Our Australian Journey

This "trip" began in early 2012. Rusty was working nights at UPS, I was working from home with my Juice Plus business. We were settling in with the "empty nest syndrome." Rusty had recently remodeled the kitchen and bathroom and the house was really shaping up. We weren't looking for a change as 55+ year olds. All our daughters had gone to university in Australia (another story) and married Australian boys and were permanent residents of Australia. I was just glad they were all together. 

About May, 2012, Candace started having bad dreams.....felt the need for us to move to Australia. We just laughed. We had always planned to move out of California, or at least to northern Cal, maybe Wyoming or New Mexico, but no intention of leaving the USA. She was persistent....."as least look into an early retirement." So we did. Rusty found out that he could retire and collect his full pension at 59 1/2.....June, 2012. Candace started looking into the immigration laws for parents. The cost was out of our range. So on July 4 we felt that all doors were closed for us to go to Australia and decided we would stay in USA, live frugally and save for flights to Australia.

On July 5, Candace went to see an immigration lawyer and they found another parental visa that might work for us. It would cost considerably less for us to migrate to Australia on a parental visa. We checked our 401K savings.....the exact amount! We took that as a sign and we started getting serious about moving to Australia. Then the 'signs' started piling up: Rusty's pension paperwork and first payment should have taken up to four months to be approved and paid. The paperwork was finalized in four days and we received his first payment four days later.  Additionally, Rusty thought his benefits would begin September 1; however, he qualified for benefits as of August 1.  Candace even arranged for a place for us to live.

From the day we decided to 'go for it' on July 5, it was exactly 2 months, September 5, when we boarded the plane to fly to Australia. In that time we downsized our belongings to a 40-foot container and had it shipped to Australia for the girls. We sold, gave away or stored everything else.

We arrived in Australia on a 3-month visitor visa. After a couple of weeks staying with Candace we moved to the 125-acre farm that would become our home. Such a beautiful place! The house was very run down, but we found ourselves in the middle of paradise. 

Views from our veranda

I have always dreamed of having a wrap-around porch......well, it's called a veranda here, but I got my wish! Rusty started fixing the place up (good thing he had all that practice at our house in Fresno :) Soon we had a very comfortable home, nothing fancy, but comfortable.

Before

After

We started applying for residency with an 'offshore application' meaning we were visiting only. We were told we would need to leave every 3 months to comply with our visa. We applied for an extension on our visa and were granted a year stay!

Visitors to the farm:

We have only had to leave the country 2 times in the first 2 1/2 years because Australia graciously extended our visitor visa twice. We were able to be here for our 2 grandchildren's births. Such blessings! After being in Australia for about a year, the immigration laws were changed to accept fewer immigrants each year. Being of a "mature age" we would probably not have qualified. If we had not applied for residency when we did, we would have missed the window to be able to live near our kids full time. Once again.....in HIS timing, not ours. Now we understand Candace's urgency for us to act. God was pushing her!

The laws continued to change every few months and our residency was excelerated. With the new laws they wanted our whole payment at once in 15 days. Normally in order to transfer the funds it would take at least 30 days. My parents helped us work it out from stateside and it transferred in 24 hours!  (Thank you Mom and Dad!) With the exchange rates our money grew and we had the amount we needed, even after Uncle Sam took his cut, which was a concern.

In order for our residency to be complete we had to actually be "off shore." We decided to go to the closest place off shore of Australia, Vanuatu. I had never even heard of it, but it is a small group of islands between Australia and Fiji. We were told we needed to stay 3 to 5 days....depending on how long it took them to process us. We were set to travel on Monday, 9 March, returning on Saturday. Beautiful place, lovely people. Very humid! We were told that on Friday a cyclone would be skirting the island, but wouldn't hit land, no worries. Well, the storm hit land and hovered for 12 hours. It destroyed most of the island. We were safe, but stuck there. We finally were able to leave on Monday. It was an experience that I thank God for and pray never happens again! (If you'd like to read the details about it you can at: http://gale4health.blogspot.com/2015/03/cyclone-pam-port-vila-vanuatu-friday-13.html
We found out later that as soon as we left Australia they had processed our application and we were permanent residences by the time we got off the plane in Vanuatu. Oh well, who wouldn't want to stay and experience a category 5 cyclone?

We have enjoyed our first 3 years on the farm near Beaudesert, QLD. It was a perfect place to start our journey here in Australia. Sometime this year we plan to move closer to the coast where we will have less driving. God is still opening doors to keep us in Australia with our family.

There have been so many wonderful experiences since we started this journey. The biggest joy, of course, are those grand babies! We are so grateful to be here. Thank you for all the prayers that have accompanied us through this journey. God is definitely in the details!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 When you put your hand in God's Hand, hang on tight,  He will take you places you never dreamed of.

                               

2018 Ammendment: We now live on a farm near Murwillumbah, NSW. Our family has grown to 13 with the addition of 3 more Grands. Such a blessing! We still miss our family and friends in America, however, I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. God knew I couldn't handle being an ocean away from our kids and their children. We do a lot of babysitting! I have taken up quilting and Rusty has been improving his golf game. Retirement is good!

