Two years in Adelaide

Caporegime
Joined
29 Dec 2007
Posts
33,050
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Well, here we are. Mrs Evangelion & I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary on Friday night and today marks our second year in Adelaide. It's gone pretty fast! :eek:

I'm currently studying full time (Bachelor of Theology, major in church history; looking to do Masters in future). Mrs Evangelion was a teacher for >10 years in the UK and has recently registered as a teacher in Australia, but remains a stay at home mum for now.

Our daughter ('Pup') is 2.5 years old and looking sweeter by the day. Our son ('Wibbly Pig') is turning 1 year old next month; if he keeps growing at the current rate he'll end up bigger and stronger than his old man.

Pup:

i-NRhK3C3-M.jpg


Wibbly Pig:

i-5tKfrwP-M.jpg
 
After a savage battle I succeeded in taming the grapevine, and have now trained it to grow a shady screen covering the back porch. I've also planted two cuttings below the screen so they'll grow up and help to thicken it over time.

IMG1141-M.jpg


IMG1156-M.jpg


IMG1138-M.jpg
 
The veggie garden provides broad beans, lettuce, beetroot, mint, cauliflowers, strawberries, tomatoes, spring onions, carrots, silverbeet, and some other stuffs.

IMG1134-M.jpg


IMG1136-M.jpg


IMG1131-M.jpg


IMG1148-M.jpg
 
Out the front is a little tree I successfully transplanted from a flower box it had outgrown. At the time it was literally just a stalk with a rudimentary twig on the side (which later fell off! :rolleyes:) and it stayed that way for so many months we thought we'd lost it. But I kept tending to it faithfully, and now...

IMG1178-M.jpg
 
1.53kW solar system (a present from my mother) will be a real bonus this year, especially during summer.

IMG1181-M.jpg


IMG1183-M.jpg


IMG1184-M.jpg


IMG1187-M.jpg
 
Looks nice Evangelion,

Whats Adelaide like for IT work, house prices etc?

I will be heading to Melbourne or Adelaide next year on a permanent visa.
 
We're still driving the '98 Mitsubishi Magna wagon on permanent loan from my mother, and we're still debt free apart from our two mortgages (house in the UK as well as the one here). Despite a few lean months it's been a good year and we can't complain.

I'm optimistic about the future.

i-48H7ZBz-M.jpg


i-Wx6PcbJ-M.jpg


:)
 
It only seems like yesterday that you left. It all looks so idyllic and I bet you haven’t looked back once. :)
 
Looks nice Evangelion,

Whats Adelaide like for IT work, house prices etc?

I will be heading to Melbourne or Adelaide next year on a permanent visa.

Cheers. :)

Unemployment in Adelaide is ~5.4%, slightly above the national average of 4.9%. Can't tell you about IT work, as that's not my industry.

Adelaide house prices are among the cheapest in the nation; only Tassie and the NT are cheaper. Our house was valued at ~$265k a couple of years ago (~£170,851 at the current rate) and I think that's pretty reasonable for what we've got.
 
It only seems like yesterday that you left. It all looks so idyllic and I bet you haven’t looked back once. :)

I'll confess, it's been a little tougher than it looks in the photos. If you've ever tried paying a mortgage on government benefits, you'll know where I'm coming from.

Rent from the UK house all goes on the UK mortgage and it's classed as income, which reduces our benefits slightly. We're living on my student grant and Mrs Evangelion's social security payments. This will be the pattern for the next few years until I finish my degree.

We have to be ruthless with every penny, but fortunately Mrs Evangelion is a genius in that department and she hasn't threatened to put me on the game yet :eek: so I presume we're keeping the wolf from the door. :p

Mrs Evangelion has been homesick a few times this year. Her mother would love to visit but can't afford it, and when my mother offered to buy her a return flight to Australia she had to decline due to health problems. There's a small chance Mrs Evangelion's brother may visit us next year, which would be great.

Every now & then I remember what it was like to work in Lichfield and go to church in Sutton Coldfield, and I think to myself, 'Yeah... the UK was pretty cool.' Then I remember the down side - we lived in Walsall - and the vision fades! :D

Having said that, I would love to go back for a holiday some time. We have plenty of friends (and relatives!) over there, and we do miss them.
 
Last edited:
Looks awesome, glad you're doing so well. Weird how it doesn't seem like 2 years ago at all since you made your original thread!


Is that jacuzzi still looking clean?
 
Looks awesome, glad you're doing so well. Weird how it doesn't seem like 2 years ago at all since you made your original thread!

Thanks. Yeah, seems like only a few days ago. Very strange.

Is that jacuzzi still looking clean?

I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself! :p

TBH I am thinking of selling it, since it needs a new heater anyway and that's an additional expense we can't afford. The body is in excellent condition; might get a few hundred bucks for it.
 
Well i will be doing similar to you, leaving the house in Ireland and renting it out.

I have work in Sydney with family if i need it but want to get straight into IT work instead.

The missus will be stay at home with the baby until she gets a little older.

After 6 months or so when we decide where we will settle i will pop back to Ireland to pack up the gear, my car and the dog and ship them over.
 
Well i will be doing similar to you, leaving the house in Ireland and renting it out.

I have work in Sydney with family if i need it but want to get straight into IT work instead.

The missus will be stay at home with the baby until she gets a little older.

After 6 months or so when we decide where we will settle i will pop back to Ireland to pack up the gear, my car and the dog and ship them over.

6 months without the missus and bub is a tough slog for all of you. Best of British luck with it.

:)
 
We have to be ruthless with every penny, but fortunately Mrs Evangelion is a genius in that department and she hasn't threatened to put me on the game yet :eek: so I presume we're keeping the wolf from the door. :p

I guess the only wolves you’ll be seeing are the ones queuing up for a barbie. :D Good luck for the future. :)
 
Back
Top Bottom