Originally from Sydney and now based in Brisbane, Rachelle and Mike are a dynamic Australian couple who decided to swap routine for adventure by relocating to Bali with their two children, Matraya (8) and Harrison (6). With their own flexible businesses—Mike in construction and Rachelle in health and wellbeing—they saw an opportunity to create a life-changing experience for their family. Drawn by Bali’s natural beauty, spiritual culture, and welcoming community, they made the move in January 2025 with plans to stay until October, and potentially return for a longer stint in 2026.
In this interview, they share the journey behind their decision, the joys and challenges of expat life in Bali, and how Our Year in Bali played a crucial role in making their dream a reality.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you originally from, and what’s your background?
Mike and I are both originally from Sydney, Australia but have been living in Brisbane for the past 10 years with our two kids, Matraya 8 years and Harrison 6 years.
We both have our own businesses- Mike in construction industry and Rachelle in health and wellbeing- we thought why not take advantage of our flexibility and go on an adventure!
When did you move to Bali? How long have you been here, and how long do you plan to stay?
We have been in Bali since Jan 2025, so it’s still early days. We plan to stay until October this year and depending on how it all goes, perhaps come back longer term in 2026.
What inspired your move? What were the key reasons or turning points that led you to relocate to Bali?
There were many factors, we both felt like a change and we wanted to give our kids an experience to remember- we did consider travelling around Australia, but decided experiencing another culture and having a home to base to work from would work better for us. We both have always loved Bali, the spirituality, natural beauty and friendly people were all draw cards for us.
How did you come across Our Year in Bali? What was your experience like working with Simone?
Simone was invaluable in orchestrating our move, I don’t think I would have had the time, resources or confidence to undertake all the research that was required! Being able to open her documents and search what I was looking for was so helpful and made the process much more streamlined. Also having her recommended contacts was very assuring, especially for things like the visa agent and banking contacts- it would have been nerve wracking handing our passports over to a stranger, but knowing it was a trusted contact of Simone’s made me feel so much more at ease!! Also being able shoot her a msg if I got stuck with something was also very helpful. Thanks Simone!!
Where do you live in Bali? What made you choose that neighbourhood, and how would you describe the community?
We chose to live in Seseh, just north of Canggu/ Pererenan. We chose that area for a variety of reasons, firstly, a few months prior to our move, we visited Bali to primarily look at schools for our kids. From Simone’s list of resources, I narrowed it down to four schools all in slightly different areas to visit. We got the best feeling from both the area and the school, Marigold Community Learning, which is located in Pererenan. We liked that we could be close to the beach which was a big part of moving to Bali, but also close to the hub of Canggu. Seseh is (at the moment- though it is changing) much quieter with rice paddies, beach, good coffee and a couple of restaurants. It has a really nice calming energy that we loved straight away.
We knew that Seseh was where we wanted to be and we also loved the school which is only about 5-10min scooter ride from Seseh. The community in Seseh is mainly ex-pats, tourist villas and some local Balinese. There is a beautiful resort called Udara right on the ocean which offers bucket loads of yoga, sound healing, dance and a lots of wonderful healing modalities for me to explore. It is friendly and laid back, many ex-pats walking their dogs along the beach at sunset each day. We’ve gotten to know our local coffee hang out and have also found a run club we love, Flowerboy. It’s quiet enough to go for a run/ bike ride and it was a good spot for me to build confidence on my scooter as the roads are pretty quiet. In saying that, the beach isn’t that great for swimming or surfing- we find we go to Batu Balong or Pererenan for that, the sunsets walks along the beach at Seseh is simply magical.
What school did you choose for your children, and why was it the right fit?
We chose Marigold Community Learning for a few reasons; firstly the kids loved it when they did their tour- it has a lovely welcoming feel. We liked the size of the school- there is one class per grade with a maximum of 10 kids per class with two teachers in the room. Amazing coming from 30 kids in Australia with one teacher!! They do a student led curriculum approach, allowing the children to learn through research ideas and topics that interest them.
