Tree-changers’ makeup gets a facelift

Tree-changers or sea-changers used to be synonymous with people edging towards retirement, having emptied the nest and looking for a quieter pace of life.

Former Sydneysiders Nick Pike, Kathryn Pogson-Pike and their 10-month-old daughter Beatrice are loving life in Bowral. Picture Ryan Osland

Tree-changers and sea-changers were once people edging towards retirement, having emptied the nest and looking for a quieter life.

But the pandemic has given the demographic a facelift, as a younger generation looks for some of the action regional living has to offer.

Figures released earlier this month by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have found that net migration from the collective capital cities during 2020 was 43,000 people, up 19,000 the previous year.

This year, the flee-the-city movement has broadened to include the 25-44s commonly known as Millennials.

Kathryn Pogson-Pike and her husband Nick Pike, both 38, moved to Bowral early last year.

With their 10-month old daughter Beatrice in tow, they packed up their Crows Nest house and snapped up a rental in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

“We moved because we knew we were having a family and we wanted to live in a quieter area rather than being in the city,” Ms Pogson-Pike said. “We had been to the area before and we liked the pace … Bowral is only an hour and a half out of Sydney so we can always go back.”

Working for a real estate agency in Bowral, Katheryn said the couple were lucky to find a place to rent.

“While it’s always been a popular respite and holiday spot, I think working in the property market I’ve noticed how busy everything is. It’s incredibly tight, everything is always been snapped up and people are turning up to open homes with buckets of cash trying to buy a home.”

But the injection of youth into the area means the couple are settled and can see themselves staying long term, having made friends with children as well as fielding inquiries from friends in Sydney asking if they would recommend the change.

30-year-old Maneecka Farey who moved from Sydney’•s Northern Beaches at Bowral as Covid hit.She is pictured in a cafe - Harry’•s on Green Lane. Picture Ryan Osland

For 30-year-old Maneecka Farey, her move from Sydney to Bowral meant she could slow down, live more spaciously and pop into Sydney when needed.

She had first moved to Sydney to pursue a career in acting and modelling, but soon found herself working full time to pay for her lifestyle in the city.

“I didn’t really have time to stop,” she said. “I had lost why I moved to Sydney in the first place.

“Now I’m renting a place five minutes walk from work instead of a 20-minute drive. I’m a lot happier than I was before.”