Addressing the years (Victoria) ...

I started to review our many addresses in this post, which details our homes in New South Wales from the time we met in late 2003 to receiving notice in September 2012.  

We had an exit date of 5 December but were also facing a work relocation, so had no idea of where we'd end up.  On top of all the other missions, I was Vaughan's distance education supervisor and we still needed to submit weekly work.

We only received confirmation of moving to Melbourne two weeks before our exit date.  There was an offer of three months temporary accommodation and some other relocation benefits but no company support person to organise the move.  

Nick took on those roles, in addition to his usual work.  He didn't receive his new contract until two days before we left - and it wasn't correct.  However we were committed to going, so we went.  I wrote this post on 3 December.  

Our temporary accommodation was a 3-bedroom serviced apartment in Kew.  We had a kitchen but generally dined at a particular restaurant, as part of the relocation deal.  We treated the restaurant as a second (albeit much busier) home and would play card games while waiting.  The staff all knew us and would offer menus as a "nicety".  

Nissa joined us from Perth for a Christmas visit and we baked our festive goodies in the apartment.  We chose to enjoy several holiday meals at "home".  

Finding a real home was our New Year focus.  I printed a report of all Victorian schools and cross-rerfenced the smaller options against commute times and available rentals (in the right price bracket).  Google was definitely my friend as I had no idea of where any towns/suburbs were located.  After much research we signed a lease in early February - for a 3-bedroom house on 5 acres of a much larger property.  The house was the smallest of any we'd had.  We bought a 17-foot van for Erin to use and hired a 20-foot on-site storage container (as there was no garage/shed on the property).  

That was our original Hamby Home(in)stead and this blog was initated to document our various experiments in semi self-sufficiency.  There are many posts of our time there, nearly two and a half years of rural living.  We adopted chooks, raised a poddy calf, started a vegetable garden and processed fruit from trees in the yard.  It was a much colder climate than we were used to but we mostly enjoyed living with so much space around us - so there was huge disappointment when we received notice that our landlady wanted her family to live at the farm instead of us.

Once we processed the shock (and grief), we started to prepare for yet another house move - our 7th in ten years.  Nick had experienced significant work challenges earlier in the year, so we decided to start seeking our fortunes elsewhere, preferably somewhere warmer!  Over 100-plus days we culled far more ruthlessly than ever before.  Our chookies were given away and our hefty heifer was sold.  We packed our 20-foot shipping container with everything we wanted to keep.  And we moved into our caravan.