by Michelle Douglas
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A TREE CHANGE?
Do you long for fresh air and birdsong?
Do you relish fresh-picked produce?
Do you hunger for a gentler pace of life?
RENT A FARMHOUSE FOR $1 A WEEK!
If you’re a community minded family, why not rent a farmhouse for a $1 a week in beautiful Bellaroo Creek?
We can promise you a fresh start and genuine country hospitality.
That’s the advertisement my heroine reads and answers in my July release The Cattleman’s Ready-Made Family. This is Book One in the Bellaroo Creek trilogy. Barbara Hannay’s Miracle in Bellaroo Creek will be released in August, and Soraya Lane’s Patchwork Family in the Outback in September. We had a ball writing this series. :-)
The series idea is based on the rent-a-farmhouse-for-a-dollar-a-week scheme. This scheme was started in an effort to attract new blood to rural communities and to in effect “save” them—mostly measured by boosting school enrolments to save the schools.
I think it’s a brilliant idea. It helps both the rural community as well as prospective families who might be struggling financially and need a new start. If you’re at all temped go check out this website here.
Ever since I watched my first episode of Sea Change this idea of a sea or tree change has intrigued me. Can you imagine just upping sticks and turning your life on its head completely like this? Why would someone do that? It could be an act of desperation—an attempt to run away from a dreadful situation. It could be a resolution to leave the frantic pace of the city behind and to smell the roses. It could be a genuine effort to improve the quality of one’s life Or maybe there’s just nowhere else to go.
I love dreaming rural dreams—of moving to the country and living in rustic splendour. I love the idea of relocating to a beach shack too. ;-) What about you? If you were going to turn your life on it’s head like this where would you go?
