Lyrella's parents, 80: sold the farm and moved to Bali, where care at home is affordable

How it came about

Lyrella’s parents spent their working lives in Gippsland. Her mother was a dietitian and then a teacher; her father was a musician for 45 years, and together they ran several businesses. They were busy in the community too, on council, at church, in clubs and as volunteers.

They first holidayed in Bali in 2002 and went back every Victorian winter after that. Over those winters they made friends there and raised money for community projects. By the time they were nearing 80, a 32-acre property with seven rescue horses had become a lot to manage. Their daughter points to the long drive to the local hospital, the lack of public transport, and what care at home would cost if they ever needed it. On a family holiday in Bali for his 80th birthday, her father told her, “I don’t really want to go back.” By the time the story ran in June 2024, they had sold up and moved.

What it costs them

The article gives a few figures from her father:

• Groceries: about $100 a week.
• Petrol: about $1 a litre.
• Council rates, utilities, house insurance and medical insurance: low compared with Australia.

They also employ a housekeeper six days a week, which Lyrella says is a legal requirement of their retirement visas. Our Bali page gives our own estimate of what a month costs there.

What went well

They live on the beach in north Bali, where it’s warm, and do a smaller version of their Gippsland life: book club, friends, coffee, walking the dog and adding to their Bahasa Indonesia. If they ever need round-the-clock care at home, they say they could afford it in Bali. Our guide to aged care overseas or at home compares that with care in Australia. Lyrella lives in Darwin, so the move made visiting easier and cheaper for her. It’s a flight of about two and a half hours.

What was hard

Leaving was hard. They said goodbye to family, friends, their church and a community they had served for decades. The family worried about the move and told them so. Lyrella writes that she could play out the what-ifs wherever they lived, and accepts the choice is theirs.

What has changed since

• Buying property in Indonesia. As general information: Smartraveller (page updated 16 October 2026) says legal disputes happen over buying land, villas and houses in Indonesia, including Bali. It advises getting legal advice and making sure any investment is legally enforceable in Indonesia before signing anything.
• Retirement visas. Indonesia sets its own ages, money tests and conditions for retirement and other long-stay visas, and they can change. Indonesia’s embassy or immigration office, or a licensed visa agent there, can confirm the current rules. Our guide to retirement visa age requirements lists the questions to ask.
• Selling the family home. This rule applies to any sale like theirs. The ATO (page updated 22 June 2026) says foreign residents cannot claim the main residence exemption from capital gains tax for property sold after 30 June 2020, unless they meet the life events test. So the date you sell, against the date you become a foreign resident for tax, can matter. A registered tax agent can explain how it applies to you. Our guide to whether to keep, rent or sell the family home covers the trade-offs.

What to take from it

• For this couple, the cost of care at home if they ever needed it was a big part of the reason to move.
• They had spent years of winters in Bali before moving, which took some of the risk out. Our guide to trying a place before you move covers that approach.
• The family worried, and the story says so. It was written by a daughter who worried and came to accept their choice. Our page on helping a parent who wants to retire overseas is written for adult children in the same spot.