When Bob and Lynne Adey decided to move country, they wanted a safe place with good weather and friendly people. They found it in Gozo, says Andrea Faye Christians.
Deciding to leave family and friends behind to move from one country to another is a momentous decision, especially when you’re leaving somewhere where you have lived practically all your life. However, that is exactly what Bob and Lynne Adey did in December 2010.
Bob was born in Britain but spent most of his life living and working in South Africa while his wife Lynne is South African. Bob was primarily involved in the gold mining industry and in the last decade has worked as a consultant while living on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
To many, the vast and raw beauty of South Africa may make it seem like an idyllic place to live in – however, it has a turbulent history of social and political problems and eventually, after much soul searching, the couple decided it was time to relocate.
Deciding where they wanted to live was no easy matter and there were many factors to consider. First was the language issue – English would need to be spoken wherever their new home was to be as neither felt they wanted the struggle of learning another language. Another issue was the climate – their new home needed to enjoy weather that was comparable to Johannesburg.
With Malta having the reputation of having one of the best climates in the world this problem was immediately eliminated, even though the couple kept their options open and briefly considered Spain. However, Spain’s language barrier and drgging financial crisis were a major stumbling block.
Indeed, economic stability was another major consideration. The South African currency, the Rand, is weak and it is difficult to find a country with an acceptable exchange rate and cost of living. In this respect the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe are both favourable but Malta was already well ahead on the checklist from the point of view of language and climate. This, coupled with the favourable exchange rate, cost of living and a surprisingly buoyant economy in a recession-hit Europe, again scored in its favour.
Finally, there was the issue of safety. In Malta feeling safe in one’s home is something that we tend to take for granted – however, after a lifetime spent in South Africa, this was of particular importance to Lynne. Again, Malta’s relatively low crime rate came up trumps and after careful consideration Bob and Lynne decided that the island best filled the criteria they were looking for.
A year later they returned, this time focusing their search on Gozo which, although smaller than Malta, is greener and has a richer sense of space
As the search for their new home began, their first visit brought them to mainland Malta where they spent a week looking at various properties. However, they were initially unimpressed. After a lifetime in South Africa they were accustomed to a sense of space and found that a number of the places they viewed in Malta were claustrophobic and crowded. A year later they returned, this time focusing their search on Gozo which, although smaller than Malta, is greener and has a richer sense of space.
During their second trip, the couple viewed some 40 properties. After shortlisting three they eventually settled on a penthouse with panoramic views in Xagħra.
Almost three years on they have no regrets. Bob is now the vice-chairman of the Gozo branch of the British Residents Association – this has given the couple the opportunity to make new friends and get involved in many activities. They are also active in the South African Social Club and meet up every couple of months – Bob and Lynne find that this is a good way to network and to keep in touch culturally with people from their homeland. Their only sadness is that their daughter, who moved with them to Gozo, is set to leave them soon to live and work in Ireland.
Bob describes life in Gozo as “very relaxed” but also appreciates that it has a good infrastructure. For instance, they have found the health service more than adequate the few times they have made use of it – this is a great improvement when compared to South Africa, where they needed private health care.
On a day-to-day basis, both say they find the Gozitan people friendly. In retrospect, however, Lynne tells me that since renting and leasing is so reasonable, she would have liked to have taken more time to really get to know Gozo before buying a property.
“There are many small villages, each with their own individual charm and character, which I would have loved to explore.”
The only downside is the time it takes them to get to the airport.
“It’s a bit of a mission,” Lynne says. “You first have to get to the ferry and then wait for the crossing, which can take a good half hour. Then you need to get to Luqa. This can easily add a good three hours to a trip – but it’s a small price to pay for living in Gozo.”
“The humidity in the winter months is also something to which we are unaccustomed, as Johannesburg is situated in the southern hemisphere with a hot and humid summer while the winter months of June, July and August are generally crisp, cold and dry,” says Bob.
The stormy weather we had last winter also made for a hairy ferry crossing for an invitation to visit the Australian High Commission – thankfully, they say, such stormy conditions are rare.
Bob and Lynne are happy with their choice of a new home. Even though no one knows what the future holds, it seems that Gozo will be their home for many years to come.