I once met a man who worked for World Vision. He organised exhibitions of Australian indigenous art to aid remote outback communities.

During the course of our conversation he told me he owned some land in a place in southern New South Wales. He said he and his wife visited it from time to time but they’d never consider moving there because they weren’t keen on the local community.

I’d always thought of it as a lovely area but then I’d never been there for more than a weekend. It seems you need more than a couple of days to get to know a place.

We’re relatively close to cities here (Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat), there’s a good supply of cafes and restaurants, a few art galleries and – for some us –  an excess of boutiques dispensing soaps, candles and giftware.

While the local economy was originally based on farming – and Daylesford is still a service centre, of sorts, for that  –  it now focuses on tourism. This is where the area differs from most ‘tree-change‘ locations.

The place is packed with entrepreneurs, usually tourism operators of one type or another. Many have retired from a profession  to take up a less challenging life here. (Exactly how that works during peak holiday season, when the town’s jammed with visitors, is beyond me.)

Most are kind and welcoming types, their dispositions perfectly suited to coping with strung-out city visitors.

For those lucky few who can hang up their business suits to kick back into retirement, there are plenty of ways to keep the brain cells firing. The University of the Third Age is just one of them.

I’ve posted before about fitting into a new community. Click here if you missed it.

And then there’s music… A community like this, with more than its fair share of artists and writers, is usually lousy with musicians. Getting out among them is always a good way to meet like-minded people. Around here, a few highly gifted types air their prowess from time to time for little or no charge. Some even travel from beyond The Shire to play for us.

A couple of weeks ago we had the great pleasure to hear and see Charlie Parr. His music hits all the right notes if you like traditional American folk music. For those whose tastes lean towards the classical, there’s the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields festival every year.

For country folk, people here tend to be more interesting than at first you might imagine. It seems the ideal place for a social life with an active brain, a conscience and a big heart.

The downside to living here is that there’s a long drive to have your shoes mended, to see a film or play, visit a dentist or consult a medical specialist. Petrol prices are high, too.

There are also long cold Winters that bring hazardous driving conditions and dry Summers with severe water restrictions and the occasional bush fire. Don’t get me started on the flies.

The best way of discovering whether a place is right for you?  Immerse yourself first.