Gosford (what a place!) May 14, 2006
Posted by andy in : life , 22 commentsWe just moved to Gosford! For those who don’t quite know where that actually is, it’s about an hour’s drive North of Sydney, and about halfway to Newcastle.
This particular decision means that we now have an hour-and-a-half train ride into the big smoke every day: a highly unfortunate turn of events. The payoff? Free rent for five months and we get to live in an actual house with plants and a garage and stuff. We’re house-sitting! It’s something that I highly recommend everybody who’s saving money for a house or a holiday do. Firstly, it’s free. Do you need any more reasons than that?
From my perspective, I just moved to Hicksville, NSW. The place is bizarre, but possibly only because I seem to have become a bit of a lower North-shore snob. The locals in town appear to be, in most ways, crazed and (I AM CONVINCED) at least half of them are completely smashed. Absolutely certifiably drunk. They slur. They stagger. They ramble. They shamble. Even while getting their groceries. Even while selling me groceries. Probably while manufacturing my groceries in the factories around town. They have a mall with Big-W, Best and Less, Lowes and Go-Lo within an exceptionally close proximity of each other. They are a relatively coastal town but seem to have NO SHOPS TO BUY FRESH SEAFOOD! I even asked a local butcher. He just muttered something about that being a great idea for a business and shambled off to his corner. When we went shopping, we were the only people buying fresh fruit and vegetables.
At least, when I leave the country and head to the UK (anyone who wants to offer me a Java job in London - Hibernate, Spring and XP - Thoughtworks?) I’ll have fewer regrets. Sydney was really great to live in, and Canberra likewise. I doubt that I’ll say the same about Gosford.
Did I mention that someone told me that the Central Coast of NSW is the suicide capital of Australia? There’s usually a reason for that kind of statistic…
