To move or stay put?
Hi and Happy New Year.
Just wanted a few opinions on an all too familiar dilemma as retirement approaches. I realise nobody can give me the "right" answer but.. Here goes:
We have always loved Port Stephens NSW and have holidayed there for 30 years, with a view to retiring there one day.
Now I am hearing from people who, due to ongoing ill health, have found it impossible to remain there as the nearest big hospital is an hour away and the polyclinic is woefully inadequate when you consider the growing (ageing) population and holidaymakers who rely on it. These people cannot afford to move back to Sydney.
I am not a confident driver and would not drive to Newcastle should anything happen to my partner and public transport is infrequent in this area. Uber would be very costly, too. My partner and I both have chronic health conditions which are manageable and at present we are relatively ok but this can change.
I have also been told by people who live there that the infrastructure is not keeping pace with the growth of over 55 lifestyle resorts and the power/water supplies will suffer as a result. I don't know how true this is, but frankly it is putting us off moving there.
If we stay in Sydney it is certainly more convenient (infrastructure and family wise) but we will be giving up on our dream. Our children love this area and are saying we are crazy not to go. They would visit frequently as they go there for holidays anyway but we would not ever expect them to drop everything and come running if we took sick (it's a 3 hour drive for them whereas now they live 30 mins away).
Friends of ours are taking the plunge and moving up there soon but they too have their worries about whether or not it's the right thing to do.
I know nobody can see into that crystal ball and some people are more easygoing than others...we tend to overthink things, sadly. All opinions welcome (unless they are sarcastic/nastily unhelpful). Thank you.
I moved almost 2 years ago from Sydney to Launceston, which is referred to as a Regional City, sometimes I am sorry I did due to health problems, I have been waiting to get into several clinics at Launceston General Hospital, and when I rang several months ago regarding one I was told it could be up to another 18 months before I got into this clinic. I am on a pension with no Private Medical cover, so cannot afford to go to s specialist in their rooms etc. With the change in Premier last week, who is also the Treasurer it seems things will not get better, for that reason I would have been better staying in Sydney, but could not afford to do so.