They're moving to Botswana...or something...

It's not that we don't like Canberra.

Really. Canberra's become like a favourite pair of shoes to us. Comfy. Well worn. Doesn't look real crash hot several years after purchase, but at least you can still walk (mostly) without bits falling off or people staring at you.

It's not even that we're sick of explaining where we're from:
(Random yank): "So... where y'all frahhhhhhmmmm?"
(Us, rolling eyes - here we go again): "Canberra."
R.Y: "Cannnnada? Great mountains!"
Us: "No..., CAN-BER-RA, Australia."
R.Y: "Cannnnnberrrrrrahhhhhhh... never heard of it."
Us (irritated): It's the capital. Kind of like your Washington D.C., except with much less impact".
R.Y.: "No, the capital of Oz-tray-leeeeeahhhh is Syd-en-y."
Us: No really. It's Canberra. We know. We bloody well LIVE THERE!!!!"

Ok, we're a little sick of explaining where we're from. But that's no reason to move.

Why then?

It happened like this. Brad and I were discussing the lack of a beach in Canberra. And the winter. And our mortgage. And me going back to studying... on... umm.... the beach perhaps. Which led to the 'what do we REALLY want?' talk. Which was quite simple and brief. Brad wanted money, to be present for family events, travel, outdoors lifestyle and a jetski. I wanted to quit work and study on the beach. Easy. We looked at each other, opened up the laptop and Googled blocks of land near Brad's family events, a beach, good uni's, a cruise port & international airport and lots of money. Voila! Welcome to Mandurah, Western Australia. It's south of Perth. There's bits kind of all attached to Perth up and down the coast. We thought about it for a bit, then did as any stable couple does... purchase a block of land on the Internet, sight unseen (well, there were pictures on the screen...and Google Earth really is quite helpful...)



It sounds a bit nuts, doesnt it? I mean, it's 'over there'. Western Australia! As one of my astute friends (who happens to be a psychologist) commented, we may as well be moving to Botswana. It's OVER THERE. On 'the other side'. Practically not even part of the civilised world... right??? I know Brad's from there and he seems to have turned out alright and managed in the outside world, but there are some QUITE peculiar things about Western Australia. None of these are an issue when you visit every couple of years, but living there... hmmm...


Right then.
Analyse.
Kick that highly tuned brain and years (and years) of education into action. Make a list. Prove to friend I am not moving to Botswana...or something.

Great things about Mandurah, Western Australia list:

* Has a beach to study on. Can also walk dog on beach with a leash apparently. Very nice. Tash might like to surf. Should consider feelings of family Dalmatian. Supermodel-in-the-making teenager also likes beach and can go to a high school that has surfing and marine biology in the curriculum.
* Our house in Canberra is worth heaps. Just by living here we've made HEAPS. Enough to sell it, move, build a house and be debt free.
* Debt free = Tez no workie. TEZ NO WORK anymore? Seriously? I'd just about move to fecking Botswana for THAT.
* Family events for Brad to attend (yes, I'll go too... I have shoes for these sort of things you know...) We'll be the 'Weddings, Parties, Anything' couple. Brad has three older brothers, two sisters-in-law (at last count) all with multiple (tall, big-footed) offspring. Sounds expensive...
* Which brings us to money. On the last Aussie Census form we actually listed our religion as Capitalism. Yes, really. We ACTUALLY wrote it. It's like going to A.A: "Hi, we're Brad and Terri and we like money..." We don't, like, do weird stuff, like smell it (much), so much as like what we can do with money. And there's LOTS of it 'over there'. I don't think you get it stuff in your mailbox or anything, but there's a LOT of building going on, projects ripe for our talented landscaper to harvest.
* Which brings us to travel. There's a cruise port at Fremantle, which is kind of up the road. And an international airport. They even fly to Africa in case i want to see the real Botswana. And you can 'just pop to' some really cool places in W.A. Think Margaret River, that dolphin place, that cool snorkelling place... El Questro anyone???





* And, of course, the jetski. Few people know this... Brad has a 'jetski' thing. And he really can drive one. He once ran over a turtle hooning along at 70km/per hour off Brampton Island. We've jetski-ed. I kind of hang on for a bit, then he dumps me off and takes off cackling that rev-head laugh. When asked what he wanted for his 40th birthday last year, he replied, "to jet ski off the Mexican coast". We know it isn't normal ok? Just go with it i say. The man's going to be the breadwinner. He can have a jet ski.



Sounding pretty good actually. What's the down side?
* When you watch the weather report the ocean's on the wrong side of the land. Small thing, but quite unsettling.
* It's three hours behind the Eastern Coast... but it feels more like 10 years. I did notice a Wittner shoe store on a website for a posh shopping centre, so maybe they're catching up a little.
* There's no Aldi. I KNOW! no Aldi!! THERE'S NO BLOODY ALDI!!!
* I'll be getting the Sydney Sunday Telegraph newspaper on Monday afternoon (and then only if i order it). Not that the TV Guide will be relevant anymore. But it's a THING you know? I've been getting this paper before 11am on a Sunday since I could, like, read. I probably learned to read early in life SO that i could read the Sunday Telegraph.
* We have to leave our Canberra friends... (yeah, i put that in to check if you've read this far... they're not known for their patience most of them...)


So then. The Mountfords are 'going west'. Well... life is peaceful there! (tragic 80's song...) It's a done deal. We're even thinking of enrolling Tash the Dalmatian in swimming lessons in preparation for her beachside lifestyle.


Welcome to our new adventure. We'll blog the details, from the land, the building of a house, the move, the aftershock, and hopefully along the way share a few laughs in the search for...



Happily.
Ever.
After.