Many people are now talking about living simpler less consumer driven lives. Often around those discussions the subject of moving out of the cities into country environs crop up.

My husband and I often talk about moving to the country perhaps about an hour out of Canberra in any direction or the South Coast of NSW, Vic Goldfields, Tassie, or along the Great Ocean Rd and toward Mt Gambier. There are many beautiful areas in Australia.

Some opting perhaps for a small scale organic farming or simply working in a lower paid job in a small country town or living on retirement income as my parents did.

It is also possible to downshift in urban areas, swapping material luxuries for a veggie plot, some chickens in the backyard as we have done. It might also mean moving from a high pressure job to one that is more satisfying and allows more time with family, even if it means a drop in income.

Have any OLOers experienced a re-thinking or re-evaluation of their lives? Perhaps you downshifted to the country or stayed put in the city.

Anyone like to share their experiences and the pros and cons of moving vs urban self-sufficiency (as much as one can be totally self-sufficient). Or any other life-changing decisions that fit best with your goals and desires?

Ah Pelican, as you know I think its the greatest thing going!
I certainly would never again live in a city, I would feel
claustrophobic.

But I've learnt that it is a very personal thing, kind of instincitve.
Some people thrive, others hate it, so if you and hubby both agree
that is what you want, you have overcome the first huge hurdle.
For if only one partner has that dream, its commonly a disaster.

I can't for instance, ever see Pericles adjusting to milking the
cow etc :)

There are lots of ways to make a quid in the country, but you need
to think outside the square and be a little enterprising. It also
depends on what you both really enjoy doing, for if you are doing
what you love, then its not work, its passion.

Most of the farming papers have a monthly supplement which discusses
what various ventures people who moved to the country have undertaken,
some with great success. You just need to do your homework thoroughly,
before you shell out $ on any venture and think it through.

Yes, well I have my little plot of some 1700 acres out bush and dream about being there almost every day.

It's alomst a 20k walk to walk the fence line.

Bought it for an absolute song and now it's smack bang in the middle of a mining boom town.

That's where I will be spending some time in the future. Nothing quite like a camp fire in your own huge back yard overlooking the waterhole.

Life's great!

Sounds blissful rehctub.

Yabby
Yes there is much research to be done. At this stage we are doing it in the backyard so to speak but only for ourselves with both working still. Well me doing less work at the moment, but hoping to be privately employed soon. Had more than my full of the public service.

There is a lot of opportunities if one has the mettle to grasp it. Have a few ideas festering. Like you I am not a city girl anymore. Used to love it though, the congestion and overcrowding is too much for me now and the mindless road crush in the mornings

Hi Pelican
My wife and I have been living the rural life for more than twenty years now and I would say that the most important thing is to develop the skills to do as much stuff as you can for your selves is crucial. You need to know how to use tools to both make and fix things otherwise you will find life very expensive.
Plugging into local networks is also a good idea, when we moved into this district I joined the Apex club and I did my time helping the community.
Depending on your location you may find TV and internet is dodgy or slow.
For all of its drawbacks,like if you run out of milk its a long way to the shop(which is why my coffee is black this morning)waking up to the Kookaburras rather than the traffic is worth it.

Pelican

Great topic.

I used to be a city gal myself until 9 years ago, when I purchased a small home in the Yarra Ranges - with little regret. The little regrets being the lack of variety of restaurants just outside my door. But that would be the only one. I don't miss the clubs and bars - having stopped drinking alcohol helped with that. Living well outside the CBD means I always get a seat on the train and rarely have to deal with the grind of gridlock. In fact when I started my search for a sea/tree change (I kept my options open) part of the criteria was that my home would be within walking distance to a rail station.

Working on a casual/part-time basis means I manage on far less. As a result I find the 'consumer culture' meaningless from its destruction of resources to its neglect of our planet.

I will be moving to a regional centre soon to take care of my mother - ironically the area will be far more suburban than my current bushland home. After that I am considering Tasmania as a final destination. Looking towards spending the rest of my life surrounded by the rumbles of koalas, shrieks of cockatoos, the melodies of magpies and rosellas, to lie in the grass and watch echidnas snuffle through the leaf litter.

A lot to look forward to.