So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live?

[OldMcDonald]

Country Geek, At #56/57. Sorry, the Gold Coast does not fit your bill. My eldest brother lives there. It gets a lot hotter, is very humid, extreme rainfall at times and typhoons are a possibility too. Australia generally is a good place to live though. My brother moved there in 1972 (we were there 1979 to 1992) at the age of 36 from the NE of England. He had constantly had lung problems - part of one removed when he was 17, and told he had a short life expectancy, maybe see 40. He lost literally months of work every year. He is now 79, and moved to the Gold Coast perhaps a year ago. The climate does not suit him and he is looking to move back inland.

On the other hand, much of Portugal fits your bill. We are about 10 miles from Castelo Branco, well inland towards Spain and within 40 miles of the highest range in Portugal (almost 2000m asl, so they built a little cairn to take it over the 2000) and we get it a little hotter and colder than many other parts. We get an occasional light frost, and temps into the high 90s from time to time. Usually enough rain to satisfy folks, with irrigation needed for a few weeks in the always dry summer. Clean, safe, friendly people, many very fluent in English. Great food and excellent wines.

You would be very welcome - provided you do not arrive by the millions. Too many people would spoil it.

 

[EddieWalker]

If we are also considering other countries, I'd have to put the South Island of New Zealand at the top of my list. I spent a few weeks there hunting near Queensland and then rented a car and drove all over the island. It was truly magical and I felt that whatever it took, it would be worth it to live in a place like that. Of course, I was married and she was dead set against that idea.

I've thought about some of the Central America countries and some of the islands like the Cayman's, but then once I'm there, I keep thinking how much better I have it back home. One of the biggest disappointments was Belize. I'd heard so many great things about it, and then going there and seeing how everything is falling apart and nobody seems to care.

If the politics where better, I think my wife would want us to move to South Africa. There where places there that rival anywhere else in the world for being beautiful.

We are still traveling and still open to the idea of a move. Problem is that we really like it here and the nicer we make our current place, the harder it is to find another place that would be better.

Eddie

 

[The Suburban Farmer]

Problem is that we really like it here and the nicer we make our current place, the harder it is to find another place that would be better.

You said it, Eddie. With each passing project, our place gets harder and harder to leave. We did a complete "ground up" rehab of a 100 y.o. house and the property a few years back, and then I got transferred for work about 6 months after we were finished with the last major project -- it was heartbreaking. In the next house, we just made it "good enough" to be nice and homey, but we didn't over-invest ourselves in making it perfect. However, with our newest place we bought a couple of years ago, we finally got re-motivated to go through the process again -- the process of making the place "perfect for us." We're nowhere close to finished yet, but even now it would be hard to leave.

That being said -- I'm 100% with you on the New Zealand comment -- that place is truly amazing. Guess that's why they filmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy there -- it feels like nowhere else on earth. Plus -- unlike Australia (or Texas or Virginia in our cases) -- no poisonous snakes or spiders! Major plus!

 

[Budweiser John]

I think living in an area goes beyond climate. I have my entire 71 years in Michigan and love it. The 4 seasons provide a diversity of activities,wardrobe, and seasonal projects.
Beyond matters of climate, being attached to a geographic area for a long period of time allows one to be ingratiated into community life and really connected with the business community. Having a first name relationship with local merchants, knowing everyone in the local church, and being able to call your doctor on his personal cell phone is hard to beat.
Our Michigan location gives us proximity to the wolds largest fresh water lakes and we seldom have destructive weather (snow is hardly destructive weather in the long haul)

 

[bf109v7]

I think living in an area goes beyond climate. I have my entire 71 years in Michigan and love it. The 4 seasons provide a diversity of activities,wardrobe, and seasonal projects.
Beyond matters of climate, being attached to a geographic area for a long period of time allows one to be ingratiated into community life and really connected with the business community.

That is what I miss sometimes. I moved in my 67 years 51 times, and an added distance of more than 50 000 miles. I saw a lot, but I don't have home.
Alex

 

[doxford jim]

I think you meant Queenstown Eddie - Queensland is an Australian state.
I worked on Lake Manapouri in 1966, working on the construction of the Hydro-Electric project they built for the aluminium plant on the coast. I actually walked the 12 miles or so from Manapouri to Doubtful Sound - the other end of the project where the outfall from the tailrace tunnel was situated. Being 21 at the time, that hike didn't bother me at all. Nowadays it takes me fifty feet of hobbling to get my knees to work properly.
Christchurch is quite a nice place - big enough to have the university, but close enough to the mountains and the sea to be nicely placed.

At least one other person has seen the south island of NZ - wow. A bit out of the way for most people, but one of the two places I remember as being close to perfect - the other being Tasmania.

 

[doxford jim]

Here is a link to Lake Manapouri and Doubtful Sound if anyone is interested.

Manapouri Tours - Manapouri Day Trips

 

[ovrszd]

That is what I miss sometimes. I moved in my 67 years 51 times, and an added distance of more than 50 000 miles. I saw a lot, but I don't have home.
Alex

That's what I was referring to in an earlier post. My prayer for you Alex is that you find your soulful home soon. :cloud9:

 

[EddieWalker]

I think you meant Queenstown Eddie - Queensland is an Australian state.

Thank you, I get my Queens confused. Seems like everywhere you go that has some British influence, there are multiple places that start out with queen something or other.

Eddie

 

[gsganzer]

If the politics where better, I think my wife would want us to move to South Africa. There where places there that rival anywhere else in the world for being beautiful.

Eddie

Eddie, here's a link to some game farms in SA. Shellie and I browse this once in a while and dream. We can smell the sweet thorn and hear the horn bills!