The first wave came from over East, after that notorious virus shone a light on the benefits of living in the most isolated city in the world, on how good we had it here. People from outer state who would usually travel abroad had no choice but to explore their own backyard – quite a backyard too – and they stumbled upon all the best the West had to offer. Down-to-earth hardworking people, low house and rental prices, and a big chunk of pristine, vastly untouched nature, with a side of ocean sunsets to top it all off. 

This unusual phenomenon would originate that first ripple on our tranquil side of the island that would evolve into this tide that is now pushing us out of our own houses and washing us further away from our loved ones. Australia is a big place, and you would think that there is plenty of space for everyone. Still, the prices just keep on rising and rising and rising and rising as everyone looks out West to invest, buying us out cheap and drowning us in overpriced rents to support their thriving portfolios.

I could sense the rising tide edging closer, like a subtle dripping faucet when you are trying to sleep, but that never ends up draining overnight. Economy experts sounded the sirens when the water levels went up over 20% in a single year. I guess that when you are a parent with young ones who have yet to learn how to swim, keeping your head above water can be extra tricky. We are now at a point where that first innocuous little wave has become an outpouring that has changed the way we live forever, pushing us further and further inland to keep us safe from the drowning cost of living.

Every amount goes up, justified by wars mandated by tyrants from far, far away, but our wages remain mostly the same. Fragile egos and religions have been the cause of never-ending harm throughout the centuries, and with all the technological advances and human enlightenment of today, you would think we would have learned our lesson by now. Meanwhile, we are just to trying to find a place to lay our heads at night and put our kids through school.

 If you were lucky enough to be a boat owner when that ripple first started, you are now sitting pretty, renting a semi-capable vessel at a price more inflated than the vests around our necks, supposed to keep us from drowning. The century-old fable of the rich getting richer and the poor sinking further to the bottom carries on, as the whirlwind of survival spirals further out of control. But all waves must break somewhere at some point, and when this multi-billion-dollar ship crashes, we will all be on the same raft – perhaps some better equipped than others. I guess that like with everything else in life, it is just a matter of holding on and hoping for the tides to turn.