Well, I've done just that, moved from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast, in July last year.
However my family is in Sydney and DH's parents passed away years ago so we didn't exactly have a lot of family support anyway so for us, that wasn't really a factor to consider. We did try moving back to Sydney first but my mum works full time and my Dad is pretty useless frankly, he has no idea about babies, he's much better with older kids. So the occasional Saturday night babysit from Mum wasn't enough for us to stay in Sydney.
We moved up here for the lifestyle and to give our kids a sunscreen and gumtrees childhood. We'd talked about it on and off for years and it got to the point where we thought that if we didn't do it now, then once DS was settled in school we probably wouldn't do it at all. There are lots of people up here that move for the exact same reason (lifestyle) so it's actually quite easy to meet people of a similar mindset, although making friends does still take time, as it would anywhere. And so because of that I do miss my friends enormously at the moment, especially because I am pregnant again and don't have anyone around to make a fuss of me. And yes, I do get jealous of people who have family support but I've never had it so that only rears its head occasionally when I'm just feeling like I need a break.
My girlfriend's sister moved up to the Sunshine Coast and her parents were going to follow her but then changed their minds because they felt that while their granddaughters would appreciate them being around while they were little, give them another 5 years or so and they wouldn't have much interest in spending time with their grandparents...so they opted to stay in Sydney. That might be a factor to consider, your DDs are 8 years old now, how much longer are they going to be really keen to spend time with their grandparents...when they start making friends and want to hang out with them on weekends grandparents will naturally take a backseat in their priorities.
I would say that by the time the 2 year contract in Melbourne is up you will know how you feel about being away from family and be able to make the decision.
It IS beautiful up here. DS says he has more fun up here than he did in Melbourne. We find it very relaxing, we love nipping down to the beach in late afternoons, the kids' swimming has improved tremendously, it's a slower pace of life, which is what DH in particular wanted his kids to experience, having grown up in a country town (but a good compromise for me who has only ever lived in a major metropolitan area up until now). I don't think we will look back at all once we are properly settled and have a proper social life developed. But there is always that "teething period" after a big move, and you have to push through that initial homesickness before you really know how you feel about a place.
we have done the opposite, years of living in different states/countries to grandparents, we have finally all managed to come together in the same state, and I wouldnt like to go back. The kids really need their grandparents, its a big consideration, if you are a close family
Registered User
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks