The best thing about where you live?
@JadePlatypus (234)
Australia
November 8, 2015 2:15am CST
I live in a relatively small rural city (18,000 people). This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what your needs are. A place this size is fantastic for bringing up kids, there are good schools and good friends to be made. Once they get past secondary school however, its not so good; no decent jobs (except in aged care), and not much entertainment. Poor night school options, but good senior health options.
But I would have to say that the highlight of this city is the abundance of wonderful bicycle paths spread not only throughout the city, but also for many kilometres beyond the area. These bike paths link to other bike paths which can lead you almost all around the state of Victoria - and they are usually specific to bicycles; close to, but never on, roads. Our local bike paths follow the rivers that run through our city, so they are very peaceful. Yes, you might see the occasional tiger snake basking in the sunshine but hey- just lift your feet off the pedals till you get past him, then pedal like billy-oh to get away.
What is the highlight of the town or city you live in?
8 people like this
8 responses
@xFiacre (13152)
• Ireland
10 Nov 15
@jadeplatypus you had me convinced to move to where you live till you got to the bit about snakes - I have a phobia! Bad experiences from the past. Thankfully Ireland is devoid of such things and that's the best bit about it.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (342088)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus @xFiacre We've lived in this house ten years and seen one snake and that wasn't even near the house. It's a pity snakes get so much press. From everyone we spoke too, snakes, poisonous insects and crocodiles put off a lot of tourists yet it's a very false perception of the country.
1 person likes this
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
10 Nov 15
@xFiacre, if you cant move here, you can visit. Snakes are only around in December, January and February (summer) so you have 9 months!
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
8 Nov 15
I have never lived in such a small place.
All my life I live in my country which is a very small city-state.
The whole country is just an hour drive from end to end, and we have about 5 million people breathing the same air.
It is stressful to live in a crowded place, but the jobs are aplenty, and there are great hospitals and universities in the island.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342088)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus We have friends from Singapore who can't get their heads around our distances. We talk about towns being two or three Singapores apart.
1 person likes this
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
8 Nov 15
I imagine it would be nice to have secure employment. It must be hard if you wanted a bit of personal space with no one else around though.
@Marilynda1225 (83109)
• United States
14 Nov 15
I live in a country area surrounded by cornfields and farms. It's beautiful to raise kids and the schools are great. I raised my own children in a more citified environment and it was fine but this is a whole new way of life for me. I moved here to be closer to my grandchildren.
1 person likes this
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
14 Nov 15
@Marilynda1225 that would be a big change, I imagine. It does seem easier though, the more we mature, the less we really need. In my twenties and thirties, I was sure I needed everything close and handy straight away. Now, I am prepared to plan, and to travel, to access these things such as good live shows, a good hairdresser or large shopping complexes. And I don't need them nearly as much as I think I do.
@JudyEv (342088)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
We went to many cities where everything bike was promoted and cars were actively discouraged from many areas.
@41CombedaleRoad (5954)
• Greece
13 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus When Ilived in a village in Buckinghamshire, UK one of the hazards for car drivers was people riding horses in the road and they often went side by side. I couldn't use the horn for fear of spooking the horses.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342088)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus There is a bit of bad blood between cyclists and motorists here - at least in Perth. Motorists don't seem as tolerant as they were in Europe.
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
12 Nov 15
@JudyEv I would really like to see that promoted a bit more here in Aus. I know distance is more of an issue here, but in larger places it could work. When we go to Asian countries,where so many people ride those smaller motorcycles, I come back vowing to get one, and get my motorbike licence. It makes such sense, as I am usually the only person in the car. I do admire those who ride the bicycle tracks for long distances. My aching backside tells me that around town is enough for me.
1 person likes this
@Rainbow013 (14)
• Singapore, Singapore
8 Nov 15
Helo
Ur post is intresting for me...
But wait im scared about that tiger snake really
Are they biting if people around them?? Or they just go away?
1 person likes this
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
8 Nov 15
Generally they are more scared of us than we are of them. They slither away very quickly once they realise we are there. The only exception would be if you got between a mother snake and her babies, or got a snake into a place where they could not run away. They are not really common. If it is a very very hot day, they like to lie on the bike path in the sun, but if a lot of people come past all the time, they don't go to those places.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342088)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 15
@Rainbow @JadePlatypus is right. Snakes will try to avoid humans whenever they can so it isn't a real problem.
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Nov 15
Mine is a big city with a massive nightlife choice of bars and restaurants and lots of history. Its worse factor is a lousy unreliable transport network and poor employment
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
10 Nov 15
Are they appealing to tourists then? And is the high unemployment due to the fall-off of textiles, or is that about 20 years ago? I work in textiles here, and every year there is threat of closure. We're down from 600 employees to less than 50.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
10 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus Manchester is a popular tourist attraction with very positive write ups in many tourist guides nowadays. Unemployment is still bad in unskilled and semi-skilled businesses
@41CombedaleRoad (5954)
• Greece
12 Nov 15
You live in the ideal place for a senior person. It would suit me too very well. I would love to cycle those paths and would not mind at all seeing a snake or too en route as I was not on foot.
I have enjoyed reading this, it took me into your world for a minute or two.
@41CombedaleRoad (5954)
• Greece
13 Nov 15
@JadePlatypus All things considered I imagine that the people who live in this place are the fittest and happiest anywhere in Australia too.
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
13 Nov 15
Thank you @41CombedaleRoad , Yes, this is an ideal place for seniors, and in fact I believe that we have one of the better hospital/doctor/home-care services anywhere in Australia. Not only that, the cycle paths are well-maintained.
1 person likes this
@JadePlatypus (234)
• Australia
13 Nov 15
@41CombedaleRoad It is a pretty good 'outdoorsy' type environment, I guess. Definitely the sports here- football, netball, cricket, soccer etc, have a very high participation rate from kids,teens and twenty-somethings.
