This is one post we have been hesitant to write. Not for any reason in particular, but it does add a sense of finality to things. It also came in many parts as opposed to one big boom. If we reflect on it, bits and pieces all the way back to departing New Zealand lead us here. But, given we are now finished on the road, we had better face reality. It hit us like a wet tongue to the face…
The money runs out
When we started, we were pretty open about the rules for the trip and our plans. We would head for home once we had $5,000 in the bank. There was no point in going beyond our savings for a holiday we told ourselves. We thought what we had saved would carry us through easily.
We were wrong. Our first reality check came around January. Our funds were dwindling and our magical $5,000 limit was fast approaching. Being in the southwest of Western Australia it wasn’t exactly a quick route home and there was still so much we wanted to explore. The $5,000 rule was discussed, but it was obvious that we wouldn’t be getting back to these parts anytime soon.
If we didn’t do our exploring now when would we do it? When we retired? After we won lotto? It was an obvious choice, keep going within reason and redraw the mortgage. We would repay the money soon enough when we found some jobs. We would try to limit the damage, but some financial damage would be done.
Ultimately, we didn’t want to return to our pre travel lives regretting what we had missed for the sake of a few dollars. It turned out to fortuitous, as a few weeks later we had an end date. We had to be back in the first week of June to collect our dog.
Finding a home
We were open to live anywhere and hoped to find somewhere we liked. Townsville, where we still have a house was low on the priority list and sat in the mind as the back-up plan.
From New Zealand we had thought about maybe Brisbane, but that reality check was delivered almost immediately on arrival. Out of control house prices, crazy traffic, insanely busy everywhere and millions of people wrote that one off pretty quicky.
We had eye Mackay as well. Abby grew up there, still had family there and it was smaller and regional. The idea was cemented in our minds while we waited for the caravan and car to be ready. We spent over three months there and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was at the point we had selected suburbs we’d like and Abby was scanning the properties for sale on the web. Several good-looking places came and went, we even did an inspection before we departed. It seemed the place most likely and it ticked a few boxes.
As we travelled, we always had an eye on where we stopped as a potential home. While plenty of places were nice to visit, only a few felt viable to live. Perth was the first place we felt could work, in part because of the time spent with the Lyons, but also as we spent almost two weeks there and realised just how much fun we could have. The feeling got stronger after we stopped at Bunbury and Mandurah.
In the end Mandurah really stuck with us as a future home. Close but not in the capital, on the ocean, with access to so much nature it ticked many boxes. It was also affordable, which was the other big part. The only thing working against it was distance from the east coast. It put us further away from family than Wellington did. Was that not one reason we returned to Australia?
Which bank?
The decision was made for us though. When we started to redraw the mortgage, we really had to think the finances through. The summary was basically, who would be lending to two recently (in theory) employed engineers, who haven’t worked in Australia for six and half years, who have run down their savings and redrawn their mortgage. Which bank? No bank.
We would need to sell the van and scrape every last cent together. Plus, we’d need to rent first while we found a place and that right now seems to be an expensive nightmare.
The safety net became the only option. Despite our reluctance and the feeling we risked going back to the “same old” it made sense. Financially, it would relieve the pressure, remove the stress of the rental market in a new town and give us a chance to rebuild and reassess. Beside we had friends there, places to rediscover and as a big bonus, we got to keep the van.
The dream city?
After realising a big move was almost impossible, we discovered Adelaide. It was the pick for us. It felt like New Zealand, being so English and green. The big attractions were so close; the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa were in touching distance. A little further away was the Murray, Mount Remarkable, Deep Creek and Victor Harbour.
The practical stuff
The final reality check came as we really neared the end of the trip. In the last few weeks, as we enjoyed the last few sights, our focus had shifted. Jobs, schools, logistics, tenants, removalists, Bruce, servicing, repairs and renovations filled our minds. The biggest one though was work, something we had thoroughly enjoyed avoiding for over twelve months.
Once we actually stopped travelling, reality hit hard and fast. Abby had already signed a contract, but on day one Christian was out meeting people to talk about a job. In the ten days since though, the only respite from the real world has been catching up with friends and family.
It turns out that after over twelve months distanced from reality there is lot and lots to do.
