Our time in Ocean Grove is over and we have decided to move to a small coastal town called Torquay. It is known for its fantastic surfing beaches, the world famous Bells Beach that hosts the annual Rip Curl Pro where surfers from all over the world come to compete and it is the birthplace of the iconic brands, Rip Curl and Quiksilver. Torquay is also the beginning of the Great Ocean Road, considered one of the most beautiful coastal drives in Australia. The population of Torquay is somewhere around 10,000 but can often double or even triple in the summer months as it is a popular vacation destination. It is a big change from Toronto, but we are happy to try something new. Who knows, maybe we will even learn to surf! Along with choosing a more permanent place to live, comes the challenge of finding a rental property and furnishing it. We found a 3 bedroom house, located close to the school that Alexis will attend next year as well as walking distance to the beach. We signed a lease and quickly learned that renting a property includes having to purchase your own washer, drier and refrigerator, some major expenses we did not plan for! We shopped around for furniture and found ourselves at Ikea as well as a few garage sales and a salvation army thrift store.

We are getting settled into our new home now, getting used to a small town where traffic is never an issue, there are no line ups for anything, anywhere at anytime, everything closes by 4:30 and not a soul can seen out past 7pm! It is beautiful here, the kids love their new rooms as well as the court that we live on. It makes for a great spot to bike and throw a ball. But the best part is probably the incredible scenery as we play at the park and enjoy the outdoors.