mogsandrovers Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Hi, I'm looking to hear people's experiences of living outside the major cities. I have previously been sent as a nurse to a tiny NSW town called Molong for 6 weeks and loved it and had such a sense of community Can you tell me about life in the small town you live (in any state)? whats the job market like? what is your house like? what do you do for fun? How accessible is it to the next major city? Were emigrating back next year and i cant face living in a big bustling city again - we now have 2 dogs too which makes it impracticable - thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I have lived rurally in SA before I returned to the UK.I've always been a country girl at heart and when we brought our place.I just knew it was going to be somewhere I'd love and I was right!I just could'nt do the "burbs".I grew up in Adelaide and did'nt really enjoy it tbh.Within a week of moving into a country town,I'd made some great friends,the school was fantastic,and I worked for myself which suited me alot.I did'nt even have a drivers license back then either,and there was no public transport out of town!Did'nt bother me one bit though.There was/is a great community spirit too which I really liked alot. On the downside,whether it was something in the water,I don't know,but.....a few of a "happily married men"living in our town were having affairs!Seemed abit weird going to a function in town,seeing these men with their wives,when us in "the know"knew what was really going down!(Their trousers probably!lol lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack91 Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I lived in a small town in WA, while on my WHV staying with family - in the middle of the Wheatbelt. It was brilliant. They had everything there, hospital, footy oval, school, shops and a bowling green. Small towns generally are well knit communities and mean everyone knows everyone and everyone is willing to help! I arrived and met with my cousin for coffee on a Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon I walked down the "high street" and 3 people said "good afternoon Jack".... I'd been there 4 hours and hadn't spoken to anyone other than my cousin and her husband! Was lovely!! Housing depends on a vast majority of factors so can't comment on that really! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 On the downside,whether it was something in the water,I don't know,but.....a few of a "happily married men"living in our town were having affairs!Seemed abit weird going to a function in town,seeing these men with their wives,when us in "the know"knew what was really going down!(Their trousers probably!lol lol) Thanks for your reply - I liked this bit PMSL... i used to live in Guernsey (channel islands) island of 7miles x 3miles and quite a bit of people were divorced and remarried to each others husbands. It happens everywhere though unfortunately - cities, towns, churches and villages - i guess it is just magnified in smaller towns when people are paying attention. I wouldnt want to speculate why it happens - i guess people just dont know how to stay happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Yes you're probably right there!As its a smaller community,people are more aware of whats going on I guess?My best mate (single)was seeing the local cop in town,who was married.He used to take her for rides in the cop car and they'd go "parking"!:eek:Cheap thrills for some!lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 My best mate (single)was seeing the local cop in town,who was married.He used to take her for rides in the cop car and they'd go "parking"!:eek:Cheap thrills for some!lol "Join the force - get a divorce!" thats what they say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 The "town" I live in is so small it does not even have a shop. Indeed, the only public thing is the council camping ground on the beach and a public telephone. It is a 50 km (35-40 minute) drive to the city for those who work. The rest of us are retirees who spend our time gardening, yakking and enjoying our nexties' company and what time is left to us. Most of us have a boat of some sort, being on a rather secluded beach facing the southern Whitsundays, so fishing is a big hobby. Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I don't currently live rurally but I did for 6 years on the northwest coast of Tasmania. I loved it. I was working full time but we lived on a few acres, travelling around was very easy, equivalent housing was more affordable than the city. Health and education facilities can be a problem in many country towns but we were blessed with a decent hospital, a choice of medical practices and a choice of schools, including to year 12. It now also has a campus of the state university. For recreation we had lots of beaches, sailing, kayaking, fishing, bushwalking, restaurants, a cinema and very active theatre and arts groups. The nearest "city" was 2 hours drive away, or you could hop on a plane to Melbourne for serious city therapy....if you felt the need...which I didn't! Lots of community groups and volunteer organisations. Employment is generally a problem but I think medical staff are the exception...rural areas always seem to have a shortage. I loved it. I'd probably still be there but my marriage broke up and I moved away on a job transfer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) Ok, not lived in one but chipping in to say that if you are heading to SA you have plenty of options for small town living not too far from Adelaide itself. The beauty of the hills means once you hit them and head up and over you leave the city behind well and truly. And then places further afield where it's 2, 3, 4, 5 hours drive to Adelaide. Or if in Mount Gambier it's also a 5 hour drive to Melbourne. Lovely town (they call it a city and its SA second largest), really like it there (visited, not lived). Population 25,000 or so. We bought on the very edge of an Adelaide suburb and have fields and hills a street away. In an ideal world we'd be out in Kangarilla. It's up in the hills, small town (it's a village to my English eyes) town hall, one shop, one garage/cafe that sort of thing. But only 10-15 drive to a couple of outer suburbs and then 30 minutes into the CBD. Hospitals are nicely placed access wise from there too. Lots of