Paradise Found.

I know it has once again been a long time between drinks or should I say Blogs, but these things take time.
We were very excited to finally hit solid ground in Vanuatu with a long to do list in hand. The lead item on that list without question was deciding if this really is the peaceful paradise, that quiet pristine utopia we were hoping for, followed quickly by the need to learn as much about local Real Estate & investment as possible.

Eratap Beach Resort~Beautiful.

Deciding to spend the first week of our stay at the Eratap Beach Resort was the perfect choice, located about a 15 minute drive from Port Vila & situated on a perfect white sand & crystal blue water beach our introduction to the natural beauty of this island was off to a magical start. Add beautifully prepared local organic meals, served by impeccable staff to this equation & we were quickly regretting our reality of having to leave sometime in the not too distant future, at this stage I've already decided I never want to leave.

Waking to magnificent views & dining on delicious food aside, we had work to do, which meant making our way into Port Vila to meet with a local Real Estate Agent. Setting off in our hired 4WD, a must in these parts to navigate the gaping pot holes & dirt tracks, nobody was more surprise than us to be greeted by a CBD traffic jam...this really was not what we were expecting from this "quite little pacific island" but traffic jam is indeed what we got, served up on a regular basis we quickly learnt. 

Typical Port Vila traffic jam.

I really believe the same rules of Real Estate apply, regardless of where in the world it happens to be, location is everything, followed very closely by ensuring correct "current" market value is the price you pay, both hard facts to establish in a market which you have very little knowledge about other than that which is being supplied to you via the real estate agents, not always in my opinion the best source for unbiased comment.  Many Many properties later, We were only just starting to get some sort of handle on the local market, left with more questions than answers We were quickly learning this was going to be more difficult than first expected, alerting us to the fact we needed to proceed with extreme caution, exhausting all avenues of information before laying down a dollar of our hard earned cash, our education so far has allowed us to be able to ear mark the area's in which we would most like to live magnificent views & ocean breezes at the tip of our list of must haves, in fact we have found a spectacular chunk of land, the perfect location for our dream island escape, with plenty of room left over for that banging organic veggie garden I cannot wait to get underway, but we know we need to be mindful of 'acting in haste' so there's just a little more due diligence required before that eventuates, fingers crossed it all works out.

Purchasing property & living in another country is not as simple a just turning up, there are several hoops of which you are required to jump through, this trip was also our opportunity to get the ball rolling in that department, establishing bank accounts the first to be ticked off the list...who knew you could decide what currency you wanted your accounts to be held in *AUD*US*VATU*EURO pretty much whatever you like apparently? A novelty given we have only ever had the AUD option before, banking in Australia suddenly looked so one dimensional & just a little bit boring...haha!  Like most other Countries, Vanuatu is not keen to welcome anyone with a shady past with open arms to it's pristine shores so there we were armed with what was essentially our documented life history providing all sorts of information to the accounting firm we had appointed as our representative, documents to prove we are who we claim to be, are free of a criminal history with the means to ensure we do not become a burden upon the Vanuatu society, not that the Vanuatu Government offers any assistance to those who may in fact become a burden anyway?  

The Friendly Ni-Vanuatu people.

Joyfully our trip of exploration bought with it more happy surprises & very little by way of negatives, we expected rubbish roads, they were in fact better than anticipated in most places, with significant improvement soon to begin, thanks to a $32 million grant from the Australian government. We couldn't help other than laugh at the thought of finally being in a position to enjoy some benefit from all those years of paying tax?  High temperatures were a given, though easy to tolerate given the constant gently swaying Trade Winds. We already knew nothing happens in a hurry, smelling the frangipani & greeting a cousin you saw less than an hour ago will always take precedence over anything else for the Ni-Vanuatu people, again no surprises there, so if fast, attentive, pushy service is your thing... this is not the place for you, nor is it the ideal for those in need of large lavish resorts & a bustling night life to be happy, avoid it like the plague if fast food is your thing, not a KFC, Macca's or Nando's in sight you will starve! If however like us, fresh, local & organic are music to your ears when talking food, Vanuatu could indeed be your culinary utopia.  Don't get me wrong we love ourselves some lavish holiday accommodation almost as much as we enjoy eating in amazing restaurants, experiences I have no doubt we will continue to enjoy, but the thought of waking up each day surrounded by natures gifts in a safe, peaceful & happy country less than 3 hours from our homeland is a temptations we have no intention of ignoring.
 

Amazing fresh organic produce available at the 24/6 markets.

Aptly named the Blue Lagoon.

While most of that we discovered in  Vanuatu was what we had anticipated the happiest surprise of all without a doubt was the people, not just the Ni-Vanuatu, we already knew they were a wonderful bunch, Vanuatu didn't get it's tag as the "happiest country on the planet" by accident, that I have no doubt is courtesy of the locals.  It was in fact the ex-pat community taking us by surprise, friendly, interesting, educated, well travelled & keen to enjoy themselves at every opportunity is how I would describe those we were lucky enough to meet, most of whom came to Vanuatu seeking exactly that which we hope to create...a life where being "busy" is not coveted, for the purpose of making yourself look important, they too have rebelled against the craziness of the rat race  more interested in truly experiencing each day instead of numbly rushing through life focused only on what's next. 

