Positive Life NSW

It’s a little bit different… it’s a little bit slower… it’s a little bit country… a new, regular article focusing on regional and rural issues. If you wish to contribute to this column or have suggestions on regional issues you would like us to cover please contact Talkabout.

Planning your sea or tree change can make all the difference

Making the decision to change your life and have a sea change or tree change by moving to the country, can be an exciting and liberating experience. A chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and discover new places, with a change of pace to a slower way of life, can be a great adventure and change to your life style. Moving to a rural area can also, but not always, help reduce stress and improve your quality of life. However, a little planning about the place you want to move to can make a difference between a great new life and a hideous nightmare.

Finding a doctor

Whilst the country can give you a new lease on life, if you’re HIV positive, there may also be things that you had not thought of. For example, there may not be as many doctors or health services in rural areas and even less s100 prescribers. It pays to find out where the local health services are and if they are taking on new patients, as many do not. Additionally, it may be worth knowing how far away the nearest place to pick up your HIV drugs is. Many people who have moved to rural areas keep their city doctors and HIV specialist and visit them every 3 or 6 months as a way around this. Extra travel time and expenses is worth considering.

Think about your reason for moving

People often move to a new place for a range of different reasons, including the end of a relationship, to start a new one, or because they recently had a holiday to the place and loved it so much they thought they’d stay! Whilst these are all valid reasons, moving to any new place takes work and living in a new area is not the same as being on holidays there. Try and find out a little about the town or area before you move. Is there an existing set of friends and contacts who you could imagine spending time with? What are the main social activities in the area and do they interest you? If you are single and looking to maybe pair up, how are you going to do that? If not it might feel like you are Joanna Eberhart from Stepford Connecticut (younger readers can look up Stepford Connecticut at Wikipedia).

An acquaintance of mine once went on holidays and spent time in a country town where a dance party and activities for GLBT people happened with over five thousand people in attendance. He had a wonderful time at various events, parties and the local pub and met some very eligible new friends and potential new partners. He thought this was such a fantastic place with a vibrant gay scene he decided to move there. Apart from the considerable cost of moving, before leaving the city he informed most of his friends that they bored him and that this had influenced his decision to move. Unfortunately when he arrived in his new town he was shocked to find out that dance parties only happened once a year, that the majority of the people at the event were from other areas or out of town, and really there was no gay scene to speak of. He moved back to the city shortly after with his tail firmly between his legs and his friendship circle greatly diminished.

If you’re on benefits

People, who are receiving job search benefits and or housing benefits, also need to check that the place they are moving to is not in an area of greater disadvantage than where they are currently living. If a location has greater unemployment than where you are currently living, and you are not moving to start a new job, your benefits may be suspended for a period of time. It’s important to check these things out with Centrelink or the Welfare Rights Centre. The same applies for social housing. If the waiting list for the area you are moving to is longer than where you are currently located, you may have to wait longer to be housed. Many people talk about living in the country being cheaper but rents in regional towns can be high, so researching rent or house prices before moving is well worthwhile.

Living in the country is not for everyone; it can be isolating and considerations like access and availability of transport can be a factor in making a move to the country. Many rural areas do not have the public transport that is available and affordable in the city, so you may need your own car and driver’s license, depending on where you plan to live.

Good news

Now don’t get me wrong, there are many advantages to a country lifestyle and I love living in the bush. Everyday I am grateful for making the decision to move from Sydney. I have a great life style and was able to afford a small acreage. My s100 prescriber is one hours drive from home. Because of the hours the practice is open I usually have to take a morning or an afternoon off work to fit it in. It took me a while to find work and I went from being a manager to a cleaner and dish hand before finding a full time job, but I knew that would be the case and I planned and saved for it. My social life is greatly changed from when I lived in the city and I tend to do more bushwalking, swimming or lunch at friend’s places. Nights out with my tribe are more likely to happen every three months rather than every other week. A move to the country can be a great change, but a little research can really help you decide if it’s the right move for you.