Why I decided to move from Geelong to the Gold Coast
You might think I’m just another Victorian chasing the Queensland sunshine - but there was more to my decision to move from Geelong to the Gold Coast.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It was the life we were dreaming about for more than three years.
Making the big move from Geelong in Victoria, where I’m born and raised, up to the Gold Coast with my partner.
When we told our family and friends we were planning to move, they’d ask “why the Gold Coast?”
Um, wasn’t it obvious?
The lifestyle, the beaches, the warmer weather and hey, the economy is also booming.
For us, it was the chance to create our dream life, live in walking distance to the beach and escape Victoria’s freezing weather.
But then we faced the challenge those moving here are all too familiar with; finding a rental.
We anticipated it was going to be a bit of a nightmare to get a place, especially in coveted areas along the coast from Broadbeach all the way down to Burleigh.
We’d been saving for the move for 12 months because we knew it wasn’t going to be cheap.
We initially looked for properties around $550 per week but quickly had to bump up our budget.
We also faced an extra layer of complexity by living two states away.
We weren’t able to attend property inspections and meet real estate agents so they could hopefully put in a good word for us with the owner.
After hours looking at rental listings and putting in multiple applications, we got rejection after rejection and it felt disheartening.
Until we got the email everyone wants to see in their inbox: “Your application has been accepted”.
I literally started to jump up and down, I was that ecstatic.
We signed a lease on a two-bedroom apartment in Broadbeach, within a five-minute walk to the beach.
Our dream was becoming a reality. We quickly realised we were very lucky.
We were both professionals, me a journalist and my partner an accountant, with jobs lined up so we had stable income to be able to pay our rent.
I guess you’ll never really know why a landlord accepts your application over maybe tens or possibly hundreds of others.
Apart from carrying a 75kg washing machine into our apartment and lugging in a second hand fridge which didn’t fit in the kitchen, our move has been pretty seamless.
So far, the Gold Coast way of life is definitly living up to its hype.
And boy, I do not miss that cold Victorian weather.
More Coverage
Originally published as Why I decided to move from Geelong to the Gold Coast
‘I’ll go to jail c***’: Wild fatal KFC brawl footage aired in trial
Graphic footage of a wild Northern Rivers KFC brawl spilling out onto the street – which resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy – has been played to a jury in the trial of a man allegedly involved.
Thug serves hard time for role in violent Southport home invasion
A Tweed man who’s been remanded in custody since last October has pleaded guilty to nine offences, most seriously a bit-part in a violent home invasion in which a male occupant was bashed unconscious.
$400k cash seized as authorities swoop on illegal tobacconists
An illegal tobacco trader was caught by authorities allegedly trying to hide cash behind a false wall when police swooped on the store.
Alleged six-hour siege at knifepoint: Accused to fight charges
A Tweed Heads man intends to fight allegations he holed up in a Ballina motel and held a woman and child at knifepoint for six hours as police swarmed the scene.
Leading kitchen brand’s hefty payout over false online claims
Thermomix has paid $79,200 in penalties after falsely advertising its appliances as NDIS-approved.
Cookie empire Brooki Bakehouse reveals Gold Coast store
Baker and social media star Brooke Bellamy has brushed aside the recipe “plagiarism” controversy to announce her cookie empire expansion to the Gold Coast.