We have moved and unpacked! We have spent our first weeks in our new abode at Sandy Beach, initially camping as we waited for our furniture to arrive, then opening dozens of boxes, sorting and culling. Our bodies are sore, but we are getting happily settled.
Moving house is not for the faint hearted. We must be getting old… it’s hard on our bodies which badly ache.
People ask us ‘how does it feel?’ Well it is an odd mix of excitement, satisfaction, hesitation and exhaustion! We have been working hard from morning to night unpacking, organising, to get a sense of order as quickly as possible. We are giving ourselves time though before we put all the pictures, artefact collections and ornaments on display. It is a matter of letting the space talk to us and guide us rather than replicate how we had things in Jan Juc. There is a rich story of our adventures, idiosyncrasies and family histories to tell through our belongings.
The peak of physical activity and pain is behind us now, and we are getting much joy at making ‘Sandy’ uniquely ours.
We find we are constantly comparing, thinking ahead, debating how best to display our treasures, culling because we have way too much stuff, figuring out what projects we will get into to make the place truly ours… and make it even better. Lots of ideas and big projects, like installing solar panels and a battery so we are self-sufficient with power, planting a veggie garden, possibly converting the pool to a pond with gorgeous aquatic plants. Solar system ordered, the rest will come later!
We are both establishing our routine. Wade has a surf most mornings, and although the waves are small, the water is relatively warm… not the biting cold of Jan Juc. One of the locals calls Sandy “the place where old surfers come to die”… meaning the waves are not very demanding! Sandy is not Bells Beach! Meanwhile Chris goes for beach walks and has just started Pilates and Yoga classes at Woopi (the name given to Woolgoolga by the locals). We often walk to Bare Bluff in the late afternoons for sunset views and encounters with the local wildlife straight out of the garden gate! We laugh at the many brush turkeys scratching around from one garden to another, we smile at the kangaroos grazing at our back gate at dusk, we delight at the black cockatoos with their mournful wails as they fly overhead and the variety of birds who visit and fill the air with their calls! The wildlife here is just amazing. And when we wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something, we look out of our window from our bed and admire the Milky Way. No light pollution in Sandy!
It is cool at night and in the early mornings, when we need a jumper, but it warms up during the day when we hang around in shorts and T shirt; the sub-tropical climate makes the last of the Winter days much milder than down south! The vegetation here is luxuriant and grows so much quicker and lusher than in Victoria. We are trying not to rush, to observe the light, the shadows, the breeze, before we decide what we will plant along one of the fences or how we organise the veggie garden. We can’t wait for the many frangipanis to be in flowers all around the house, with their lovely colours and heady perfume.
The most taxing part of the relocation is the transfer of driver’s licenses, car registration and insurance… different rules in different states make life difficult… and God help you if you tick ‘diabetic’ on the application paperwork! “Fitness to Drive Medical Assessment” required which is proving difficult to pass with Chris’s medical history and a new doctor, but we will get there.
Over the next few weeks we are welcoming our first guests, and we have a few things planned till the end of the year. It will be fun to have friends and family staying with us in our new environment and great to be tourists in this glorious region, something we haven’t had a chance to do yet!
Our next post is likely to be in early October when we return south to pick up Anui. But if we find something interesting to share beforehand we will, so stay tuned!
Sv-Anui 
Looking very much like home. One day you’ll be able to sit down and relax and think aaaaaahhhhhh, we are done.
Nearly there, Ann, at least for the basics!
Wow, you two are on a permanent holiday living there!! I love your new home inside and out! Absolutely beautiful, congratulations guys! The weather there seems a little bit like here in Las Vegas where it never gets truly cold in winter and the palm trees thrive year round. Enjoy your new abode! ❤️😎
Yes, sub tropical… thanks John!
You bet, be well you happy couple! 😎
OMG! What a wonderful first post to open in the morning – well, I saw the address and did pick! Am SO happy for you! Did a big ‘oh’ when I saw the front of the house properly – ours for 21 years in Rose Bay, Sydney was almost a copycat in style. Love the look of the place and what you have done with it . . . and the back outside > the pool would look fab as an aquatic garden! The scenery looks inviting – I can see Wade being truly happy surfing on the ‘senior’s’ beach 🙂 ! Yes, surely am looking forwards to a post when the Anui ends her ‘holiday’ but do give us a ‘look what we have done’ post in-between ! Bestest . . . be happy!
We are happy too, Eha, and will keep improving and adding our own touches. It feels good!😊
Hey Chris. Thank you once again for sharing your journey. You have the most amazing way with words and I always feel like I’m in your back pocket watching on. Enjoy the new scenery you are about to explore. I often wonder why we head overseas when we have such beauty here. Enjoy and stay safe and well.
Cheers C
Hi Caroline, thanks so much for the feedback… it is quite a journey and we go through highs and lows, as with any major life change. But it feels right!
Well done both of you! You seemed to have nailed your choice of location on the coast, as well as the house. Lots of positivity in this post. Maybe don’t jump down the pond path just yet. A summer at Sandy may be the deciding factor & the pool could be beneficial for your back issues?? Now for Anui to join you.
Hi Amanda, yes the pool project is definitely one for next year if it happens at all. We need to spend a year here before tackling that! And yes we have a lot to be happy about. It is the right move for us.
Good on you both!
Those sand dunes look fairly undamaged by humans, absolutely lovely. Looks like quite a bit of coast very well preserved
Yes it’s a really nice spot. Looking forward to seeing you and Maree here.
What a great spot you’ve chosen! Surf every morning (don’t worry, big waves will come), the wildlife, grow anything in your garden 😀 . We’re getting a sense of nostalgia here in north!
Hopefully we’ll be able to drop in to say gday at the end of September when we’re in coffs !
Enjoy those sunrises!
Hope we see you, although at the end of September we have a family do near Ballina so not sure it will work out!
PS you may want to consider planting coffee bushes in a spare corner, they produced quickly and we had fun turning them into our very own coffee! ☕
Interesting!
Well done. It looks very homely already
Yes it is all a bit easier from now on!
It’s looking like home and very you – all light-filled and airy! So glad it’s all coming together and the new adventures continue.
We’re still hiding from persistent trade winds, but it’s balmy Qld weather so we’ll enjoy it even though we miss you and our reef adventures!
Hi Helene, it is coming together well… having fun with the displays, meeting the locals… we are definite regulars at Bunnings as there is always some tool missing!
First visitors next week, so it will be a good test of how the house works.
We need time to recover before we get Anui up here as we are both suffering from aching backs… lots of old people’s noises! But we are really pleased and love it here.
Enjoy sharing your beautiful new home with your visitors ❤️
Well done guys all the ducks have lined up for you & the house looks amazing. Least all the heavy lifting is done. We are currently in Perth WA house sitting Lyn’s brother house & dog then we road tripping back to Yamba to move Medina onto our private mooring which became available while we were driving over here. We due back around middle of October we may see you then if Anui is there.
Cheers
Mick & Lyn.
Hi guys, have fun! Anui will be at Yamba in early December. Collecting her in October from Wyndham Harbour and doing the trip north via the Furneaux Islands first, and The Boat Works at the very end of November. Hope we catch up with you.
Hi Chris & Wade,Good to read that you are settling
Hi Tom, yes we are very comfortable. Back down south in October to pick up Anui. Might see you at the Lakes on the way!