The families escaping for a life in the snow

Christie Hampton, 40, her husband and two children, aged five and seven, moved from Sydney’s Northern Beaches in December to settle in Jindabyne at the base of the Snowy Mountains.

They own ski and snowboard stores in Japan, so when COVID-19 hit last year they bought a caravan and travelled around Australia to decide where they wanted to settle.

“We thought [Jindabyne] was fantastic and had everything we wanted,” Hampton says. “The primary driver was to bring the children up in a more rural lifestyle similar to what my husband and I had without taking away too many advantages of the city. We’re extremely keen skiers, very outdoors and love mountain bike riding so, here, we can spend more time doing the things we love with less traffic and noise.”

COVID-19 restrictions in NSW have only confirmed their decision to move because they’ve been able to maintain their outdoor activities, as much as they feel for their community’s downturn in business. “We’re all hoping for a better spring,” she says.

While they also loved Sydney, miss friends and some of the cultural benefits of city life, they have been warmly welcomed by neighbours and are thrilled with their children’s school, with the kids walking home from the bus stop every day.

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“We feel very comfortable, safe and the transition hasn’t been hard at all,” Hampton says.

Nathan Fenton has lived in Bright, in Victoria’s alpine region, for 10 years with his wife and three children, working as Dinner Plain marketing and event manager, and he’s noticed an influx of city folk moving to the region in the past year.

“It’s the genuine appeal of living in these spectacular places, it’s a more quiet lifestyle though that is changing as more cycling events take place and people holiday here in summer and Easter,” Fenton says.

“The community in mountain towns is really close-knit. Everyone supports each other and the opportunities for families are so good. Even if you live here for a short period, it’s an experience you won’t ever forget.”

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