{"id":228704,"date":"2026-05-07T11:30:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T09:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/?p=228704"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:30:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T09:30:54","slug":"out-and-about-an-e-mail-from-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/out-and-about-an-e-mail-from-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Out and about: an e-mail from Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In \u201fOut and about\u201d, we talk to people who currently live abroad or have lived and worked there. This week, we talk to Louis de Klerk<\/strong> and his wife Louna who lives in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello, Louis and Louna. It\u2019s great talking to you!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From where in South Africa are you, and why did you move to Australia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We lived in Paarl. I (Louis) grew up in Wellington and Louna in Paarl. We met six years ago and got married a few months later. We were both victims of the Covid recession and lost our jobs at the time. Louna couldn\u2019t find a job as a teacher, and I couldn\u2019t find a permanent job, so I had to rely on contract work. We struggled terribly and had to start looking at other options to provide for ourselves and our children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us more about your family.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Louna (43) and I (43) have been married for five years and have no children together. I have two children who live with their moms in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How did you experience the emigration process to Australia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, the process went very well. We got involved right away and received a lot of support \u2013 even from South Africans here in Australia. The Terreblanche family helped us with accommodation, the Boshoff family lent us a car, and another South African family helped us with groceries when we landed here. It was a great blessing for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us a little more about your work. What does a typical day look like? Is life more relaxed there, and do you have more time to relax or travel?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My job is pretty simple \u2013 you work eight hours a day and get paid well. I have a very good work-life balance. Louna is a teacher at a Catholic school, and the benefits for teachers, such as planning time during the school day, help to maintain a healthy balance between work and leisure. We enjoy going camping somewhere on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Did you easily make new friends and integrate into the community?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We deliberately made friends from the start. We made an effort to connect with as many people as possible. We also help new families who have arrived here to adjust. We are mostly in contact with other South African families \u2013 there are so many of us here, almost 1 000 South Africans within a 50 km radius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was the strangest thing for you to get used to? What was the biggest adjustment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll probably never get used to the shopping trolleys! Nor the way the Aussies speak or their work ethic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What interesting things did you discover in Australia that you didn’t know about before?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How generous people are. And how many things one can do for free \u2013 free caravan parks, free events, free furniture and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n