Written by Samantha Edwards
– Country To Canberra Teen Blogger
“So, where are you from?”
As a boarder (at boarding school), this is probably the question I’m asked most. Once you’ve answered a question that many times, you develop a go-to response. Mine is pretty vague, because only people who live there know the geography of my area.
“Umm, in the South East. Lucindale?” At this, I’m often met with a blank look. So I broaden my boundaries. “Naracoorte? Kingston? Yeah, in that area.” If this still doesn’t ring a bell, I make it really broad: “Hmm, about an hour and a half from Mt Gambier…”
In reality, I don’t even live in Lucindale. But, let’s be honest, if people don’t know where Lucindale is, they sure won’t have heard of, or know anything about, Avenue Range.
It’s a town, I guess. We have 80km/h signs on the four roads into the town. Granted, the signs aren’t much more than 200 meters away from each other, and not many people actually slow down. There’s a fire shed, and a post office, currently housed in a shipping container, and open on weekdays, between 8:00 and 8:30am. We even have tennis courts, used every once in a while when people feel like a hit, and club rooms to go with them. The club rooms are used maybe twice a year, when the community meets for the annual pumpkin-growing competition, and again for the Christmas party and Christmas lights judging. There’s a beautiful old school building on a hill overlooking the town, if it wasn’t for the trees. We used to have a small general store too, but that didn’t last.
The town might be small, only five or six houses within the boundaries, but the community certainly isn’t lacking in numbers. We extend way beyond the borders of the town, welcoming anyone who wants to be involved. It’s a strong, supportive group of people, who really care about your wellbeing. When they ask after you and your family, they genuinely care about your answer. They’re people you look up to, people who get involved and make a difference.
It’s a great place to live, small or not.