I felt there was enough academic basis to keep my kids stimulated as they both love learning and being extended, but also great creativity and physical/ nature play. They also have an amazing social emotional focus which was a big drawcard for us, teaching concepts like empathy, non-violent communication and conflict resolution. We’ve felt very supported by the staff in what has been a big transition for our children to a very new environment in so many ways.
How does everyday life in Bali compare to back home financially? Are there things you can enjoy here that were out of reach in Australia?
We are definitely spending more than we expected in some area and saving money in other areas. Overall, the biggest expenses are the cost of villa rental and school fees. These are not cheap!! But then you can go and have an amazing healthy meal for the whole family for $20AUD. We are enjoying the weekly housekeeping and linen change that is included in our villa rental, that is amazing!! Also sending all the washing out for about $10 a week is great also. Some food items that we would usually eat in Australia are more expensive, so over time, we’ve tweaked how we eat to make it more financially viable.
We do eat out more, going for coffee most days or getting goJek deliveries. School lunches are reasonably priced so we do that more often for the kids also. We have a casual babysitter that helps out if we want to have a date night and that is very affordable also. Kids activities seem to be priced similar to home, yoga classes and gym passes are pretty similar to Australia, maybe slightly less depending where you go. With time, we’ve found the places that are good quality and well priced, you do need to avoid the tourist areas and be willing to eat more like a local! But that’s all part of it and great fun.
How have you found the medical and health services so far?
I had to take my boy to the dentist for an emergency procedure and once I found the right dentist the care provided was great and very reasonably priced. We haven’t had any other exposure to this so far.
What does a typical day look like for you and your family in Bali?
Most days Mike starts work from home early as he’s on Australia time zone. I might get up early and go for a run or go the gym and then bring home coffees and fresh fruit/ bread. I then take the kids (yes two kids on a scooter!) to school and come back to work with my clients over zoom during school hours. Organise grocery deliveries/ meat etc. Then collect the kids, come back for a swim in the pool and snacks before heading off to either after school activities like circus, basketball, soccer or else we might go to the beach for a swim/ surf. Either eat dinner at a local warung or come home.
We try at least twice a week to then go back to the beach for sunset because it’s just soo beautiful! On the weekends we have been trying to go to one place new nearby or go away for a weekend to somewhere else in Bali. It sounds pretty similar to home now thinking about it, but it feels very different! There is a sense of freedom and adventure here. Discovering new places every week.
What are some common misconceptions about Bali, and what would you say to set the record straight?
Bali is super cheap- it really isn’t. Service based things are cheap as wages are low, but we often tip to support the local people. Whilst you can pick up some things cheap here, they often don’t last that long (in terms of clothes and toys etc). I’m nervous writing this (in case I jinx us!) but we also haven’t been sick at all. We are careful with water and washing our food, but apart from that, the kids live their life pretty freely and we’ve been OK so far!
What should other families think about before making the move to Bali?
Take your time to ask yourself what you’re wanting from the move, this will help you find the right spot to base yourself- bali has so much to offer and each area has quite a different feel.
Also, start your clean out and packing sooner rather than later- the couple of weeks prior to moving to bali were so stressful- getting everything sorted and packed ready to come with one bag each is a huge undertaking especially with kids!!
If you plan to ride a scooter here get some lessons before you arrive and/or I’d highly recommend Canggu Scooter School- it helped so much with my confidence on the scooter! It’s hard to learn once you’re here! And- Read all of Simone’s notes!!!
Is there anything else about your Bali experience you’d love to share?
There is so much I’d love to share, I could go on and on. Learning and living within a different culture has so much to offer, I can literally feel new neural pathways opening up in my brain!
Embarking on a challenge feels so expansive and Bali seems to attract the people that need to come to Bali!
I would highly recommend it if you feel the call!
