Dodie Posted February 22, 2006 I'm in desperate need of a change and would love to move to the NNSW area. I've been living in this town for far too long and need to get out. I hate it here and most of the ppl in it Just wondering about rental places, job prospects and if there is a TAFE there, I have just started Hort cert 3 here but would still like to study it there if it were possible. Are rental properties down there afforable for single living? and are there many jobs in horticulture there too? I guess i would really take any type of work as long as it paid for me to live comfortablly... Thanks.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indigo264nm Posted February 22, 2006 Judging by the fact that a hippy from Lismore is doing Cert III at my TAFE in Sydney (bushing it in a tent with his van out at Narrabeen somewhere), I don't think your chances are good at studying up there (depending on whether you're doing fulltime or not). Down here at our TAFE you can do the cert III course (providing you've done cert II) in a semester but it's pretty full on, and that's why the guy at my TAFE is doing it as he could mentioned only doing it one day a week up north. He once worked at Hazy House, and though that means nothing to me, it may mean something to old time ethno-nerds living up north. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dodie Posted February 22, 2006 Ah damn, looks like i'll have to wait untill my studying is finished..then i'll check my options.. I def want to move down there. I spent a couple of years when I was little down there. Wasnt my ideal spot but still nice. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indigo264nm Posted February 22, 2006 Trust me... when I've done my course, and all qualifications necessary for a particular Uni course, I'm moving up that way myself ;). and also trust me that it could be worse... you could be living in the chaos of sydney (which I'm glad I live an hour and a half away from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Dude Posted February 22, 2006 haha seems we're all in the same boat. I've got another 2 years (possibly more) of uni before im fucking off from adealaide. I don't really have much of an idea about nnsw, only what i experienced from the camp trip, but it seems that anywhere up north there is a world with people moving and doing stuff, and shit actually happens. I guess I'll see you guys up there in a few years then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tripitaka Posted February 23, 2006 He once worked at Hazy House, and though that means nothing to me, it may mean something to old time ethno-nerds living up north. ethno-nerds is it!!! Hey Hazy house is where I bought my first plants! Steve promised me they were grown in alluvial gold! The North Coast is great, I have been in Newcsatle for the past five years and just moved back albeit slightly further South than the area you are interested in. I t does seem though there is a sacrificial employment/lifestyle issue here ie there is an abundance of people that move to these locations because of climate/lifestyle etc. and not a great deal of supporting industries and diversity of employment! Basically I can swim in the ocean and drive five minutes to Bellingen and swin in the fresh water (great river sand also). I totally agree with Darcy in saying that if this is what you want to do then commit and see where your decision takes you, loads of fun to be had along the way!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benzito Posted February 23, 2006 (edited) I, also, want to move up to Northern NSW. Where are good areas to look at buying a house in the Byron/Mullum/Nimbin Triangle-ish area? ie. not too far from the ocean, but not so close to the coastline that property is through the roof. Or maybe the better question is where don't I want to buy up North? Torsten, Darcy, Darklight, all the other locals? (or ex-locals in Darcy's case ) Any traps for over-eager wanna-be hippies? :D Edited February 23, 2006 by Benzito Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted February 23, 2006 Any traps for over-eager wanna-be hippies? :D Squillions As a rule of thumb, what you save on real estate ( or rent ) you'll spend on your car. Try to work it so you're driving AWAY from sunrise on your way to work and AWAY from sunset on your way back, or the commute is miserable. Know that if you're planning on spending any time up here, your priorities will probably change. So yeah, 100 acres down a bush track with no power might be cheap, but the extra creek crossings might also be a real pain in the arse in ten years if you're both holding down full time jobs. It's easy to establish shit, but lots of work to maintain it, often at inconvenient times. The romance wears off fast. Water, fences and wind- and fire breaks and access are big priorities on acreage, most other things are secondary. Find out what industries are around you- piggeries, dairies, dipyards, quarries, orchards etc- before you buy rather than cracking the shits about it later. If in doubt about the place you're looking at, ask at the local shop. They might tell you, or maybe someone else there will, or they might not. But you sure as shit won't get a straight shoot from your realo. You probably want to know who your neighbours are before you buy- the best you can hope for is benign neglect except during real emergencies or celebrations: its a sign of respect. Again, ask