Any reservations we may have had about making Vanuatu our second home have fast dissolved, as the saying goes "it won't happen over night, but it will happen".  Downsizing our Australian lifestyle is the first step in achieving our end goal, we have the ball is rolling in that department how long those initial steps take is anyones guess, which is fine, We know it will unfold in good time, there is not immediate rush to, we plan to proceed with caution, do it once & do it right.  In the meantime I look forward to our next visit to this wonderful place we can't wait to eventually call our home.

The Real Estate Hunt Begins.

Is it just me or have the last few months of this year disappeared at breakneck speed?  Last time I looked I am sure it was around June & here we are chipping away at November!  Not that I am complaining because the sooner we get the 11th month out of the way the "Great Practical One" & I will be winging our way to Vanuatu in search of our "Great Escape".

There hasn't been a lot of progress since my last blog, just loads of research, planning & preparation, little did I know just how much documentation was required should we as foreigners wish to purchase property & live in another country...Birth & Marriage Certificates, documentation to prove we have no criminal convictions etc etc the list goes on, lots of little details & boxes to highlight before we are able to lay down roots in Vanuatu.

Aside from the documentation there has of course been so much research into the current real estate market, both here & Vanuatu, the plan being to sell our current home in Brisbane & purchase a small unit, one nice & close to the airport to make our coming & going as simple as possible....Do we return to our old haunt of Bulimba or move a little further afield to Ascot?  These are at this stage out first two choices both being close the the airport & suburbs where you can usually be situated within walking distance to most amenities...another consideration given we only intend to retain one car for our visits to Australia.  The final decision for this I guess will come when we are ready to make the purchase, that which offers the best value will of course be the eventual winner.

Brisbane will be an easy purchase, mostly because we have a fairly good knowledge of the market making it easy to make the final important decision when crunch time arrives. Vanuatu on the other hand is a whole new ball game, just deciphering the location aspect has been a minefield!  Though I think slowly slowly I have been able to ear mark a few desirable locations. There is of course no RP Data from which to track the history of the property market, so essentially we are flying a little blind when trying to uncover the true value of anything we are considering...Frustrating!! I have no doubt we will be relying very heavily on any information we are able to obtain from long term ex-pat locals, Fingers Crossed!

Of course the "Great Practical One" & I have very different wish lists, mine mostly being about location & aesthetic's, his being about practicality & safety.  I want simple clean lines, killer views with ease of access to the water, he wants cyclone & earthquake proofing, emergency power in addition to a satellite dish, hopefully we will be able to tick all of our individual boxes.

So far this house is my number one pick...it may be a little further away from the hustle & bustle (haha!) of the CBD, but it ticks all my other boxes...Killer view, big massive tick, simple clean lines, tick, & it has fabulous high vaulted ceilings, bonus! I'm thinking with a little bit of a colour make over this could be our perfect "Hippy Haven" time will tell.

Vanuatu is of course just like every other property market on the planet, it's all about timing, this one may be long gone by the time we are ready to make our move, and another 20 will surely come onto the market. I have been pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of options available,...then of course there is alway that "other" option to build, delivering exactly what we want without compromise, I'm not sure how "The Great Practical One" would cope though, he is after all not a big fan of the stress associate with the renovate/build scenario, that is after all what we are trying to "Escape"

Until next time.

Different! Is exactly what we are looking for.

Each day I am more amused by the response from others as I share my exciting news of the Great Escape.

Yes it will be different, that's the point! doing something different for me stirs feelings of excitement in anticipation of the unknown, that inexplicable feeling of not knowing what lies ahead, the rush I get when exploring a new city, wandering freely to see what unfolds, waiting to see what's around the next corner, it is after all in my opinion the only way to really see & experience something new.  Maybe I am just overly curious, not satisfied by that which is presented in glossy brochures, frequently discovering it's when you scratch off the gloss real treasure is revealed. 

 There have of course been times when my natural curiosity has been frowned upon, an instance which quickly springs to mind was one which I later learnt had the potential to go pear shaped quickly. The night I wandered the poorly lit narrow lane ways of Amsterdam's red light district meandering into the early hours of morning caught up in the theatre of sex being sold in a way I had never witnessed before, my fascination rendering me oblivious to any danger which may be lurking in the dark shadows, some would say I was lucky that night, I on the other hand like to think it was exactly as I expected, I didn't anticipate danger or trouble therefore none came my way. Instead I shall forever contain the memory of my night of voyeurism in the back alleys of Amsterdam, the full blown one, not the watered down version served up to tourist who dare not wander into unguided territory.

