{"id":63857,"date":"2026-08-03T04:09:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T04:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/63857\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T04:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T04:09:18","slug":"family-give-up-aussie-rat-race-and-move-15000km-to-tiny-village-more-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/63857\/","title":{"rendered":"Family give up Aussie ‘rat race’ and move 15,000km to tiny village: ‘More freedom’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A mum has detailed her family’s bold move overseas,<\/a> having ditched the Aussie “rat race”<\/a> for a calmer life.<\/p>\n

Zoe Kefalianos, 36, told\u00a0Yahoo News\u00a0she and her husband grew tired of “constantly chasing our tails”<\/a> while trying to raise five kids in Darwin, where they were all “born and bred”.<\/p>\n

So in 2024, they sold their house and moved<\/a> 15,036 kilometres away to the tiny Greek island Kalymnos with a population of just 18,000.<\/p>\n

“Living on a small island<\/a> gives our children, aged 9, 8, 4, and 2, the opportunity to have more freedom and feel a sense of safety,” Zoe told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

“In Australia, they always had a schedule we had to keep up with.<\/p>\n

“On the island, we live in a tiny village with about 400 people. Our days are slow here,” she added.<\/p>\n

“Many called us crazy for giving it all up to pursue a more wholesome way of life.”<\/p>\n

Do you have a cost-of-living story? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Right:<\/p>\n

Zoe and her family moved to the tiny island two years ago seeking a calmer life away from chaos.<\/p>\n

(Zoe Kefalianos\/zoe_unapologetically)Family has no plans to return to Australia<\/p>\n

Now, after spending two years living the island life,<\/a> the family have no plans to return to Australia.<\/p>\n

“We know everyone in our village, and the community here is so beautiful,” Zoe said<\/p>\n

“We often have people calling by to drop off fresh fruit or something they’ve cooked just because they thought of us one.”<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/p>\n

While Zoe admits being away from family in Australia is hard, her father-in-law now lives with them in Kalymnos.<\/p>\n

“It’s great because we have someone here to help with the five kids when needed. It’s also great for the kids to have one of their grandparents around,” she added.<\/p>\n

\"Pothia,<\/p>\n

The island of Kalymnos has a populatrion of 18,000.<\/p>\n

(Zoe Kefalianos\/zoe_unapologetically)Growing number of Australians moving overseas<\/p>\n

The Kefalianos family joins the growing number of families leaving Australia behind. Cost of living<\/a>, housing affordability<\/a> and lifestyle factors are among the most common reasons for the change.<\/p>\n

Last month, Queenslanders Peter and Chantal Jones<\/a> declared the classic ‘Australian Dream’ dead<\/a>, and revealed thier plans to move thier kids to Malaysia.<\/p>\n

Locally, hordes of Aussies are swapping city life and moving to rural<\/a> or regional areas. Like Zoe, they’re hoping for a more relaxed life.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Zoe<\/p>\n

The family has no plans to return to Australia.<\/p>\n

(Zoe Kefalianos\/zoe_unapologetically)<\/p>\n

For the mum of five, her biggest concern was that her kids would “lose thier [Greek] culture”.<\/p>\n

“We wanted to reconnect our children to their roots, culture and faith, which is something people lose in Australia,” she said.<\/p>\n

Kalymnos is also “full of history” and the kids “love forming new connections with the local children”.<\/p>\n

Zoe has been sharing her experience online in hopes of encouraging others to make the move. It was the best decision they ever made.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n