Sea Change Fever

You sure your not still on the throne, I know your place is wired with a wireless network, You taken your lappy into the dunny with you to post this and surf the web in general. LOL.

Andrew sounds like your still on the throne cheer,s GREENDOG

We are on track to do the exact 'sea change' (minus the scribbles) you described in 12 mths for 2+yrs.

Scary even thinking about it.

We have decided to just go with the flow, north for the winter, south for the summer. Let the wind take us.....

May end up anywhere in this great land, not even thinking about what we will do when we get back because we may not get back. May work, may not. Might settle, might not, might shave our heads, might grow it long, no more bloody suit and tie, may fall flat on our faces....

better get on to finding that Troopy.....

Strangest thing Andrew........ I feel I'm living it out now.........

For a lot of my life, I was wishing it all away, as I got older, I realized that I must do it now, while I can.

I am fortunate in being one of the lucky ones, who is finally happy with his lot in life!

I don't ever want for much, Tracy can attest to that, I could live in a tent for the rest of my life, would never worry me.

I guess as long as I've got my health, that's all that matters.

Cheers

Wolfie

Wolfie, sounds like you are a contented man at least atm.
I found a temporary dose of this having just come back from FNQ after visiting my son in Cairns.
Went thru centre NSW in almost direct line to Cairns from West Vic., camped out under the stars often then sometimes in back of the TD Triton & sometimes in Parks and explored many byways including the gold/gem country from Anakie,Forsayth,Kingsborough etc then of course back down the coast to
Maryborough till the weather cracked up then inland to Inverell & more.
Chat to folks when they want to, travelled alone, not by choice, but was never idle or bored but company would have been great.
Truck did over 10,000kms without touching it apart from oil change & travelling
slower than usual enabled a savings of hundreds of $$ at current fuel prices.
Averaged 11-12 kms/litre, eg often over 800kms on less than the tank of 75litres.
Met a fellow down a goldfields 4wd track with a top heavy piggyback camper on his 4wd. Over 80 years & went fossicking most years & he looked fit.
Negatives were the signs everywhere on stations not to enter or leave the track/road. Camp fees varied from $5 pn to an ATTEMPTED $26 for a sole camper, no power, one night, no thankyou.
No real hassles the whole way really even in the o/n van at Childers which I took in desperation as it was pouring. eg: Windows all taped over inside with plastic
which I had to rip off for air and a park inhabited by a lot of addicts & unfortunates
but no incidents.
Constant pounding over rough back roads & 4wd tracks with a load resulted in bad fade in the Gabriel shocks. Seems the gas mixes with the oil & they compress froth
& get soft. Seem to have recovered well since home, cooler climate & a rest I guess but changed my opinion of gas shocks!

I guess I have a couple:

I love South East Asia and Thailand in particular and may well move there for a year or a few before too much longer.

A bush block (20 acres+?) with a small house/Granny flat abode - mains power and telephone would be nice but I could live without either. Then taking time, as I chose, to wonder around Oz.

I've been a single parent for a few years now but the younger one is almost ready to fend for himself so perhaps the next year or two will set me free :)

Mike Harding

mike_harding@fastmail.fm

Hi Son

interesting topic...hmmm Sea change...haven't really thought about it, both my parents have had a seachange of sorts over the past 7 years dealing with major health issues...they so far winning their battles...last year when my father was having treatment and I was visiting him, I asked him how he was feeling, he said "fine Lynda I've just got cancer I'm not sick" I thought that was the best statement...and it inspired me you never know what tomorrow brings so try to do as much as you can each day and enjoy it..live as much as you can and do what you're able..., ....my dream a few years ago...was...in a perfect world, was to be able to spend 6 months of the year in Scotland, 6 months here - I'd still love that but the world is far from perfect, so in an imperfect world I've decided that seeing as much as possible of the perfect place on earth is the G O ...the main thing is to be happy at whatever you decide to do...

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Andrew, I have found several Sea Changes a year help make the time while away. Two weeks at Broken Hill, could have lived there for ever, Four days in Sydney was fun, four Robe days was such an escape, I used to think about work all the time, take a week to wind down and put the mobile down, then the week before going back start thinking about whats needed, check my email from home, yannow the things. Now, even 2 days can be spent enjoying whatevers there. That I believe is the true sea change on my life, how I choose to live it......

I feel we are blessed with having retired to a seaside place as we planned, but still very accessible to the bush. We have the time to explore where and when we want to and are enjoying life to the full. Dressing casual most day allows for a total feeling of freedom and being on permanent holidays. I guess my only dream is that we and our family keep good health and can continue doing more of the same.

