22 November 2024

Living in the bush may not be all it's cracked up to be, but how's the serenity?

| Sally Hopman
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Cow in the moon light

They call it bucolic bliss, which is why more people want to head bush. Just watch out for the bull. Photo: Sally Hopman.

When you live in the city, it’s hard not to have a romanticised view of what it would be like to live in the country.

The cute cottage with roses or ivy or something green trailing its way up the walls. The vegie garden with, again, green things sprouting up from dirt. The crystal clear water overflowing from the rainwater tank. Just as one proud property owner said: “How’s the serenity?”.

So it didn’t come as a huge shock to read about new research commissioned by the Regional Australia Institute this week showing the number of city-dwellers looking to relocate to the regions had doubled over the past 18 months. But wait, there’s more. The results of its nationwide survey showed 40 per cent of capital city residents were considering a move to regional Australia – up from 20 per cent in May 2023.

This is all well and good, but there are a couple of things you should know, from someone who knows. A friend.

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The “something green trailing up the walls”? Well, that’s probably ivy and, if you start ripping it down, stop. Chances are, if it’s of a certain vintage, it is what is holding up your cute country cottage, the supporting walls and other helpful bits long gone. (Does Araldite come in 44 gallon drums? Often?)

The vegie garden. Seriously? You really want to grow something out of dirt? Something so misshapen you can barely determine if it’s a carrot or a watermelon? The good thing about the Canberra region is that it has seasons, and stuff grows according to seasons, except when it doesn’t. (If in doubt, check what other people are growing. Chances are, as long as their produce is not made of plastic, it will grow on you, too.)

Also, notes on seed packets lie. Grows all year round, it says, sure in a greenhouse. Can withstand Canberra’s winters and summers? Sure, if you pretend you grew them after buying them at the supermarket and destroying all evidence of plastic wrapping. (Again, according to a friend, it’s helpful to smudge a bit of dirt on said vegies for that just-ripped-out-of-the-garden-look – if you want to get real.)

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And then there’s the water issue. Sadly, when you move from the city out to the bush, you can’t take your taps with you. Well, you could but it would be a drain on everyone’s resources.

Out of town, you’ll probably have to rely on natural stuff like rain for your water. You can of course buy it. Water carters will bring a truckload right to your tank. They get it from town so it won’t have the lovely rainwater aroma, but it will stop that other aroma, the one when you don’t have a shower for a week or so, and have asphyxiated everyone within a 10-kilometre radius.

But there’s something about buying water that, speaking on behalf of that friend, again, feels quite defeatist. You (the friend) feels they’ve failed when they can’t manage to survive on just what’s in their tank till the next rain.

Yes, moving to the country can be a joy. Everyone else will know what you get up to before you have a chance to. They’ll know what car you drive almost before you buy it. They’ll know how good you are with stock – if they’re out on the road they’re also know you’re a lousy fencer.

But if you’re in trouble, your country neighbours will be the first through the gate offering help. After the trouble’s over, they’ll tease the hair right off your head, but they’ll be there, as you shout the bar again. With boots on.

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pink little birdie11:09 am 06 Dec 24

I honestly find my surburban 700m^2 block too large. I’d hate the maitenance of larger rural block. It’s not for me and I know that.
But I think particularly with the rise in buy nothing groups sense of community are being created in suburbs. Facebook allows local connections with a larger number of people in the area. Like 2 years ago I sought a sewing buddy and that turned into a local regular craft group.
I think you can create the community connections that people love in the country in suburbs. My suburb certainly does.

Always Greener6:16 pm 05 Dec 24

As an experienced tree changer, I find that it too easy to underestimate the importance of your social network when leaving the city and overestimate your ability to completely integrate into a rural community. And yes pretty cottages and gardens are hard work. But it does work for some.

Capital Retro10:36 am 28 Nov 24

Some great responses about this subject matter.
Not much feedback from people who are currently living in the bush and this would be because they don’t have time for social media or the services providing mobile phones etc. are still not available in the areas they live in.
It’s certainly a difficult option if one has a chronic health problem although the local communities are close-knit and everyone helps each other in relation to transport and domestic help. In that respect, it’s not unlike it was 150 years ago when our pioneers had to live in very remote places. Henry Lawson wrote about the pathos of this situation often.
I love the isolation that is offered although now to get that is at least a two hour drive from Canberra and the increasing number of roadkill on the way is more distressing than ever.
The clear, starry nights in the bush are never seen in the cities.

A lot of caution and warnings here. I moved from the city to the country and stayed there for 20 years. All the issues that people talk about were there but, the community, the experience of weekends taking the kids to the local town for sport, the tranquility and a sense of space…
I’m back in town and I’m enjoying the difference but I wonder about going back, somewhere. Caution sure, think about what you’re prepared to “sacrifice”, but if you feel it in your bones have a go.

GrumpyGrandpa7:50 pm 27 Nov 24

Both myself and GrumpyGrandma grew up on farms; not 5 acre hobby farms, real farms.
We were both within 20-30 minutes drive from small country towns, where there were reasonable basic services and an hours drive for anything more.
Dad killed his own meat, and we had chooks and a vege patch. Heating was via a wood stove (that also heated the hot water). To have hot water in summer, you needed to have the wood-fired stove burning in the kitchen!
For cooling, it was a portable evaporative cooler. There was no insulation.
TV was black ‘n white and the bread was delivered a couple of times a week, when the mail was delivered.
Dad used to work from dawn to later than dusk, particularly when sewing crops etc.
If you had a medical emergency, some better drive you because the ambulance could be hours away. Dad died before the ambulance arrived. 😢.
It wasn’t all bad. As a kid, it was all you knew. Everyone you knew was exactly the same as you. People knew each other and there was a good spirit of community. All of your relatives lived within an hours drive.
On balance, it was a great upbringing. You were safe from drugs and violence. Kids could be kids. Country people are good people!
The cost of housing in country towns is cheaper, but country towns are dying, you are doing to commute just to do the groceries. Without a car, you are stranded.
For city-based born & bred folk, moving to the country is almost an impossible option. There are too many things you take for granted. My SIL now lives in a town of about 10,000. It’s not a bad compromise. It has most things you need, but she still needs to make a 4 hour trip (each way) to Melbourne to see medical specialists and often needs to stay in a hotel overnight.
The funny thing is that as much as I romantise about growing up on a farm and country life, I know it’s no longer for me. I hate big cities too. Canberra is ok, but at times I feel it too, is becoming too much like other cities.
Oh well. 😊

Capital Retro7:08 am 06 Dec 24

” All of your relatives lived within an hours drive.”
It’s still like that in Tasmania.

Malcolm Roxburgh9:27 am 25 Nov 24

We have found that most people who move to our country location (30Klm from Canberra) on small blocks, 20-40 acres, last about 5 years before they sell up and move back to town.

Country life and country people are the best. Always up for a chat and help if you need it. Great being a part of the community. Much better than living in a crowded metropolis and the best thing around is an artisan bakery and soy decaf latte lol

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