Falling In Love With Eildon's Attractions
The Age
Saturday April 23, 2005
LUKE Curtain moved from Camberwell to Eildon last November.
Background: Luke grew up in Geelong before moving to Camberwell. He loved city life and had no plans to move until his girlfriend, Vanessa, transferred to Eildon for her work with the Outdoor Education Centre. Wanting more than just weekends together, Luke began looking for employment opportunities in the area and was offered a job in HR and training with the same company. He and Vanessa have since bought an old cottage, which they are renovating.Why the sea change? I was quite apprehensive about moving away from the city. There's always so much going on and I loved the whole lifestyle, but my girlfriend moved up here and I wanted to be with her. She'd got a job here the January before, and I spent my weekends coming up to see her. During that time, I kept an eye out for a job opportunity so that we could be together. When I was offered a job at the same company Vanessa works for, I jumped at it.Why this area? I didn't really have a choice in the area but it is a great place. It's not a big town, but there's a strong sense of community. I love that there are so many things to get out and do. I'm doing things I haven't done in years - bike riding, bushwalking, playing footy. The whole place is a bit of a playground.How have you been received by the locals? I had a head start because I'd been coming up to see Vanessa for months before I moved. I knew most of the people I now work with and I'm just getting into things outside that circle, like football. It's a very welcoming town.Describe your favourite place. I go mountain bike riding up to Mount Pinniger - it's amazingly bushy and full of native animals. There are koalas and wombats everywhere. I grew up in the country but I'd have to say that this area has the most abundant bushland and wildlife I've ever seen.Favourite view? I go fishing out at the lake, and on certain days there's a mist that just hangs over the water. You couldn't get a more peaceful sight.Do you miss anything about Melbourne? I thought I'd miss everything, but now it's almost a chore every time we have to go back. We've just bought an old cottage, so we prefer to spend our time pottering around the house. Even though it's only been a few months, I feel like I've been here for years and I have no desire to go back.Do family and friends visit? We're in the middle of painting and we've only got two bedrooms, so there's not a lot of space for people to stay in the house at the moment. Over Easter, a group of friends came up and camped down the road. I went and stayed with them, which was great because it gave me the opportunity to go camping while only 10 minutes from home.Did it take long to adjust? Because my role is very people-focused, I've met a lot of people through work and I've just started training with the local footy club, so I'm becoming more involved with the community. It probably took me less time to get used to the small-town environment because I'd grown up in the country. Moving here has been surprisingly easy.Any advice for prospective sea changers? From my perspective, moving out of Melbourne has given me the opportunity to do things I haven't done in years. It's easy to let things slide when you're in the city - moving to an area where there is so much happening can get you back to all of that.Best and worst aspects of sea change? Best: The amount of activities there are to do. Worst: The birds waking me at sunrise. The cockies, especially, are incredibly loud.
© 2005 The Age
