Tree change: retiring in the regions

Following their retirement almost 10 years ago, Travel Guides stars Kevin and Janetta said it was the idea of escaping the hustle and bustle of city life that made them consider moving to a regional area.

Home to the historic and charming townships of Castlemaine, Maldon, and Harcourt, which all have a distinctly European feel, the Mount Alexander region in Central Victoria is growing in popularity with tree-changers wanting to embrace a more affordable and slower paced way of life. In fact, as of this year regional migration is up 16% on pre-pandemic levels, according to Regional Australia Institute.

Janetta says moving to Maldon was a major decision but ultimately one of the best she and Kevin have made. 

“Back in 2012, we had just retired from full-time work and made the major decision to sell our terrace house in the city and move permanently to our weekender in Maldon.

“While we loved city life, this area has always had some sort of magnetic pull for us. We renovated and extended our little miner’s cottage and made it suitable for a rich retirement life. It’s on nearly an acre and has a sensational native garden.” 

Kevin says there’s often a misconception that regional areas are lacking amenities but the Mount Alexander region “has it all”. 

“Some people fear that by living in the country, all the features of big city living must be sacrificed but we don’t find that at all. 

“Where we are in Maldon, it’s only 90 minutes from Melbourne and has all the facilities you’d need on a daily basis. If we can’t get what we need in Maldon, then Castlemaine is only 15 minutes away and Bendigo is an easy 25-minute drive. If we’re still in need, a train or road trip to Melbourne is just down the Calder Freeway. 

“It’s the little things that we appreciate, such as easy drives to the shops with little traffic and easy and cheap parking. We certainly don’t miss navigating big shopping centre car parks anymore.”

Kevin says ‘country life’ suits them just fine these days. The avid gardener spends most of his day outdoors pottering while Janetta is more involved in community activities and volunteers at local institutions.

“We’ve found a like-mindedness here with our friends and neighbours,” he says. 

“The community spirit is strong and vibrant, as it is in most country towns, and for us it’s pretty close to perfect.”

With travel being such a big part of their lives, Kevin and Janetta fell in love with the European influence in the Mount Alexander region. 

“There’s so much European influence here, from the food and homewares to fashion and lifestyle—all the things that really appeal to us,” Janetta says. 

“Not far from our home in Maldon is Le Sel, a little French Deli run by a French couple. 

They perfectly blend authentic French regional food with local produce—and their croissants are just like you’d get in Paris. 

“There’s also Das Kaffeehaus, a Viennese cafe and specialist coffee roasters in nearby Castlemaine. Its Austrian owners have been involved in the European coffee industry for decades, so you know you’re getting the good stuff. 

“We also have access to some of the best and most affordable local produce in the country, which is another bonus of regional living.”

Occasionally, the couple admits, they miss the cosmopolitan aspect of city life—but there was a downside.

“We had a lovely home in the inner city, but it came at a cost. Within a few years we were broken into three times and our sense of personal security was becoming severely compromised,” Janetta says.

“Our daily lives were being shadowed by the disadvantages of dense living and our tolerance was being tested too regularly.

“But we found the complete reverse in Maldon. We have a sense of security here that is similar to what we enjoyed back in the 60s. When we drive to Melbourne now, we have to remind ourselves to watch our backs and lock everything up tightly.”

Kevin says they appreciate the fact they now have a low-maintenance home they can ‘lock up and leave’, which gives them the flexibility to travel at a moment’s notice.

“With no pets, no aged parents, no kids or grandkids, and no mortgage, the travel bug can still bite us as hard as it likes,” he says.

With the couple about to start filming their eighth season of Travel Guides, it’s probably easier to list where they haven’t been.

“The last season was epic—we filmed 10 episodes on four continents,” Janetta says.

“Neither of us had been to the Arctic Circle before, so we’d definitely have to put that experience in Lapland as a major highlight. It’s such a buzz to know that there are places that can still impress even rusted-on travellers such as us.

“It was the same with Croatia. We’re cruise addicts, and the small cruise we did along the Dalmatian Coast is the stuff of travel dreams. The views of the Croatian coast from a small ship are retina-detaching and we loved every minute.

“We’ve still got plenty of destinations we need to explore and there are loads of places we need to return to like Spain, France, Malta and Cyprus. Hopefully Travel Guides will take us there. As we say, we want to see the world before we leave it!”

Find out more about Travel Guides at 9now.nine.com.au/travel-guides or check out the Bendigo region at bendigoregion.com.au

• Spend time in the area and experience day-to-day life 
• Get to know the people and the places 
• Get familiar with the services available, the climate and the culture 
• Assess the benefits and the shortcomings and how these may impact your new life

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