Okay, that sounds way more dramatic than it actually is. Australia is one of those countries that have a huge desert. They call it the outback here. Majority of the people live on the coast but there are small towns all over the country - even in the desert. Mining is a huge business here and most of the mine sites are around the outback. That's why we moved to the outback as well after Covid-19 took our jobs in tourism - to work in a mining town to get back on our feet.
We spent a year in a small town called Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. It's not actually like that Saharan desert that you probably picture in your head from the movies with camels and sand dunes - it's more like shrubs and dry small trees here and there, and more flies than you could ever imagine. Lots of snakes and lizards, but not many birds around because of the lack of fresh water. Winters are chilly and summers too hot. Overlooking the whole area from one of our favourite spots, a hill called Katunga lookout it looks more like an African savanna - just without all the animals and grassland. Tap water gets transported from Perth through a huge pipe for over 800 kilometres. The taste wasn't the best, I must admit. Crime rates are quite high there and it has been the first place in the world that I wasn't feeling safe enough to be outside after sunset - or even comfortable being home alone some nights. But the people we worked with were the most caring we've ever met and that is what we have dearly missed from living in Kalgoorlie - the sense of a tight and caring community. The community and trips to the coast every now and then were the two things that kept us sane through one of the most stressful years we've had so far. Living in a place so far from the ocean and our hobbies and passions, during a global pandemic missing our friends and families and dealing with visa issues at the same time, not knowing when we could return living on the coast and following our path towards our dreams and goals.
I always keep my promises, so as the title promised here's my tips on how did I dealt with living in such a hostile environment so far from the ocean:
Swimming pools
Airconditioning (there was only one week during the whole year that it wasn't on)
Nice cafes
Camping trips to the coast
Becoming part of the community (I joined the local choir and also teached yoga)
Making realistic and achievable short term plans to keep eyes on the prize
Photos of the ocean and boats on your fridge door and nautical deco around the house
Check out the short videos Josh made during our time in Kalgoorlie from our Instagram:
This video even shows our favourite part of Kalgoorlie, the Karlkurla Bushland Park!
