Ahh... the lifestyle of the northern coast. Moving here at 22, it took me around 2 years to leave NZ behind and feel I could fully integrate with this cruisy sea side town.
An old successful Italian restaurateur of the area once said to me "To do well here, you must socialise 75% of your awake time, and work for only 25%" He was an amazing old guy. I saw him walk into an abandoned shack on Nossa's main beach with no money. 6 months later it was, and still is, one of Noosa's most famous restaurants.
However, I don't see his formula as a guarantee to making money, it's simply to allow you to avoid the frustration of seeing others having so much fun while you're still slaving away
For most southern migrants, successful adaptation seems to hinge on remaining partial to, and ready for, the regular and spontaneous social interludes which are always occurring.
Affordable living beside some of the best beaches in the world. Not to mention the scantly clad, happy holiday makers who inhabit them 12 months of the year; who could wish for a better backdrop? %)
Oh, and perhaps not always such a bonus; you also get to discover relatives you didn't know you had, friends you'd given up for dead, and even the odd old neighbor you haven't set on eyes on since high school. One year I counted 3 weeks in 52 when the spare room was free
On the idea of venturing north;
I'm free after the 21st of Feb for anyone who's up for it. With a dessi driver we could perhaps do a crawl up the coast, maybe including LeaderOfThePack's bar