And why not retire early? Good idea! 

So 54 / 57 years old we were self-funded retirees. 

We enjoyed looking after the ever growing family, went on many more trips overseas, often going bush. The long held dream moving to the country became a reality in a limited sort of way. We did not like city life but also did not want be too far away from the children. A large house edging on to bushland in the Blue Mountains was the ideal solution. After a few bushfire too close for comfort and being almost a decade older we moved to a smaller cottage in Katoomba. The big garden there was a welcome challenge after next to no gardening in a bushland setting. And we still did lots of extended bush walks.

Returning to Sydney after the 3 years in PNG many things had changed. We had sold our nice home in Narrabeen and had bought an old house in Neutral Bay close to the city as rental property. Not finding easily a suitable place for our family we moved in. Years of alteration and renovations followed. Hart worked as teacher again and I in the administration of a teachers college. Our children moved out soon after finishing school and the two of us enjoyed then the easy life as a couple. We went often overseas to visit our families in Berlin and travelled to many interesting places. After the Berlin Wall dividing East and West had fallen  our relatives visited us too. And we went on many most beautiful bush trip. Best our family grew. Soon we had grandchildren bringen lots of joy into our lives.

Life was good.

 

Then a great opportunity came: a position as lecturer for Hart in a Teachers College in Papua New Guinea.  So we moved for 3 years, 1972 -74, to Goroka in the Highlands. It was an exiting time full of challenges and rewards. Being there when a once underdeveloped colony was to become independent self-governing country within a few years was extraordinary.

Working with young enthusiastic students and living among villagers still with lots of very old traditions was an amazing experience.

  

On the day six years after we left Berlin we got the keys for our first own place. After all that hard work and strict saving we had the deposit for a place of our own. A 3-bedroom cottage with a big garden in Narrabeen, a northern beach suburb of Sydney was now our home. Also Hartmut had finished his studies. We felt now save, belonging and were very happy.  

  

Before being 2 years in Australia the Cold War was at it’s height and the Berlin Wall was put up. Any idea of going back to Berlin was impossible.

On our first holiday we went to Sydney. There Hartmut was offered a scholarship for a one year Teachers College course to become a teacher. So we moved to Sydney. We found a very nice place to rent in Balgowlah near Manly.

And being a teacher was a long and rewarding career for Hartmut. 

In 1962 our daughter Kristina was born and in 1965 our daughter Cati. We were a happy family.    

  

We arrived in Melbourne in April 1960. 

After a few weeks in the migration camp Bonegilla Hartmut found a job in Melbourne at the Government Tourist Bureau. That was the best offer with his 4 year university geography studies. Lucky he could speak English very well. I could not. So outdoor machinist was ok for me. We found a place to rent above a closed-down shop in North Brighton. We worked hard and saved every penny. Soon we could buy a car. We were very happy and proud about that.

Bonegilla

     VicTour 

   213A Bay St North Brighton

                                           1961 Family photo!

 To start something new somewhere else was the decision we made. We always wanted to try living  in another country. We had inquired about immigration conditions for America, Canada, Australia. I preferred Australia: so far away and sunny. Then suddenly it all happened so fast. 

March 1960 we were on the Castle Felice on the way to Australia. We enjoyed the 5 weeks journey.

No worries. Big hopes.

  

 

Soon We had a little family. In 1957 our daughter Ulrike was born and 2 years later our son Thomas. We were very happy and proud. But studying and living off a scholarship became hard and harder. Hartmut did more casual work and less studying. Big decisions for big changes had to be made.

 

In 1956 we decided to get married.

Our wedding day, the 8 September, was so lovely and happy.The church service in the over 750 year old church in Berlin-Weissensee was beautiful. All of our families and 3 friends came together, a party of 21 celebrated our special day in my mother's small flat. Things then, 11 years after the World War 2, were much more modest but not less fun and joy.

.

I

In the first year together in Berlin we spent lots of time walking along streets still with ruins around, and wandering in parks, always talking about the future. And we went often on long outings with our bikes