“I was fifty years old when I took the big chance to move from South Africa to Australia. At the time, my wife’s sisters were already living here. My job situation was very precarious, and I wasn’t happy with the job that I was doing. So when this opportunity came about, I thought to myself, life is giving me a chance to start afresh. Let’s give it a go. Of course, my age was a concern. Lots of people lose their jobs when they’re forty or over, and they have difficulty finding another job. However, the fear didn’t hold me back, and I went up for it. You live only once, why not make the most of it? I was also looking for a great place to retire somewhere more peaceful before it was too late. Once I was assured that I could and I should-I did. Starting from scratch has its ups and downs. For starters, I didn’t know how to extract equivalence. I had to hunt around for work, find where could I fit in, which took several months. I came here with a teaching degree in hand but was asked to get the training again, in order to gain work in that area, and also start from the entry-level salary. That was not easy, but with not many options available around, I agreed on the training and sat for an exam. Soon after, I got the job, and I stayed in it for thirty years till I retired. I’ve learned to love the Australian bushes, chirpy birds and crazy animals. I love going for my walks which I don’t think I would have managed to do anywhere else. The tracks are perfectly made. Sometimes I do miss the food I used to have back home, but thankfully we’ve got some suppliers who take care of all the needs and cravings. I came here to achieve something, and Australia has responded with some meaningful lessons. The most important being a mind that is now fully open to new experiences and memories. One has to learn to accept the fact that you are in a different world in a different life, and the rest of the world has moved on. If you want to relocate, you’d have to do it with your eyes open. The adjustment will be long and hard. You must be prepared to rough it out, and be aware there can be several setbacks.”