If you’re new to this website, hello! I’m Renée, a dual national originally from the Sunshine Coast, Australia but currently living long term in The Hague, The Netherlands.
I began this website while I was still living in Australia, and back then, initially often wrote about Dutch things happening there.
Since 2012 though, my home base has been here in The Netherlands, so you may notice many of the recent articles are written about life here.
Even after being away for so long, maintaining my “Australian side” is still really important to me, so I’m making a conscious effort to write more articles about Australia on this website this year.
I also try to keep connected with Australia while living in the Netherlands in these ways:
ABC News
This is my main source of news from Australia. I only really check it around once a week though and even then, it’s a quick scan. It does make me feel sad to be so far away and not familiar any more with most of the news items. Still, it keeps me connected to AU on some level:
FaceTime with Family in Australia
I speak with my parents at least once a week on FaceTime, and my brothers as well when we can. Here in The Netherlands I use WhatsApp more regularly, but my family in Australia don’t really use it. Instead, they mostly use Apple FaceTime. With the decent internet in both countries, these seem to be good quality connections. I love how quick, easy and affordable it is to have long conversations whenever we want to – unlike the astronomical phone bills that used to accompany international telephone calls in the past.
Friends and Family on Facebook
Its been over 10 years now since I lived in Australia, but in that whole time, I’ve enjoyed seeing regular updates on my Facebook feed from AU. I have a large circle of friends and family that I am not in direct contact with regularly, but I really enjoy seeing what they are up to via Facebook. I get reminders via photos from friends and family in AU that the first day of school there is January (here it’s August). I love seeing posts about things like “book week” which I celebrated as a child, but aren’t really a thing here in NL. Overall, as I still have so many online connections in AU, it feels like I get a daily check in with life there whenever I open the app.
Dutch News coverage of Australia
It’s not common to see Australia featured on the news here in NL but it happens from time to time – generally when it’s extreme weather, or something specific with sport. I don’t follow the Dutch News too regularly anyway, I find it a bit overwhelming and often depressing. It is nice to see that NL acknowledges Australia in the media sometimes.
Australian Embassy in The Hague
I’m fortunate that my home base in The Hague is in the same city as the Australian Embassy! They host annual events such as the ANZAC Day ceremony, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity to be able to be part of that here in NL.
ABIE & ANZC
The Australian Business in Europe and Australian & NZ Club are both great ways to connect with other Australians in NL. I can keep up to date with news and information of what’s going on back in AU, as well as just mix and mingle with other Aussies. Both hold regular events in NL.
Australian friends in the Netherlands
I do have a handful of lovely Aussie friends here in NL. Though we have mostly lived here long term, we all find it important to maintain our Aussie identity. It’s nice to just hang out here sometimes and have that common cultural base.
Visiting Australia
I try to physically be in Australia as often as I can! It’s extremely expensive, and I’m limited by school/work holidays..but excited that this year and next, I have trips planned.
Always an Aussie at heart
Despite all of the above, I still often feel deeply homesick for Australia and sometimes feel I’m losing my Australian identity. It’s also difficult for me in many ways to raise my dual national children for the bulk of their life here in NL and try to maintain this Australian side for all of us.
For those who wonder why I do not return to live in AU, I currently co-parent my children with their Dutch father, so am not able to leave. I am curious if my children will choose to live in AU in the future when they are old enough to decide – and if so then there’s a very high chance I will too.
However, meanwhile, it is a good life here in The Hague in many ways, and I’m grateful to hold dual nationality. Through the above, and simply by being born in Brisbane and living a large part of my life there in QLD, I feel I will always be an Aussie at heart!
Dutch Australian community
For more than 10 years now, I’ve worked on this website and building the Dutch Australian community on Facebook. It’s a fabulous source of connection to both countries for me, and now thousands of others.
I know via the discussions in this community that there are so many people living between the two countries in their lifetime. Do you live in AU or NL? How do you maintain your connections to the other country?
Please comment below, or join the discussion here:
Dutch Australian 
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