Do you love Tasmania ???

[The Cutches]

Thanx everyone, so looking forward to TAS now, the dream is finally starting to feel real! Exchanged our ££'s to $$ today so glad that's done, tomorrow is paperwork, and clean jobs! Thursday is back to messy jobs,pickfords and the final items that we've sold being collected, Friday and Saturday, saying goodbyes and generally panicking then off on Sunday !!! Got cleaners booked for when we've left (I think one of our best decisions!)

Gave away loads of stuff yesterday, it was so funny, we had a big sign outside the house saying 'free stuff'. It was great, got rid of lots of left overs from cupboards etc. The kids from the surrounding streets looked like mini santa's with the bin bags I'd given them full up with toys, and bits n bobs, they couldn't believe they didn't have to pay, it was hilarious! Defo one of the highlights of the process

Right well, I'm signing off now and I'll get back in touch when we're in TAS, speak to you all soon, wooooooooooooohooooooooooo

CC
x

[Alan-Hobart]

There are plenty of good dentists in Hobart

[cityboy]

Hi thnks for the reply. Sally and Colin, I have just pm you.

Best wishes

Cityboy.

[deborah]

I was originally thinking of relocating to Adelaide but I would miss rain!!
I also don't like hot summers.
Tasmainia appears to fit the bill as we currently live in the peak district and we have awsome views. I like the fact of snow capped mountians too.
My only concern is jobs cos I can't seem to find many engineering and allied health jobs (maybe I am not looking in right place)
I have done all my research on Adelaide and now looks like i am having to start again.
Was granted my 175 visa last month and i have until May 20th 09 to validate.

[Colin R]

Gday Deborah.
Tassie is very much like the Peak and Lake District. We do have rain not too much though. The last bit of snow went off Mout Wellington about 3 days ago!
Try looking on Tasmanian government job web site. Health jobs are listed on this . As for engineering not too sure . Careerone job agency has loads of jobs on the site and usually they cover the ones that have been advertised in the Mercury Newspaper.
Hope this helps a bit
Sally

[Herbster]

Hi Debroah:

Welcome to PIO... I know where you're coming from we considered Adelaide first, then met peeps from there & decided against it! I think it would be too hot & dusty and rather depends on whether you're the Big City Type.
Derbyshire's lovely, although it's one of the few areas of UK I'm not familiar with, although my brother-in-law is from there & we only moved from Hadrian's Wall country in the Spring. But I would venture to guess it isn't too dissimilar, although there's not great expanses of Limestone, or the caves that go with it - although of course half of Tasmania is pretty well designated Wilderness, covered in forest (another dif) & as I've not seen it can't really vouch for what's there! Lots of guide books for that!

To me it's more like Wales than NZ - nowhere in OZ are you going to get soaring Alpine peaks like the Rockies or The Alps! But we have plenty of rugged country, rolling forests, amazing fresh air, clear skies, and pristine waters with snow-white sandy beaches... There's little light pollution and the place is generally beautifully clean, as you'd expect from a population of 1/2 million in a place the size of Eire...
Depending what branch of the medical prof you're in I can't believe you would not find a job around Hobart - I tried to find a dr 2 wks ago & they've all stopped taking patients, I eventually managed to find one - a delightful chap, from Derbyshire, the Peak Diistrict, & he seemed at home! And there's lots of smaller engineering-type businesses around, boat-builders large & small, In Cat, the X-Channel ferry people, my OH is specialist electronics engineer/tech but has diversified away from tra to Project admin, so there's plenty of opportunities for a smart guy! He is actually getting paid better than UK, but still below nat average - but then you have to put it against Life Style & what kind of life you want...

If you're committed to OZ, & clearly you are as you have your Visa's can I ask why you just don't bite the bullet, Take a Fortnight & Come on Down? We were going to come site unseen & it would have been a Big Mistake.... I know it cost us MONEY, but that's all part of the process & to be honest people were much more supportive once we'd been out & TRULY knew what we were getting ourselves into (on both sides of the pond!)- at least then you've validated your visa & if you are flexible enough, there's nothing to say you might not even find jobs then, or at least get to met some employers... We were able to set up our bank accounts, met people do the Whole Island Tour - all the major towns & villages, 2 coasts, etc. so when we moved over 10 wks later at the end of May, we knew precisely what we were doing & it was all so familiar... and if you are needing to get straight into work, that will mean a lot...
We are just buying our 1st ever home, which is so exciting, so even on a modest income that is achievable, and we have acreage, with hill & valley views, so away from this amazing Channel vista - but will be quiet, yet just 20 mins to OH's work & 35 mins from downtown Hobart - which is a delightful place... set along the water between Mt Wellington & the Derwent...
Feel free to pm me & I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you have - have you checked out my photos?
XxX

[em&paul]

Hi

Are your photos in the Photo Gallery as I had a look and can't see them?

Emma

[deborah]

Originally Posted by Herbster

Hi Debroah:

Welcome to PIO... I know where you're coming from we considered Adelaide first, then met peeps from there & decided against it! I think it would be too hot & dusty and rather depends on whether you're the Big City Type.
Derbyshire's lovely, although it's one of the few areas of UK I'm not familiar with, although my brother-in-law is from there & we only moved from Hadrian's Wall country in the Spring. But I would venture to guess it isn't too dissimilar, although there's not great expanses of Limestone, or the caves that go with it - although of course half of Tasmania is pretty well designated Wilderness, covered in forest (another dif) & as I've not seen it can't really vouch for what's there! Lots of guide books for that!

