing stuff I never dreamed about like 4x4 driving, camping and fishing all the time. I have 2 trailers and busy building one up for camping. I have 3 cars 2 old ones and one new. The old Nissan Patrol GQ I have I use for 4x4 driving. Its currently broken with a gearbox problem and I can't wait to start tinkering with it. I guess I don't miss IT as much as thought I would. In South Africa there were many stresses and things to worry about which left little or no time for hobbies etc. I just worked over time etc to stay afloat and kept thinking of ways to make more money or cut expenses to have enough money to save.On the flip side, life here is making us more complacent and not as competitive as we were in SA. We find that schools and kids in Australia including our own kids not that driven or ambitious compared to South Africa. In the country we struggle for shopping as things are far away.Dentists or specialists is hard to come by. There is no dedicated ambulance so if you meet an accident at night you could be there till the morning or until someone drives past and most people don't drive at night. There is also no cell phone reception and its gets very hot. Water is always essential to carry when travelling. We travelling once every fortnight to Geraldton to buy groceries etc. The round trip is 340km, if you get stuck better have water on hand. People very friendly and will definitely stop and help though.My Wife finds it difficult to adapt to the country and would prefer to stay in Perth, However its way more expensive in Perth cause a 3 bedroom house would cost about 400 dollars in the city and here we pay 130 because it subsidized by my wife's work. She is a Nurse here and nurses earn really well in Australia. We stay in Western Australia and so far we have been as far up north as Exmouth, we visited Monkey Mia and Coral bay. We have been to As far South as Mandurah and seen most places inbetween like Dongarra etc. The scenery is spectacular and we have found too many places that we have not even had a chance to visit properly as yet. We have setup all our camping equipment and traveling around the country is alot cheaper like that. WA is very expensive to travel and stay. There are ways to make it cheaper but still nothing compared to South Africa for Quality and Cost of accommodation and food. The emotional rollercoaster being here in Australia should not be underestimated, because I know people that have divorced and become very disappointed in Australia. Some have even gone back home. I decided to make Australia my Home and not look back anymore, I talk of the town I stay in as being my Town and I'm very proud of where I stay and what I do every day for the place I live in. I pray all the time for God to give me strength every day to face the challenges that come and not become demotivated in this place. Its still hard because people here in the country are not very religious and very few attend church or claim to believe in God. That's the other reason I love being in the country as I feel God has me here to bring a revival. These people just like our South Africans all need Gods love and that's what I try and show them everyday its also the reason I identify with the place I stay because it all belongs to God ultimately and this is His people. Its been a great adventure here down under, next I'm planning a trip down South in the December Holidays maybe some snorkeling and diving (never did those things also but why not start now). I hope my post is a bit helpful to some planning on making the move. I would not say Australia is for everyone though, it depends on the type of person you are. Here's some pics of going down a dune in Dongara with my son 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanieR Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Well done! I trust The Lord will bring you many more Blessings in the years to come! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwyn&Co Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Nice post! Congratulations on making your life work in the country, wow! New experiences are definitely a plus in Aus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordy Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 What a lovely update! I think many people under-estimate just how much their lives can change after arrival - doing things they never had time or money for in South Africa. Well done on your journey. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neels Posted August 25, 2014 Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 Good on you mate! Great post!! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alida Posted August 25, 2014 Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 I love your post. Well done. God bless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossedover Posted August 26, 2014 Report Share Posted August 26, 2014 Thank you for you post.... I do fear the emotional side of this monster move but with God anything is possible AND I love the fact that many of His lights are moving to Aus.... Let's all be little lights to shine. May a God be felt in Aus! AND may we be continually grateful in our new country. Crossing over soon.... May you continue to feel more at home daily.... Well done so far! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigvan07 Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 Good on you Joe!!Such a nice update, gives me hope! The Lord has put you there for a reason and you are living it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottg Posted August 27, 2014 Report Share Posted August 27, 2014 What an interesting town - Morawa. Thanks for sharing!How did you came about ending up in this little WA town?Interesting facts sheet:Main commercial activity - agriculturePopulation << 900 peopleMedian house price << $200khttp://www.morawa.wa.gov.au/home.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 Well done on your first year! It sounds like you are having heaps of fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killerjoe Posted August 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 Hi Guys Thanks for all the kind words. We came to Morawa because my wife got a job as a nurse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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