other 'small towns' to choose from in the hills and beyond. Not sure about dogs and exercising them in these very small places. No public footpaths across farmland here. Lots of walks if near beach or having access to outer suburbs and walking trails etc for people/dogs but not sure what the set up is if living in tiny town round here. I do find the community spirt good in these small places. We visit lots of small towns round and about here for cycling events and other things. I'd be happy living in one of the towns closer to Adelaide (ie within an hours drive of the city sort of thing) but having visited some towns further out here, as in hours and hours of driving, I'm not sure I could do that. 4 hours of pretty much nothing between me and anything else, not appealing. Although for you it may be ideal. Small hospitals exist in some of the towns but not sure about how often jobs come up. Edited September 28, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minch23 Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 I live in a small town in WA, but it has everything you need, shop, doctors, school, service staion, great beaches. But the job prospects are not to great if you work outside of hospitality/tourism in this particular town. However, the next biggest town is 50k away, and that is not a bad commute (no traffic jams). The houses are cheaper to rent, and we do fortnightly food shops in the big town to save money, as the smaller supermarket tend to be expensive. The local school is amazing, only 70 kids, so the kids get so much more attantion, especially if they have learning difficulties. The community spirit is definately tight knit, but can be hard to break into, just gotta keep showing your face around town. Once you get used to everyone knowing your name well before you know theirs, small towns can be great to live in! We are 4 hours from the major city, but never really have a need to go there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoadedDog Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) Have lived in several small towns in the NSW Central West (not close to Molong particularly, but only a couple of hours away). Housing is dirt cheap by Australian standards, both for purchase and rental. Jobs, on the other hand, are thin. You need to follow the job first, and the town and housing will follow. Expect very ordinary internet, and higher local prices for groceries and petrol, etc. Public transport is generally not good, depending on the town. The people? Again, depends on the town, but I've never much bought into the "country people are friendlier" thing. People are people. Country people are forced to talk to you more, but they can also be terrible gossips, and towns have petty little feuds and things. It's not all bad by any means, but just that it doesn't live up to some people's expectations. If you've never lived in a small town before and only have city experience, try to use a large workplace as a comparison. The same personality types will come up. Also, don't expect the place to be immune from petty crime - depending on the town. Don't expect decent food, especially if you like anything remotely exotic. You can usually get a great steak at the pub (or strangely, at the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant run by fourth generation Aussie-Chinese, There's traditionally an "Australian Meals" section on the last page of the menu, and it's better than their Chinese stuff). All that said, living in the bush can be great. My preference is to live in a small village within a fifteen or twenty minute drive of a major regional town of about at least 30 000. That way, you can kick back on a large block without hearing your neighbours, soaking in the Southern night sky, and all that sort of romantic stuff, yet half an hour later you can be in a cinema or (small-ish) department store. Edited September 28, 2014 by TheLoadedDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) I have previously been sent as a nurse to a tiny NSW town called Molong for 6 weeks and loved it and had such a sense of community Can you tell me about life in the small town you live (in any state)? whats the job market like? what is your house like? what do you do for fun? How accessible is it to the next major city? I lived in country Victoria for a year. Hated it, but then I'm a townie which it sounds like you're not! I did like the sense of community - I made some real friends in that year, with whom I'm still in touch. Whereas I've been in Sydney over 25 years and while I have lots of acquaintances and chat to my local shopkeepers etc, I couldn't say I have any good friends - if I left tomorrow, I bet I'd never get a Christmas card from any of them! Small towns can be a long way from the nearest big city and there's often no public transport of any kind. Victoria is the most densely populated state and therefore the small towns are less isolated than in NSW or WA. Rentals in the country are almost impossible to find and expensive, but it's dirt cheap to buy a house compared to city prices. In country Victoria sport is king, and if you don't play sport you'll find yourself pretty left out of things in most small towns. Note that Country NSW is having a real crime wave right now, much higher than the cities, due to the high unemployment amongst young people. Not sure what it's like in other states. Edited September 28, 2014 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Have lived in several small towns in the NSW Central West (not close to Molong particularly, but only a couple of hours away). Housing is dirt cheap by Australian standards, both for purchase and rental. Jobs, on the other hand, are thin. You need to follow the job first, and the town and housing will follow. Expect very ordinary internet, and higher local prices for groceries and petrol, etc. Public transport is generally not good, depending on the town. The people? Again, depends on the town, but I've never much bought into the "country people are friendlier" thing. People are people. Country people are forced to talk to you more, but they can also be terrible gossips, and towns have petty little feuds and things. It's not all bad by any means, but just that it doesn't live up to some people's expectations. If you've never lived in a small town before and only have city experience, try to use a large workplace as a comparison. The same