To me it's more like Wales than NZ - nowhere in OZ are you going to get soaring Alpine peaks like the Rockies or The Alps! But we have plenty of rugged country, rolling forests, amazing fresh air, clear skies, and pristine waters with snow-white sandy beaches... There's little light pollution and the place is generally beautifully clean, as you'd expect from a population of 1/2 million in a place the size of Eire...
Depending what branch of the medical prof you're in I can't believe you would not find a job around Hobart - I tried to find a dr 2 wks ago & they've all stopped taking patients, I eventually managed to find one - a delightful chap, from Derbyshire, the Peak Diistrict, & he seemed at home! And there's lots of smaller engineering-type businesses around, boat-builders large & small, In Cat, the X-Channel ferry people, my OH is specialist electronics engineer/tech but has diversified away from tra to Project admin, so there's plenty of opportunities for a smart guy! He is actually getting paid better than UK, but still below nat average - but then you have to put it against Life Style & what kind of life you want...

If you're committed to OZ, & clearly you are as you have your Visa's can I ask why you just don't bite the bullet, Take a Fortnight & Come on Down? We were going to come site unseen & it would have been a Big Mistake.... I know it cost us MONEY, but that's all part of the process & to be honest people were much more supportive once we'd been out & TRULY knew what we were getting ourselves into (on both sides of the pond!)- at least then you've validated your visa & if you are flexible enough, there's nothing to say you might not even find jobs then, or at least get to met some employers... We were able to set up our bank accounts, met people do the Whole Island Tour - all the major towns & villages, 2 coasts, etc. so when we moved over 10 wks later at the end of May, we knew precisely what we were doing & it was all so familiar... and if you are needing to get straight into work, that will mean a lot...
We are just buying our 1st ever home, which is so exciting, so even on a modest income that is achievable, and we have acreage, with hill & valley views, so away from this amazing Channel vista - but will be quiet, yet just 20 mins to OH's work & 35 mins from downtown Hobart - which is a delightful place... set along the water between Mt Wellington & the Derwent...
Feel free to pm me & I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you have - have you checked out my photos?
XxX

Thanks Herbster for the welcome. I normally frequent pomms in Adelaide.
My OH worked in Adelaideand thought I might like it because it isn't too big and they have hills!!
However I am not sure because of the lack of rain althoug i read that Hobart is the second driest place to Adelaide!!
We are coming to OZ in April defo for at least a year cos I have a career break (Occupational Therapist) and we can validate the visa, but I am not sure where yet.
Going to rent out the house.
The visa only took 4 months from e.lodging!!
Hope to make soom good friends on this site and get loads of advice which I am sure I will.

Debs

[Herbster]

Originally Posted by em&paul

Hi

Are your photos in the Photo Gallery as I had a look and can't see them?

Emma

Hi Emma:
Just click on my Herbster & go to my Profile page -there you will see my photo gallery... I'll try & upload some more today... Sun's out again, better look lively... This flu is a downer thu'!
Enjoy your day any info & I'll try & give you my version!

X

[Herbster]

No Worries Em: Yes, statistics don't tell the whole story, there's a lot of hype around the rain - mostly in the form that when it falls we're not all so good at catching & conserving, but when you look at the rainfall quantities, the city of Hobart gets around the same as the city of London, (I think it was about 24" which is hardly desert ie: less than 5"!) OK the SE UK has problems but again mostly because Big Population with little thought given how to conserve & collect the available rainfall.
It has been dry here the past couple summers, the Midlands have suffered, & there is lobbying to provide a decent irrigation system while at the same time selling the surplus to places like Victoria! Hmmmm??? When we moved into this property which does NOT have mains water - many rural properties fend for themselves - the water tank was all but empty, we put in 2000 gals @ $80 & haven't needed to replenish it again & is now pretty well topped out - that's how much rain we've had the last few months. Check out this link you can set up a daily alert & view all the weather stats your little heart desires!: Weatherzone weather@weatherzone.com.au
Our new rural property again has no mains water, but relies on a winter creek, a dam and water falling from the sky to meet its water requirements... Many peeps might be a bit flummoxed by this, but it's Good: We don't have to pay the council/water board to manage our supply, waste it & or fill it with chemicals, etc., if we don't want that. Here we've successfully managed our water supply by pumping water from our fire tanks into our house tank, when it's wet (no risk of fire) & we know the rain will quickly replenish the diminished stock. I do buy drinking water, although know many people drink their tank water & seem none the worse for it! I like the idea of saving as much of our water as possible to use as we wish - (I hate waste! & see rainwater running down the drain as wasteful!) I don't have to worry about hose pipe bans when I know I'll need to keep the property damp during high risk periods - because it's my water & I've saved it for just this purpose! You just don't leave taps running all round the place & appreciate the rain when it comes - free water!!
But of course, you can live in a town/suburb & have town water too, although many properties are wise to have tanks and conservancy practices in place... It protects your independence PLUS: Every little helps!
XxX