Opinion: 'I want to be part of the tree-change movement'

I have always been a city girl.

I love nothing more than people buzzing about, great shops, decent transport, the luxury of being a zig-and-a-zag away from friends and, in short, residing smack bang in the thick of it.

Having lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Paris and New York I’ve always hung my hat as close to the city as I could, gravitating towards the action and pulse of city life. And so no one was more surprised than me as to how much I now want to move to the country after spending time on The Block this season.

Yep, I want to be part of the tree-change movement.

At the onset of the pandemic, I was fascinated by those brave and I assumed nomadic people who not only flirted with the idea of a tree change, but who then were plucky enough to actually do it.

And these tree-changers were not a minority.

With COVID turning the world upside down, many took the chance to flee the cities – fanging it down the nearest highway and embracing the prospect of more affordable housing, copious amounts of space and a better way of life.

The median house price in Gisborne where the current season of The Block is based is just over $1 million and price growth in the area has soared by 60.3 per cent over the past five years.

But I would soon learn these regions ain’t what they used to be. Residents now enjoy the best of both worlds in what are typically dubbed “lifestyle areas”. They have the convenience and luxuries of city life while also enjoying the peace and quiet of the country. Oh, and did I mention the views?

And so here’s why I want honorary membership to the tree-changer club. Beyond all the obvious things, increasingly it was the deeper shift that spending time outside the city stirred in me.

I realised how my mindset and perspective changed when I was destined for the Macedon Ranges (or “God’s country”, as the romantics call it). I relished driving along the long open road. I loved the long burst of sky rather than the haze of city lights. I switched off the news and enjoyed good old-fashioned music.

And then there was the languid bend in the road, where I would honestly feel myself exhale and just relax.

And upon arriving, the crackling open fires wooed me as well as the camaraderie that seems unique to country life. And I even embraced the dress code of gumboots being de rigueur. And those mottled sunsets contrasted with the inky night sky and what feels like a million stars. It was real life in all its glory.

So you see, I’m smitten. If you know of a house for sale, please let me know…