Regards,
Subho

But our town of Tweed Heads is interesting in that it is part of a larger, predominantly rural local government area, still designated a “shire”, just over 800 square miles, with 17 villages, 2 towns and the larger urban area where we live. We can be in the countryside in about 10 minutes from here. We buy as much as we can of fruit and veg from local farmers at the weekend growers’ markets – and are a lot healthier and less out of pocket for our trouble! Broadband is patchy but the Fed govt has launched a multi-billion national broadband plan to have over 93% of homes & businesses with fiber connected directly (not just to the node/curb) and the other 7% with broadband via other technologies (satellite/wireless) – controversial but it is going ahead.

Interestingly for me over the holidays, visiting relatives in a smaller town (pop 2,000) one person said she had made more friends there in 6 years than in 30 years previously living in a city. She is involved in various sporting and community activities. Thinking about those Boomers heading for smaller towns, I’m wondering, only half-whimsically, is there a hidden rural trend of Living Longer with Better Friendships?