Time for a Seachange

[HappyHammer]

The time has finally come and I've handed in my notice at the bank and I'm off up the coast to enjoy semi retirement.:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Oh yeah, if you hadn't guessed I'm feeling pretty good about it, bye bye Sydney hello Port Macquarie !!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

HH.

[Wongo]

All the best my friend :)

[Jack E]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!

An Australian has retired and he is not coming to Queensland :D :D :D

Enjoy!!!

Cheers, Jack

[craigb]

You should look up Hovo.

[HappyHammer]

Thanks Wongo.

Jack, We looked all the way up from Sydney to Noosa but decided on Port.

HH.

[Jack E]

I quite like Port Macquarie myself, unfortunately my semi-retirement is a fair way off yet :mad:

[TassieKiwi]

Tirty-noyne an' off to t'beach. What's ya secret? Enjoy.

[HappyHammer]

Tirty Sex actually and I've worked my nuts off for twenty years although only really saved any money in the last 10. I'll still be working but the aim is for it to be less stressful. I'm happy to work 5 days a week but at a more sedate pace than I've been used to.

There's no real secret you've just got to want to do it badly enough.

HH.

[TassieKiwi]

Fek it, can't read.

I've done a bit of the same, left Auckland nuttiness for Tassie calm - just before a financial and building boom! Still, the trip along the NW coast to work beats any journey in Auckers, any day. http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon10.gif

[silentC]

Good on ya. Glad to see you're heading north, we've got more than enough of you seachanger city folk down here ;)

Be prepared for a tough time initially though. Not saying it will happen to you but my missus took about 18 months to settle in. Until then, she would gladly have hopped on a plane and headed back to Sydney at the drop of a hat. Don't underestimate the lonliness aspect if you or your missus are used to having lots of people around. Country towns (although I suppose Port is more of a small city) can be a bit cliquey and it can take a while to get 'accepted'. It never bothered me but I'm a hermit by nature.

Stick it out and it will be well worth it. Once you eliminate the city-imposed desire to earn wads of cash and compete with the neighbours, it all suddenly becomes clear that you have been wasting your time.

[HappyHammer]

Thanks SC,

SWMBO and the kids have been up there since May and I've been driving up on weekends. Because the kids are young we've met other parents through kindy, swimming and playgroups. There seem to be a lot of people up there around our age with kids who've also moved up from Sydney, we've been invited to our first party this weekend so I should get a chance to have a proper chat with a few locals.

People have told us that more and more families are moving to Port and the average age of the population is dropping.

HH.

[Ashore]

Well done , and enjoy .

As you say you just have to want it hard enough .
I had to wait till I was 45 , but it was worth it
Have a few friends who went to the port and they love it, even one who moved to Qld. then after 2 years moved to the port and has been there ever since .


Rgds
Russell


Thought for the day


About a third of all Americans flush the toilet while they're still sitting on it.

[zenwood]

Semi retirement? Think I'll be doing a Peter Costello: work 'till ya drop.:(

Look after yerself, HH.

[knucklehead]

HH, a guy once told me something that has rung true over the years.

There are 2 ways to get rich:
1- Accumulate a lot of money (normally by working until old age)
2- Want less

Number 2 sounds simple but can be quite hard to achieve. We are conditioned to think of wealth and happiness as having lots of "stuff".
Sounds like you have been brave enough to go for number 2.
Well done!

[HappyHammer]

I hear what you're saying knucklehead but I think in a way I was driven by wanting more, but not more stuff, I want more time with my kids, more time with SWMBO and more time for myself to go fishing and play with my tools.......I can't wait.

And to be honest as part of the move we've paid off almost all of our debt and to achieve the same level of material lifestyle we have to earn a lot less than we had to in Sydney to service our debt.

HH.

[silentC]

That's exactly what we did. Sold our house in Sydney, paid out the mortgage, and skipped town debt free. It now takes me 1 minute to get to work. I have 2 extra hours a day to play in. I also save about $50 per week on travel.

[HappyHammer]

That's exactly what we did. Sold our house in Sydney, paid out the mortgage, and skipped town debt free. It now takes me 1 minute to get to work. I have 2 extra hours a day to play in. I also save about $50 per week on travel.
Feels good doesn't it :D

HH.

[numbat]

HH,

First that it will work out for you. Just think that you will quite close to Lismore and have some of that nice reject northern NSW hardwood available to you.

Cheers

[HappyHammer]

There are still some stands of white and red cedar around, don't worry numbat I'll sniff them out. Apparently there's a good timber yard in Wauchope too which I haven't checked out yet.

HH.

[Wood Borer]

Good on you HH.

I have thought of it many times but I haven't quite done it yet.

Will you be doing woodwork in your retirement?

[HappyHammer]

As opposed to just talking about it...:D

That's the plan WB. I'll be building a new garage at the new house we've bought, I have about 5m x 10m to build so should be a decent size and with all this time I'll have on my hands.....

I tell you what I'll challenge myself to post a pic of a completed project by christmas, how's that?

HH.

[numbat]

I tell you what I'll challenge myself to post a pic of a completed project by christmas, how's that?

HH.
Is that Christmas 2005 or were you refering to some year in the future images/icons/icon10.gif

Cheers

[Wood Borer]

I tell you what I'll challenge myself to post a pic of a completed project by christmas, how's that?

HH.

Give yourself the challenge - it worked for Driver. ;)

[HappyHammer]

Is that Christmas 2005 or were you refering to some year in the future
No this year, even if the garage isn't finished.:eek:

HH.

[bitingmidge]

HH, good for you I say!!

Shame about running out of petrol before you got to the good bits of the coast, but Port's a pretty nice spot, a bit cool in winter but you'll love it!

Enjoy!

P ;)

[ozwinner]

You should look up Hovo.
Id make friends with him first though.

Al :o :D

[Auld Bassoon]

The time has finally come and I've handed in my notice at the bank and I'm off up the coast to enjoy semi retirement.:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Oh yeah, if you hadn't guessed I'm feeling pretty good about it, bye bye Sydney hello Port Macquarie !!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

HH.
Good luck to you HH - and all at the tender old age of ... 36???!!

Is that the sound of a chain being pulled, or have you just won the lottery mate? If yes, PLEASE don't answerhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon11.gif

Cheers!

[HappyHammer]

Unfortunately not Steve but I've been well looked after where I work at the moment and like I said it's only semi retirement.:D

HH.

[Baz]

HH, good luck, you realize you are only about 20 minutes from Malcom Ward at Roland Plains. Plenty of good timber there.
Cheers
Barry

[ernknot]

As opposed to just talking about it...:D

That's the plan WB. I'll be building a new garage at the new house we've bought, I have about 5m x 10m to build so should be a decent size and with all this time I'll have on my hands.....

I tell you what I'll challenge myself to post a pic of a completed project by christmas, how's that?

HH.
HH
If you are going to use machinery your shed will be too small. Its amazing what you accumulate especially in timber and left over bits. Do a layout diagram and get some machinery dimensions, storage dimensions, bench dimensions etc. and see how much shed you need.

[Caliban]

Id make friends with him first though.

Al :o :D
Happy Hammer
I didn't know you'd upset me. :D Al can't even do that himself. ;)
Mate welcome to the best part of the world, come up for a barbecue as soon as you are settled, or I'll call in on you if you like, my parents live in Port so I'm often down there.

[HappyHammer]

Sounds like a plan Jim, I'll give you a shout once I'm up there and settled in.

HH.