at the local shop, but frame the question delicately. Be polite to everyone for the first three years, you never know whose toes you are treading on or what the real story is. Probably you'll meet a lot of idiots for the first few years anyhow- the people who are nosy and have too much time on their hands or don't get along with anyone else are logically attracted to newcomers cos everyone else is sick of them. Smile and nod- but keep your guard up until you're sure your new friends are exactly that. The best way to get along is to join something and contribute ( not take over, I mean contribute, so listen and learn rather than dictate ). Every small town has its fire brigade, Landcare group, sporting associations or hall functions etc. It sounds cruddy and old fashioned but is IME a beautiful experience in learning about those who might be different to you even though you ultimately share the same priorities. Nobody real cares who you are or what you did before you got here, what impresses people is your ability to contribute to the wider picture, and give back as well as take. Lots of ppl move to the north coast and leave within 3-4 years, all fine and good, but it takes the locals longer than that to get to know you- they're not in a hurry and their lives are full already. Some people find this very frustrating. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benzito Posted February 23, 2006 Thankyou very much DL. Perfect answer. Do you write for lonely planet or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted February 23, 2006 shit hey, I should really get off my ass and start geting some investment propertys going down there for all us Ethno-nerds... LOL,, yeah, yeah, I know, how long have I been saying that.. Well, I really am serious, so its jst a matter of time... knowing there are people serious about long term leases makes it a much more realistic option.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SikkimRex Posted February 25, 2006 Well, to jump onto the ship... I have been looking at buying a share in an MO in the band Nimbin-Lismore to Coast, so if anyone knows anyone who has a budget share to sell (but not too budget - have got some cash) I would be very interested - PM me if you know someone who might wanna get out.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted February 25, 2006 Wollongbar TAFE offers lots of really good horticulture and agriculture courses. we've had several staff who study there, incl some current ones. The problem isn't with getting qualifications, but rather with getting work. Lots of people move to the area with a huge amount of skill, but can't find a job, so you are going to have to be coisderably better skilled or better connected (or accept a lower wage) if you want to get a secure job. at any one time we have 3 or 4 people who apply for work here who have stunning resumes. Like all the relevant certificates and tickets as well as 5 to 20 years experience etc, and they are pretty much happy to work for the same conditions you would be looking for as a TAFE student, which means you have to either be lucky or lower your demands. And this is not the only industry that has that problem. I know a 15 year career architect who works as a carpenter's laborer, a highly educated food technologist who works as a dairy hand, etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted February 25, 2006 Torsten, yes this is the one of the main things keeping me away from moving down there and doing a live in reno job, oh, and procrastenation.. LOL Thank god for internet based bussiness, small bussiness grants, property investment and the stockmarket! I would imagine one of the better options would be to look for a small nieche in the town your moving to and taking advantage of it.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leo^ Posted February 26, 2006 I agree with darklights post, if you move onto acreage and havent lived on one before you really dont know the work that goes into it, its nothing like a suburban home. Weve been on our property close to 10 years, worked on things every weekend and we still have a list a mile long to do just to maintain the place. If you do get a place with paddocks I recommend getting a few goats, yes they keep the grass down but they are also very entertaining with there braindead antics Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted February 26, 2006 If you do get a place with paddocks I recommend getting a few goats, yes they keep the grass down but they are also very entertaining with there braindead antics They can also get you beaten up when they get over the fence (inevitable) and eat $20,000 of the neighbours cannabis heads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indigo264nm Posted February 27, 2006 They can also get you beaten up when they get over the fence (inevitable) and eat $20,000 of the neighbours cannabis heads That sounds just a little too specific to be hypothetical... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leo^ Posted February 27, 2006 Wow that sux . But yeah, I remember when kratom was legal and I was tending my plants and saw the goats watching me intently. Soon as I went inside they were trying to get through the fence at them. They do seem to have some intelligence when it comes to identifying important plants (ones u spend time with) then trying to find a way to eating them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