Carolyn

I left the land of the long white pom 13 years ago. I guess that was my sea change. I'm living it every day bit by glorious bit in Oz, still lots to see and do but I'll get around to it all one day.

As a youngster , I traveled alot , didn't have a 4by then , but traveled in my XC interseptor. Saw alot of places and wanted to live in all of them . As time got on I spent some time in Cairns ( were i thought I could live forever ) but always became home sick . When it comes to wacky ideas , I probably take the cake .I even looked at living on a boat at one stage lol.

I am now happy to just travel around and always come home , I cant give you my to do list , because David dosn't have enough server space.

Now I know you Andrew, I can see you as a farmer. With the disposable income from your present occupation you could run one. Select your times and you could still drive around Oz.

We have got a couple of West Aussie EO Members up our sleve on you just at the moment, but that doesn't count as category for the Guinness Book accounts just for the totals..........

I guess I want to miss a couple of meetings here and there but still catch up with those I meet with for important things

Hi Guys,

It's a pretty popular topic hey?

Deb's and my world had a great reality fix recently when I got diagnosed with a cancerous growth in my neck and as fate would have it I go into hospital shortly to have it removed and then commence treatment. The doc tells us they have a good clean up rate and we are looking at things positively.

I've got to tell you that when I was diagnosed the old legs went to jelly. This was the biggest kick I have ever had.

I have been one of those people with the flash job with the Queensland Government working 12 hour days most of the time and in return I have been on a decent pacakge with all the perks. Up until this health scare my focus was more on work and a whole lot of other things that now don't seem so important.

Deb and I have had a real hard look at things and since our kids are all grown up we have some flexibility to do some other things now and I think my current health has just given us the push we need.

I am on leave from work now and once I recover we are going to look at relocating from Brisbane to a place sitauted out the back of Currumbin Beach at the Gold Coast. This is not the glitzy part of the coast like Surfers Paradise but much more laid back and quiet.

As far as work goes all I can say is that I will be finishing up with my current position and will worry about what I may do in the future down the track a bit.

We recently brought a new camper trailer and one of our biggest priorities will be to hook it up and head off into the distance. A spot of fishing will also be on the cards.

I have learnt one thing from this and that is that being healthy and happy is the key and that a lot of other things we all see as important perhaps aren't.

Cheers

Yeah Andrew

I often dream of a Sea Change. Have been stuck in this boring job for so long and when I finally retire in a few years time then maybe I will get that sea change.

Will I need my Rolex gold watch when I go on the Wallaby? surely not. Often I see on TV, the gameshows giving away holiday prizes to Queensland and I see how excited the recipients get. Maybe I will finally go across the border to Queensland and soak up the delights of that state. Or I may take the GQ and drive out into the middle of the Western Deserts by myself and camp out there till the quiet overcomes me.

Who knows? A sea change must be good for everyone.

I am blessed however, that when I go to the throne I am there and gone and do not have problems whereby I have to read glossy magazines while nature decides to take its course.

Let me know when you decide to take off as I would love to come and house sit your place.

Andrew,

A freebie copy of Readers Indigestion?

Where did you get that?

Pinched it from a Doctor's waiting room?

Cheers,

Jim.

As a youngster , I traveled alot , didn't have a 4by then , but traveled in my XC interseptor. I had one of them Eric check the the rego AXC-302, but didn't travel in that, been half way round the world by motorbike now semi retired and enjoying life got the camper a 4b (no smartarse remarks guys) and just enjoy going away here in OZ, if i died tomorrow i'd die happy.

ps bury me with my bike.

Baz.

Readers digest my grandparents used to read readers digest is this an age thing.

When I thnk about it my Sea Change came about 24 years ago and I'm not as old a Willem yet.

I got out of the office and joined the Fire Brigade six months later I married. For a while I was pretty serious about climbing the corporate ladder and seeing how far I could go but that changed. Now I am happy to do a good job of doing my job, if you follow that.

Two years ago packed the missus and kids left Sydney in the rear view mirror (isn't that liberating) and moved to Broken Hill. We love it but we will go back to Sydney in a couple of years time. Trouble is all my best mates live there and I miss them, not Sydney. I'll probaly even have another go at that promotion. Not 'cause I have to but because I want to. I feel I am ready for the change that it will bring.

The thng we realised is that life is what you make of it, wherever you are, what ever you are doing. I get up in the morning and head off to work... happy to be going to work. Or if it's a day off then I am happy to make the most of that too. If its a holiday, well that is an adventure. Where will we go next???????

If I have a motto it is this. "If your not enjoying yourself, do something different." That could be change what your doing or how you are thinking about it.

Are you enjoying yourself?
Duncs