What happens after the big lap ends, the boxes are unpacked, and the “new life” becomes everyday life?

In this episode of The Expat Reality Podcast, Annie and Steve sit down in person with returning guests Emma and Kieran (watch Emma's previous episode here) to hear what the last 15 months have really been like since their move from Sydney to Margaret River, Western Australia.

We talk about the shift from feeling like a visitor to becoming a resident, why community doesn’t magically appear when you relocate, and the practical steps they took to build connection, purpose, and belonging.

Emma shares how volunteering (including community pantry work and local conservation initiatives) opened doors into the community, and Kieran explains why he launched a local chapter of Tough Guy Book Club as a way to tackle male loneliness and create a simple, structured space for men to connect.

Along the way, we cover the realities of expat friendship-making, the lifestyle contrast between big-city living and a smaller regional town, and the unexpected ways place, values, and life stage shape what “settled” actually means.

If you’re considering a move, feeling stuck in the in-between, or wondering how to find your people in Australia, this one will resonate.

We accidentally lost the video recording of this podcast episode so there's no video for this one sorry!

Episode highlights

• UK to Australia, the big lap, and why Margaret River became “the place”

• The difference between being a tourist and being a resident

• Volunteering as a shortcut to community and belonging

• Making friends as an adult expat: what actually works

• Kieran’s Tough Guy Book Club chapter and the conversation around male loneliness

• Lifestyle contrasts: Sydney vs Margaret River (nature, pace, produce, and day-to-day life)

• Why “settled” is often built intentionally, not discovered

Follow Emma

• Instagram: @weirhere (Emma) — https://www.instagram.com/weirhere/

Tough Guy Book Club

• Find a local chapter / learn more — https://www.toughguybookclub.com/find_us

• Start a chapter — https://www.toughguybookclub.com/start_a_chapter

Listen / watch / follow The Expat Reality Podcast

• YouTube (video podcast) — https://www.youtube.com/@LondonerInSydney

• Instagram (our main channel) — https://www.instagram.com/thelondonerinsydney/

• Website - https://londonerinsydney.com/

Resources

• Get a FREE Visa Assessment with True Blue Migration Services by mentioning 'Londoner In Sydney' - https://truebluemigration.com/assessment/

• 10% off Star RV Motorhomes - Code: LIS10

• Download the exact same finance tracker we used to save $50K in 8 Months. Discount code: ANNABEL10 - https://coplenty.com/annabel