It is with this same optimism I look forward to exploring the possibility of making Vanuatu my part time home. We could of course do the "normal" thing & head up to Queensland's magnificent Sunshine Coast, creating our own little slice of paradise closer to the home we have always known, which in truth is what we have been thinking about doing for a long time, but always holding back, never quite willing to make the commitment, now I know why.  Other than a more picturesque location, I am sure we would just end up replicating our current city life. Where's the adventure in that?

Choosing Vanuatu means experiencing different cultures, the most dominate being those of the native Ni-Vanuatu & French. The Ni-Vanuatu live a peaceful life, seeking only what they need, valuing family & community above all else, their simplicity, in addition to the strong French influence bringing with it all those things many of us have grown to love courtesy of the great nation...Champagne, Wine, Cheese & Pastry are a few which immediately spring to mind. Living in Vanuatu means, not only will we experience different cultures we will also have the opportunity to learn two new languages, the native Bislama & French,to be used in our daily life, a chance which is not going to come our way on the Sunshine Coast unless I sign up with an international language school.

Other than buying a stand-up paddle-board, mountain bike & kayak I have no great plans or thoughts about how our Island life will will pan out, that is after-all a big part of the adventure! I look forward to allowing life to unfold , I know my natural curiosity is going to lead me around many new corners where more of life's treasures will be revealed.

Stage one of the planning process is underway with a seek & find mission booked for early December.  Meetings are scheduled with those "The Great Practical One" tells me are an important part of this process...Lawyer/Accountant/Real & Estate Agents...boring!! I on other hand thought it just as important to book us into a little somewhere on the beach, so I could check out the SUP & Kayaking conditions, I have also managed to locate just the guy to introduce me to the mountain bike tracks, all going well, I hope to hammer down on a regular basis.  

Eratap Beach Resort - Vanuatu

It's still early days with so much more to evolve as part of the process of making Vanuatu a large part of our life, each day I learn a little more and know there is so much more to come, fingers crossed Vanuatu will prove to be that little slice of paradise we are looking for, something new & different.

Dreaming of the Great Escape

Pristine Beaches & Clear Blue Water are high on out priority list.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to run away...leaving it all behind to chase new adventure?  

A Watersport Wonderland.

The last few years have seen my mind frequently wander & sometimes dwell on the very idea of escaping the daily grind for a simpler existence.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like I dislike my City life, life for me it is in fact pretty good, really good actually,there are no complaints other than for whatever reason I crave a "simpler" life, an interesting & confusing revelation for one who has for the greater part of her life been an avid consumer, party girl & seeker of all things new, wonderful & usually unnecessary, the greatest of my weaknesses being designer shoes & handbags....an addiction I am still not quite ready to part with.  How is it then, other than the afore mentioned addiction I now covet nothing more than simplicity, a comfortable place to rest my head, fresh organic food to nourish my body, the occasional cold beer & the freedom to wander?

Fresh Organic Food for the Soul.

I'm sure like me, many of you share my running away fantasy, for most of us it is a fleeting moment, an unrealistic tilt to the impossible, though not for me this time, the constant annoying nagging in my head that little voice daring me to be brave "what are you waiting for...chicken" "You only live once...chicken" blah blah blah & so on goading me on a daily basis to take action,to be brave enough to seek the life you crave.

The Locals.

First port of call on my "Action Plan" to make this yearning a reality was to run my latest wonderful idea of "The Great Escape" past my Husband, I should add at this point, this is not my first "wonderful idea" a great number of which haven't always been met with great enthusiasm from my dearly beloved.  This time however it's different, with little resistance from the "Great Practical One" (AKA My Husband) the greatest barrier had tumbled, he too had been dreaming of the simple life, clearing the way for the exploration of new possibilities & the green light to start gently moving towards a different life, an experience I have decided to share via this blog just in case you too are planning your own escape. 

With every dream comes the boring stuff, the logistic's of making that dream a reality...in this instance there are so many questions....where shall we go, where will we live, what will we do with the life we have created here, how will we do it?  I am sure there will be many tantrums, endless frustrations & plenty of obstacles in getting this adventure off the ground, so buckle up pay attention & enjoy the ride even when it gets a bit bumpy.

As nerve wracking as it is exciting the thought of changing ones life in such a drastic way takes careful thought, consideration & planning.  All going well we have decided to spend 6 months of each year enjoying our Island life making new plans & decisions as time unfolds, making a complete & permanent leap into the unknown is just a little too scary for a security lover like myself.

The most important decision has found its first player....Where will we go?  Given our desire is for an Island Paradise, pristine water & natural beauty being at the top of our list followed closely by a slower, simpler pace of life, with easy access from our home City, Brisbane, Australia.  It was Vanuatu that entered our radar very early in the search, an easy direct 2 1/2 hour direct flight from Brisbane, a land abundant in natural beauty & home to the famously friendly Ni-Vanuatu people.  Formerly know as the New Hebrides and referred to as the friendliest place on Earth it has peaked our interest and so the adventure begins. 

Ni~Vanuatu Children at Play in the Friendlies place on earth.