Two years in Adelaide
 

Yes, we've reached our second anniversary already! :blink:

For those who've just joined us, the story so far...

• Bought a house in Adelaide while still in the UK
• Moved to Australia in October 2009
• Two week update
• 12 month update

And now, on with the show!

:)

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Well, here we are. Mrs Stampede & I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary on Friday night and today marks our second year in Adelaide. It's gone pretty fast! :eek:

I'm currently studying full time (Bachelor of Theology, major in church history; looking to do Masters in future). Mrs Stampede was a teacher for >10 years in the UK and has recently registered as a teacher in Australia, but remains a stay at home mum for now.

Our daughter ('Pup') is 2.5 years old and looking sweeter by the day. Our son ('Wibbly Pig') is turning 1 year old next month; if he keeps growing at the current rate he'll end up bigger and stronger than his old man.

Pup:

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Wibbly Pig:

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Our garden has come a long way since I started to get serious about it.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

After a savage battle I succeeded in taming the grapevine, and have now trained it to grow a shady screen covering the back porch. I've also planted two cuttings below the screen so they'll grow up and help to thicken it over time.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

The veggie garden provides broad beans, lettuce, beetroot, mint, cauliflowers, strawberries, tomatoes, spring onions, carrots, silverbeet, and some other stuffs.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Out the front is a little tree I successfully transplanted from a flower box it had outgrown. At the time it was literally just a stalk with a rudimentary twig on the side (which later fell off! :thumbdown:) and it stayed that way for so many months we thought we'd lost it. But I kept tending to it faithfully, and now...

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Front lawn is looking good these days too.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

1.53kW solar system (a present from my mother) will be a real bonus this year, especially during summer.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Nobody chucks rubbish into our front yard like they did when we were in Walsall, and the local footpaths are always surprisingly clean.

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

We're still driving the '98 Mitsubishi Magna wagon on permanent loan from my mother, and we're still debt free apart from our two mortgages (house in the UK as well as the one here).

Our combined income is <$30k. Rent from the UK house all goes on the UK mortgage and it's classed as income, which reduces our benefits slightly. We're living on my student grant and Mrs Stampede's social security payments. This will be the pattern for the next few years until I finish my degree. To make life a little easier we've switched to an interest only mortgage and locked our rate at 6.94% for the next 24 months (our variable was 7.4%!)

We have to be ruthless with every penny, but fortunately Mrs Stampede is a genius in that department and she hasn't threatened to put me on the game yet (:blink:) so I presume this means we're keeping the wolf from the door. Every now and then we allow ourselves a small luxury; the most recent of these was a Miele dishwasher. We bought it second hand from some rich friends for the princely sum of $50! :D

Mrs Stampede has been homesick a few times this year. Her mother would love to visit but can't afford it, and when my mother offered to buy her a return flight to Australia she had to decline due to health problems. There's a small chance Mrs Stampede's brother may visit us next year, which would be great.

Despite a few lean months it's been a good year and we can't complain.

I'm optimistic about the future.

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:wub: :thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Good stuff.

Hope your studies work out.

G

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Great update Vash. I cannot believe how big the kids are already. It doesn't seem that long ago you posted newborn photos.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks guys. :)

You're right about the kids, they are outgrowing clothes faster than I believed possible! We buy second hand clothes whenever we can. There's just no point buying new all the time, as they won't be in them for long enough to make it worthwhile.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

At a local cafe with the pups:

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Visiting a vineyard in the Barossa Valley:

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

A local park with free gas barbeques:

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Christmas 2010, with turkey dinner cooked by me:

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Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Cool update Vash you look like Adelaide is suiting you,good onya.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks, we are happy.

:thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Well done Vash, you've done well for yourself and your family.
You're a scrapper, I'll give you that.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks 'zulu. 'Bloodied but unbowed', that's my motto.

:D

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Good on you Vash. House is looking great, kids are adorable and you and the Mrs seem to be doing really well. :thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks Wendy, we're muddling along.

:)

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Like Dorothy says, I can't believe how big the children are now!

Fantastic to see that you're enjoying life back here. Fingers crossed for you both that every thing works out on the financial front x

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks Dreamy. It's been hard slog all the way, but on balance life is treating us well.

:thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Fantastic update mate. I really enjoy your updates and the piccies are great. Whatever you're doing you do it well and the pups are thriving. A credit to you and the mrs mate:thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Wow you have done a lot in your time here. Puts me to shame!

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks guys.

:)

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Is that a stiebel eltron water heater I spy there? We have one. :thumbsup:

Nice update, looks like a lovely area. :thumbsup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

It is! :D

It's very ordinary. We were just lucky to get a reasonably good street. :o

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Just a thought on the hot water service, we run ours on the dedicated night time cheap rate thing only and it gives us plenty of hot water. We had it wired to be on all the time and although it is low on consumption, on the day rate it was pretty expensive.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Well done Vash.I have always enjoyed following your updates.You seem to work hard to achieve what you have and seem grateful for what you do have.:thumbsup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

We have two off peak sockets mounted outside and the Stiebel is usually plugged into one of them. It does struggle on cold days though, so we flipped it over to a day rate socket during winter (didn't cost too much extra, fortunately). Lately I've been wondering if it has a leak somewhere, because the hot water seems to go pretty fast. Still under warranty, so I should get it checked. :sneaky:

Thanks. I'm an optimistic person, and I've never been afraid of rolling up my sleeves. We don't have much but it's a lot more than I had as a child and many people have even less, so why complain? :)

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Hi, thanks for the update,as we live in Adelaide and have done so for the past 40 years,can I ask you where that lovely cafe is ...it looks like it's in the Barossa Valley,used to live there about 25 years ago !!!! cheers I.G.

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks IG, have sent you a PM.

For anyone else who wants to know, the cafe is called Art Through Da Vince's Eyes. Owned and run by an Italian family.

Website: www.davince.com.au
Address: 3 Crosshill Road, One Tree Hill

Food is excellent; reasonably priced, with generous portions. Cafe is very child friendly, with high chairs available in the cafe and a large play area outside, including sandpit with buckets spades, etc., tricycles to ride on, and a chessboard with giant pieces. Highly recommended!

They also have the most spectacular toilet facilities I have ever seen (including a baby changing mat, which was handy). So good, I took photos!

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:blink: :thumbup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Hi there Vash,
Thanks for the update, loved it, especially the photos. The youngster look like they're thriving. I like the idea of electricity from the sun, does your set up charge batteries for evening use? Good work with the veggies, all organic I presume? We are on count down for our move to Oz.
Cheers, H. :thumbsup:

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Thanks mate. :)

Our solar system is only a little 1.53kW setup; not enough to power the whole house, and we definitely don't have a battery backup. Cuts the power bill by ~30% though.

Veggies are all organic. :D

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Hi Vash

I'm pretty new to this site, moving to Adelaide in May. I have absolutely loved reading all your updates. You write very well and I love reading about different peoples journeys.

I have to be honest though, it makes me very jealous to read them, I just wand to be in Oz now! My hubby is already there (he's an Aussie) I have to just finish my uni degree before I can get out!!

Anyway, hope you are well and I hope you continue to update!

Carly
x

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

Hi CarlyChalk, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you've enjoyed my updates. I'll be posting a few more this year.

:)

Re: Two years in Adelaide
 

I have veggie patch envy :lol:

:thumbsup: