Marcel(48)

After twenty-five years as an electrician in North Holland I was done. Not with the trade, but with the environment — the same route every day, same clients, same weather. My wife and I had no children and asked ourselves: if not now, when? Australia appealed for the adventure. But not Sydney or Melbourne — we wanted the real outback.

The TRA assessment for electricians was similar to plumbers: have certificates assessed, a practical assessment and an Australian licence exam. The difference is that as an electrician in Australia you need a state-specific licence. In Northern Territory that's the NT Electrical Worker Licence, requiring an additional exam. Total costs: AUD 3,200.

Alice Springs is the geographic heart of Australia — exactly in the center of the continent. A town of 25,000 people, surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges and red desert. My employer is a company maintaining electrical infrastructure in Aboriginal remote communities — villages of 50-500 people, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the nearest town.

The work is unique and challenging. You install solar panels on school buildings, repair generators in 45-degree heat, and solve power problems in housing built for a different climate. Infrastructure is often outdated and conditions primitive. But the impact you make is directly visible — when the lights come back on in a school, you know why you do this.

The salary compensates for the isolation: AUD 120,000 per year base, plus remote area allowance of AUD 15,000 and free housing when I'm on-site. My wife works as an admin at Alice Springs Hospital. Together we earn more than we could ever dream of in Alkmaar, at a fraction of the cost of living.

Alice Springs is raw, honest and not for everyone. Summers are merciless — 45 degrees is no exception. The flies drive you crazy. But the starry skies, the Aboriginal culture, Uluru at sunset, the community of people who consciously chose the outback — all of that makes it special. We're here for the long term.