ABOUT
Marjorie is a 33 year old French woman who studied Business and Science in France. She started her business in the beauty and wellness industry when she was student and this helped her to create a life as a digital nomad for 6 years until she decided to settle in Australia with her Australian partner.
Moving to Byron bay
When and why did you move to Byron Bay?
My first trip in Australia was only to explore and travel for a year but I fell in love with this country. It was in 2018. Then I came back right before covid where I decided to settle in Byron Bay. It’s a beautiful town where you can surf, walk in the rainforest, and enjoy a beautiful life without any stress.
How did you get set up?
Everything is so easy in Australia that I decided to use what they provide in the country (local bank and local mobile phone plan). I use ANZ bank Woolworths mobile prepaid plan (cheap and great coverage).
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance?
It was super easy, I used avi international which was very easy to set up.
What did you bring with you?
I’m very minimalistic because of all of my travels so I only brought very few clothes and comfortable shoes and laptop.
How did you find an apartment?
Most of the time I found on Facebook marketplace the different places I lived in. It’s super easy to rent a place. You pay a few weeks bond in advance and that’s it. I used to live in share houses because it’s quite expensive in Australia and I always like to meet new people. But today I live with my partner and our baby so we have a 3 bedroom house for 1000AUD a week.
What surprised you about life there?
People value their lifestyle and quality of life more than in France and I love that.
Living in Byron Bay
How do Australians compare to French people, in your opinion?
People are really friendly, you can talk to anyone, it’s not « weird ».
Can you tell us something else about Byron Bay that we might not know?
It’s a beautiful place to see whales and dolphins from the beach or to surf with dolphins.
What are some local artists or recommendations in Byron Bay that you recommend checking out?
I love saxonkent on Instagram!
What about music from Byron Bay and Sydney?
There are a lot of festivals during summer in these areas and they are pretty cool.
Final Thoughts
Are there any experiences there that you are particularly proud of or that surprised you?
I loved the air balloon above the bay, it’s magical and the kayaking to see the whales.
What are some disadvantages to living in Byron Bay?
It’s a bit far from the usual shops we can find in big cities and supeeeer busy during summer, which I like for business and atmosphere but it’s a nightmare to park sometimes.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
Yes, it’s easy to meet new people because of all the activities and parties and I found great friends who are also expats. A lot of expats live in Byron.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to help women of my generation to embrace the expat life so I started to share more and more about this kind of lifestyle and apparently they like it so I’ll keep going 🙂
And we are also buying a house with the project to organise retreat and rent for short term accommodation in this space.
Thank you so so much Marjorie for sharing your experience! You definitely made me dream with your recommendations to see whales! It must be quite incredible! I wish you luck with your family and projects!
Marjorie’s IG here!
Marjorie’s IG here!
