An innocent, leisurely drive in the country to escape the Monday to Friday hustle and bustle of Canberra, has resulted in a tree change, a new home and a new business for couple Adam Dwight and Meg Thomas.
The former public servants from Canberra had never been to the Cowra Shire and after a few visits to Woodstock, they can't believe they never made the transition sooner!
"The handover was two months ago on May 7," said Adam Dwight, the new owner/ operator.
"We weren't looking to buy a business, we were simply driving around taking in country air and discussing the merits of purchasing a home in a rural setting," Adam said.
"Downsizing was our main priority and it was fortuitous that we ended up coming back to Woodstock and the post office," he said.
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"After numerous visits to the village, meeting the locals at the Woodstock Hotel sealed the deal for us - they are amazing, active, tight-knit and it is an incredibly vibrant community."
While the take over of the post office may have been incidental, the desire to move for a quiet, rural life wasn't and the couple are loving it.
"There's always something to do whether it be house renovations or whatever out here when running a business but we love the ease of everyday living here and could never move back to the city now we know what it's like," Adam said.
"We still go to Canberra on occasion to see family because it is only a bit over two hours away, but all we can think about when we are there is coming back home to Woodstock."
Adam, who has previously lived in the Central West in Parkes and Bathurst as a child is no stranger to this industry having helped his father run a newsagent during his youth, neither is wife Meg, whose great grandfather was the postmaster at Merriwa from the 1930s to the 1950s. In some regards, they both feel like they have come the full circle.
"Changing fluorescent corporate lighting for regional living is something I recommend to anyone," Adam said.
"Jumping into these things at least once in life is a great experience. It is the best decision we have made in a long time," he said.
Despite the initial anxiety, a life with less clutter, slower pace and where "everyone knows your name" has made Adam and Meg feel right at home.
"Even our whippets Freddy and Saga have enjoyed the move - they love it here."
Woodstock Post Office is now open 9am-1pm and from 4pm-5:30pm and carries basic grocery items and has EFT available. Local Teena Gillespie remains on the staff and rural mail services will continue as normal.
