The Sunshine Coast has emerged as one of Australia’s most popular lifestyle destinations during the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean everyone settles in to their new environment.
Dr Prue Millear, psychology lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), says some people take years to make new friends while others miss their families and old life.
Dr Millear is undertaking a research project to probe deeper into the reasons people choose to transplant to the Coast and how well they adjust.
After undertaking an initial survey in 2012, Dr Millear is seeking 100 more participants to complete an online questionnaire.
For the 2021 survey, Dr Millear has included an extra question about the pandemic and whether it impacted the person’s decision to move.
Migration to the Sunshine Coast has escalated during COVID and the region was recently in the top three most popular destinations for people moving out of the cities to regional Qld or NSW.
However, the flood of migration has sparked a housing crisis that has made it difficult for people to find affordable accommodation and forced others to leave.
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Dr Millear said many new residents dreamed of a wonderful life going to the beach every day, walking the dog and enjoying blue skies and sunshine.
“And yes it is that but you still have to work to pay the mortgage and run around to take kids to school,” Dr Millear said.
“Given what some people are paying for a house at the moment, do you need to work more?”
The results of the 2012 survey found that, unsurprisingly, most people who moved to the Sunshine Coast chose the location for lifestyle reasons and most were pleased with their decision.
“We asked people what were the reasons they moved and which were the most important ones, for example your work, your partner’s work, work-life balance, sunshine, space.
“We also asked them what they missed about their old life, if they were missing too much and wanted to go back.
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“We were also interested to know how people found jobs, and what helped them settle in and did you know people when you moved?”
Dr Millear said although most new residents felt they had gained more from the move than they had lost, introverts struggled to make friends which impacted their experience.
“People who were loneliest were those who had taken a long time to find friends and also people who were not as outgoing,” said Dr Millear.
“If you’re quiet and move, it takes longer to find your tribe and it’s not only the time it takes to find friends but whether they’re the kind of friends you can call in an emergency.
“Those sorts of friendships can take two years to develop. You need to know someone long enough to know you can trust them in a tight spot.”
Dr Millear said there were things people who were new to town could do to make deeper connections.
“If you’re going to the effort to settle in why not go to a few clubs, go out and do things so you can find the people who you like.
“There are a lot of people in the world who are pleasant acquaintances but to find friends you can ring at 2am, that sort of deeper friendship takes longer to develop.
“You might have a lot of pleasant acquaintances until you find your bestie.”
Research participants wanted
Would you like to tell Dr Prue Millear about your reasons for moving, your experiences of settling in and what you miss about where you used to live?
The anonymous online survey takes 15 to 20 minutes and you can withdraw at any time.
For more detailed information and to access the survey click here.
Or use this QR code
