We quit Australia and moved to Bali with our four children. Life has never been better, cheaper or more rewarding – and we’re ignoring the trolls

A Queensland couple have discovered the secret to the ‘perfect life’ after selling their belongings in Australia and moving to Bali for the ultimate family adventure.

Under pressure from demanding jobs and rising costs, Chad, 40, and Mia Dickson, 38, moved their family to Sanur, 20 minutes southeast of Bali airport, last Christmas after spending a month there in August.

The Dicksons had taken an extended holiday for Chad’s 40th birthday before falling in love with the idea of ​​living in Bali for ‘real’ with their three sons, aged 18, 13 and nine, and their seven-year-old daughter.

They document their journey as expats on social media, where they have a growing audience of followers inspired by their island lifestyle.

But they also have their fair share of critics who warn it’s only a matter of time before they end up back in Australia or asking for help on GoFundMe if something goes wrong.

The family’s remarkable story began after their trip to Bali for Chad’s birthday.

When they returned, they were halfway through a tour of Australia in a caravan when they decided to turn around and move to the Indonesian island for good.

“We didn’t want to go home,” Mia told FEMAIL.

“We came home and sold the car and caravan,” she added. ‘The children were already homeschooled and we worked online, so we didn’t have to arrange much else.’

By selling their house on wheels, they had a nice ‘bank egg’ to start their life in Bali. This in turn helped them secure a long-term lease.

“You have to pay a year’s rent upfront, and that can be anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 for a three-bedroom villa in this area,” Mia said.

They also had to pay for their visas – two of the most expensive parts of their move.

The Dicksons, who have a two-year visa, are six months into their stay and are unsure whether they will go home or not.

“We don’t want to put an end date on it, we don’t miss anything from Australia,” she said.

“We miss family, but most of them have already visited.”

The couple said living in Bali had given them the best work, life and school balance they could wish for.

“We really get to know our kids,” Mia said. “We are so lucky to be able to interact with them every day.”

Homeschooling is flexible and as long as they get the work done, they can skip or put it on hold if necessary.

“We just did a mini tour around Bali for a week, so we didn’t do any school work,” Mia said.

“And this week we’re going to have bigger days so we can have time off when my parents are there. We’re going to Kuala Lumpur later this week and doing the same thing.’

Most weeks the children and their parents have to go to school and work for two or three days and ‘hang out’ the rest.

“We also do a lot of other things, like dance lessons, which we could never do before in our small town,” Mia said.

Mia also learns to make jewelry together with her 18-year-old son.

The family said living in Bali was certainly possible on a budget, especially if you avoid imported goods.

“We really enjoy trying out the Indonesian version of all the groceries,” Mia said.

The couple spends about $200 a week on groceries and cooks at home most nights.

When they eat out, they can feed their family of six for $40.

“If we spend a hundred dollars, it’s a very fancy restaurant,” Mia said.

“We’re also sober, so that helps, when you go out you can spend a lot more.”

They also try to ‘live a local life’.

‘We remember that we are not here on holiday, but that we live here. We don’t have to see every waterfall in the first week,” Mia said.

Because they don’t drink and don’t crave ‘Australian food’, they can be extra frugal, even though they like to spend on necessities.

‘We drink good coffee every day, and it costs us $6 for two. Sometimes we have two a day,” Mia laughed.

The family has an Indonesian motorcycle license, so they can get around like the locals and don’t have to pay for drivers.

However, there are some big adjustments for the family.

‘It’s difficult to get things done or know who to turn to for that. For example, if you have an electrical or plumbing problem or need a handyman, the same man will come by. But we will find out these things,” Mia said.

In Indonesia, electricity is prepaid and vouchers are purchased at local convenience stores, similar to prepaid credit for a telephone.

They have also all had ‘Bali belly’, but say as long as you have Gastro-Stop and probiotics on hand ‘you will be fine’.

“The doctors come to your villa, take your blood, set up IVs, the full service, and it costs about $120,” Mia said.

“It’s so affordable and they really take care of you instead of seeing you for five minutes and charging you $180 for Medicare like in Australia.”

They have not yet had to use the dentist, but they are confident that everything will turn out fine. They say it’s just as clean and good as home, only cheaper.

The couple are extremely excited that their 18-year-old decided to go on an adventure with them, and want other families to know ‘how easy’ it is to live and work from Bali.

“We’ve never had a better lifestyle,” Chad said.

‘We love the freedom of time and space. And you could move here with nothing, as long as you can work online to make ends meet.

“You don’t need to make a nest egg – it was just our choice to do that so we didn’t have to worry about money – and I can choose the jobs I want to do.”

People who don’t have enough cash to pay a full year’s rent in advance can move from week to week or month to month.

‘It’s easy to do. and we don’t have to work nine to five and watch our children grow up,” they said.

The couple have sometimes been criticized for their decision to move to Bali – with some trolls claiming they will inevitably have to set up a GoFundMe at some point due to injury or illness.

The insults follow a spate of high-profile incidents where Australian tourists and expats have needed urgent help after coming into conflict abroad.

In 2023, kind-hearted Australians spent millions on GoFundMe campaigns set up in response to sudden deaths or to repatriate desperately ill people from far-flung places like Thailand, Bali and Taiwan.

When asked about the trolling, the family told FEMAIL: “We ignore that. We are well insured and have done everything we can to prevent that.’