personality types will come up. Also, don't expect the place to be immune from petty crime - depending on the town. Don't expect decent food, especially if you like anything remotely exotic. You can usually get a great steak at the pub (or strangely, at the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant run by fourth generation Aussie-Chinese, There's traditionally an "Australian Meals" section on the last page of the menu, and it's better than their Chinese stuff). All that said, living in the bush can be great. My preference is to live in a small village within a fifteen or twenty minute drive of a major regional town of about at least 30 000. That way, you can kick back on a large block without hearing your neighbours, soaking in the Southern night sky, and all that sort of romantic stuff, yet half an hour later you can be in a cinema or (small-ish) department store. i liked this answer so much that i tried to read it out to my hubby in a thick auzzie accent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 I lived in country Victoria for a year. Hated it, but then I'm a townie which it sounds like you're not! Yeah - Im not sure what I am anymore really - if I have to be labelled. so therefore were unsure where to live when we come to OZ. Grew up in a large town - Trained in Edinburgh city - Lived in Sydney (loved it) - Lived in Melbourne (hated it) - lived in Guernsey which is a small island 7miles x 3 miles (best time of my life -still have lifelong friends from here - cant live in guernsey though due to workvisa) Back in Edinburgh city now but on the edges so were a 10 min trip to the hills and beach which i cant live without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoadedDog Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 I knew some people from Orange, which is about a four hour fast drive inland from the coast. They went to Alice Springs to work. In the Alice, they were asked where they were from. When they replied they were from Orange, they instantly got labeled "Coasties". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellington Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 We live in the Adelaide Hills. I absolutely hate it. It's just absolutely not my style. Completely "Adelaide Hills 90210" Complete lack of community spirit and pretentious, plastic people trying to out-rich each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You could, in a way, have the best of both worlds, by moving to somewhere like Camden, NSW. I went there for a drive on Saturday arvo, and spent two or three hours walking around, looking at homes on quiet streets, with fields and the Nepean river all around. It has that country town 'vibe' with the showgrounds, livestock selling ring, and agricultural businesses, but it's also reasonable commuting distance from Sydney and Campbelltown., and has all the 'big city' facilities you need, apart from a railway station. It's not a 'real' country town in the sense of being hundreds of miles into the bush, but on the other hand, although life in those towns can be pleasant, it's good to be close to the big city facilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnAndGraeme Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Hi, I'm looking to hear people's experiences of living outside the major cities. I have previously been sent as a nurse to a tiny NSW town called Molong for 6 weeks and loved it and had such a sense of community Can you tell me about life in the small town you live (in any state)? whats the job market like? what is your house like? what do you do for fun? How accessible is it to the next major city? Were emigrating back next year and i cant face living in a big bustling city again - we now have 2 dogs too which makes it impracticable - thanks Molong blink and you miss it. We are in Orange 2.5 years now, love the town being only 3 hours from Sydney but still country Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We live in rural victoria. Small town not far from property we run. Hate it to be honest everybody knowing your business nothing private even medical conditions become topic of discussion. We are fairly private people and find it hard to be the subject of town talk which i am since a recent serious diagnosis. People we really don't know asking how my treatment is going etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 You could, in a way, have the best of both worlds, by moving to somewhere like Camden, NSW. I went there for a drive on Saturday arvo, and spent two or three hours walking around, looking at homes on quiet streets, with fields and the Nepean river all around. It has that country town 'vibe' with the showgrounds, livestock selling ring, and agricultural businesses, but it's also reasonable commuting distance from Sydney and Campbelltown., and has all the 'big city' facilities you need, apart from a railway station. It's not a 'real' country town in the sense of being hundreds of miles into the bush, but on the other hand, although life in those towns can be pleasant, it's good to be close to the big city facilities. thanks Maryrose02 - i will check it out. Also looking at Penrith or Wollongong or Newcastle regions as options Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 We live in rural victoria. Small town not far from property we run. Hate it to be honest everybody knowing your business nothing private even medical conditions become topic of discussion. We are fairly private people and find it hard to be the subject of town talk which i am since a recent serious diagnosis. People we really don't know asking how my treatment is going etc. Aw no thats not nice! How is your treatment going anyway? (dont answer that). I guess its nice to know that people are there if you need then. In Guernsey, if someone had a baby or was just out of hospital, local people would rally around and bring food dishes to see them through the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogsandrovers Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Molong blink and you miss it. We are in Orange 2.5 years now, love the town being only 3 hours from Sydney but still country HI @DawnAndGraeme what's Orange like for living? is there much to do out there? Im having visions of horse trekking, cheap rentals and wineries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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