Family and friends have visited occasionally and we enjoy sharing our new home country with them. It will be 6 years on 5 September that we began this journey and God continues to be in the details. We trust God for the rest of the story........

May 2018, Visit from Mom and Dad, Vicki and Kelly

2022 amendment:
We have purchased a home just north of Brisbane, QLD. We moved shortly before Covid hit and we would have been locked in NSW away from our kids for two years. Again, God’s timing!
We are well and enjoying being grandparents in this beautiful country. We became citizens of Australia in 2019. So we have dual citizenship. Rusty has remodeled our home. A major task. He survived a major heart, with no damage, a year and half ago. We are cherishing life and taking one day at a time in this crazy world.
God is good, always!

Marshmallows

I love this recipe! And very easy to make. 

Before the mix sets, if you take a cup of it and add a Tablespoon of orange juice and a smidge of nutmeg, you have a delicious fruit dip! Enjoy!   

Marshmallows

Makes about 3 dozen marshmallows

2 1/2 Tablespoons unflavoured gelatin

1 cup water, divided

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup arrowroot starch or corn starch

Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, up over the sides. Spray with oil, or butter, the paper.

Place gelatin in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup water. Allow to soften and bloom for about 5 minutes.

Combine sugar, honey, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally over medium heat until mixture reaches 120°C (about 8 minutes). Careful, it will boil over quickly. Remove from heat. Break up gelatin and whisk it into the pan. 

Working quickly, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks (an electric mixer comes in handy here— love my kitchen aid!) Then drizzle the gelatin mixture into the egg whites while you continue to whisk them together until the mixture stiffens, about 8 minutes more. Add the vanilla extract and continue whisking 2 or 3 minutes, until it’s thick but slightly warm and pliable.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and let it sit at room temperature until set, at least 4 hours or up to overnight. 

Whisk the powdered sugar and arrowroot starch together in a bowl, set aside. Spray a sharp knife with baking spray, and then gently lift the parchment paper out of the pan, peeling it away from the sides of the set marshmallows. 

Cut the marshmallows into squares (I cut small squares cause it IS still sugar and don’t want the grands to get too much). Then, working one at a time, toss them into the powdered sugar mix. Transfer to an airtight container and enjoy right away or store at room temperature up to a week.

Gluten Free Bread Mix

** Bread Flour Mix GF**

This is one loaf (I make this times 10 in a big bowl. Mix really well and put it in a Tupperware. Approximately 486 grams makes one loaf) 

100g maize starch

100g potato starch

100g brown rice flour         

50g sorghum 

35g flaxseed meal

35g millet flour

10g psyllium husk

10g sugar (2 t)

15g quinoa flakes    

10g salt

8g pea protein

2g xanthan/guargum mix (half and half)

2 T chia seeds

2 T potato flakes (Costco)

In bread maker on GF setting:

580g warm water

1 recipe bread mix (486g)

7g yeast (apprx 2 teaspoons)

(I like to add 1/4 cup sourdough starter to dough if I have any. Seems to make it even better)

Optional: Sunflower Seeds

This could be mixed and poured into a bread loaf pan. Place in warm (not hot) oven and let rise for about 30 minutes. Turn oven up to 350F and bake for about an hour. Slice when cooled.  Haha, I can never wait that long!

THE BEST WAY TO BAKE IS IN A BREAD MAKER ON GLUTEN FREE SETTING. Must have GF setting. All bread makers are not created equal.

Sourdough Bread

I’ve been playing with gluten free sourdough bread making. I’ve come up with a pretty good formula. I’ve made a few bricks, but finally have a tasty, SOFT sourdough loaf of bread. But you will need the right equipment. If anyone finds a better recipe, please share!

Sourdough Bread

I use a gluten free brown rice sourdough starter. Making that is a whole other recipe.

Mix together:

200g           Active Brown Rice sourdough starter

400-450g    water

100g           Brown Rice Flour

80g             Sorghum flour

150g           Potato starch

20g             Pea Protein Isolate

35g            Ground flaxseed meal

2 tsp.          Psyllium Husk

Ferment above mixture in an Insta pot on yoghurt setting for about 3-4 hours. Until the mixture has doubled. 

Then add following and mix together until smooth (add more water if needed to make a thick batter consistency):

150g         Potato starch

2 tsp          Sea salt

1 Tbl          Raw sugar

1-2            Eggs

1 Tbl         Extra virgin olive oil

Place the mixture in a bread maker on the GF setting.  You have to have the GF setting because GF baking is entirely different from wheat bread. Also I’ve found that since gluten free baking is so temperamental, I use about 7 grams of dry yeast to the last mix to help with the rise. Otherwise, it is hit and miss on the fluffy vs. bricks. But you still have that wonderful sourdough flavour. 

Sounds like a lot of work, but when you are set up for gluten free baking anyway, it’s not that bad. If you would like to set up a time for me to call you to help trouble shoot, Email me. gale4health@yahoo.com

If you have the starter add a couple tablespoons to your gluten free pancake batter…..best GF pancakes I’ve ever made!