Do you love Tasmania ??? - Page 5

The Cutches · 11-06-2008, 09:24 AM

Hiya Herbster, congrats on getting to Tassie safe and sound and being so organised!

I can't imagine how fab (and tiring!) it must be when you finally arrive. Hope you get your water tank prob sorted soon, take care and keep us posted on all things Tassie!

CC
x

ps what type of car did you go for? we still can't decide what we want.

Herbster · 11-06-2008, 09:59 AM

Howz it Goin'?

We were really hoping that our container would have arrived in Hobart by now, as it was due in on Monday... but called GRACE today, & they say another week or so... Bit disappointed as we are paying rent and are sooo tired of living out of the suitcases.... But eternally grateful to our friend's generosity & hospitality.

As we know the original ship is back in the English Channel already, we were all excited thinking perhaps our stuff was being inspected already!!! But No! Apparently the ship's all go to Singapore to be off-loaded & depending on typhoons, tempests and shipping schedules as to how long before your shipment hits the decks of a Tassie-bound vessel.... Then it winds it merry way to Burnie... Where it hops the train south to Hobart - which has derailed twice in the past week - to, if all goes well & the Container Gods are on our side - arrives at Crown's quarantine inspection facility where at some point in time our shipment will be inspected... So patience is a virtue, if not an absolute necessity!!

As for the water, being that our yard-tape is somewhere on the high seas, we improvised using string & a handy stone from the garden, we measured the water in the tank... It must have provided endless entertainment & local musing, trying to figure out what that chap was doing on top of his water tank with string & a camera! Pommie Freaks!!!

But we figure there's about 1' of water in an 8' tank that seems to have a circumference of 20 arm lengths! 60'??? While my brain fries trying to figure that out, we found a water cartage man on the hill opposite & for $85 will get 2000 gallons of water delivered (hopefully) into our tank...

The phone should be on, Monday... We actually had a shower over night, but otherwise continues to be very dry. Considering the time of year is comparable to December, it gets dark around 5pm, & today was fab, about 17 degrees, although the wind came in very strong after lunch - & NO we hadn't been eating beanz!!

Byee for now!

em&paul · 15-06-2008, 08:17 PM

Hiya,

Glad you've made it safe and sound and hopefully you now have water.

Weather sounds lovely as the forcast for here tomorrow is 15 degrees!!!!

Hope your container arrives soon. I can't decide whether to ship everything or just those important sentimental bits and bobs and buy when we get there.

Keep us posted on how things are going.

Did you have jobs waiting for you when you got there??

Emma

Herbster · 16-06-2008, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by em&paul

Hiya, Glad you've made it safe and sound and hopefully you now have water...Hope your container arrives soon. I can't decide whether to ship everything or just those important sentimental bits and bobs and buy when we get there....Keep us posted on how things are going...Did you have jobs waiting for you when you got there??Emma...

G'Day Emma:
Yes, we have water, 2K gals:$80=£40, father thought that expensive, I've never paid for water on a meter, etc., so wouldn't know, but we are going to be XTRA careful, as that doesn't sound like much water to me. The phone went on this morning, I think it could be more than you're currently paying, so we got a package with the mobile via Telstra, but we are considering the wireless that's available where we'll be, as folks are saying it could be cheaper... Gorgeous sunny day, started out with a hard frost, & in the valley's coming up to Sandfly, there was still frost in the bottom at lunch time... Considering we are coming up to the shortest day, certainly can't complain about winter weather -- yet!

I'm thinking of doing a piece about the whole moving experience, as we wish we'd bought more, (office desk, bike, electiricals, crooks, pots/pans, utility items, bookcases... bone china... although they must be well packed!) stuff seems a lot more expensive & as it's a small island, you might not get the variety or options that you are used to. Just bare in mind that people at the beginning of the application process need to consider this carefully, as Customs will tax you on purchases under 12months... So if you are thinking of replacing old bits now's the time to do it. Also, antiques & old furniture needs to be carefully scrutinized for the dreaded wood worm, deathwatch beetle.... etc.!! It can be treated, but you ought to do it ahead of time to be sure it's ok & keep all associated paper work... Even so if the officer on duty when your's is checked has a hangover then he might see wood worm where there is none!!! Course, it would be good if the container arrived when they said it would... Have no clue where it is...

Cheers,

em&paul · 17-06-2008, 03:03 PM

Hiya,

Definatly think you should write about your moving experiences.

Still can't decide what to do about shipping. Had a quote for sending whole house and one just for our personal bits.

Glad you have your phone and water.

Emma

Colin R · 17-06-2008, 11:51 PM

We arrived in Tassie July 06 and brought everything from the UK we had a 40 ft High cube container. It was packed to the roof and my advice to you would be to bring everything if it dosent fit in your new home over here then you would get a better price for selling 2nd hand here than you would in UK . If you have a container then it is silly not to fill it. As for buying new things in the UK . We did but took them out of the boxes and packed them as if they had been used. Bedding I think is expensive over here and it is good to get stocked up with that.
We had all our items packed by the shippers and only had a couple of breakages. the Antiques which did not have any problems with were fine too. we had to have no certificates and they went through the customs and quarentine no problems .The chain saw had to have a certifiate to say that it had been cleaned. the only problem was with 2 crates that was used to pack 2 items as the shippers used new wood and it had not been treated . the crates had to be fumigated at a cost of $250 . this was paid back to us by the shippers. The container took 10 weeks to get to Tassie. There is no guarentee by shippers as to the exact date the container will arrive in Tassie and certainly no guarentee as to when it will be released unfortunately we had 2 motorbikes in the container and this held it up because Customs couldnt work the duty out. I could not see the point in having the container not filling it and giving stuff away in the UK only to have to go out and buy it when we got here.
Tasmania and Australia iare not a cheap places to live we didnt move over here for that reason BUT it is a great place to live and you have to take the rough with the smooth. Sure some things seem expensive but not because we keep converting back to UK but because they are expensive in regard to $AUS . We stopped converting back after we had been here a couple of weeks. it dosent help at all . We live in Tasmania and we are now Tasmanian and to that we think Tasmanian. I used to come over to here to see my aunt over many years she gave me advice 2 pieces of which were When you move out here bring everything and I mean everything she moved in 1964 and didnt she regretted it all those years. 2 nd piece was I used to say to here its so cheap over here compered to the UK.( this was when the $ was 2.45 to the pound!!!!! )She said when you get here dont convert back all the time to the UK . It isnt England and youll soon learn. I did and have. But I wouldnt live anywhere else
Sally

tracy123 · 18-06-2008, 12:27 AM

Tasmania: Population: 40,000. Surnames: 12

Tasmania needs you

Herbster · 18-06-2008, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin R

We arrived in Tassie July 06 and brought everything from the UK we had a 40 ft High cube container. It was packed to the roof and my advice to you would be to bring everything if it dosent fit in your new home over here then you would get a better price for selling 2nd hand here than you would in UK . If you have a container then it is silly not to fill it. As for buying new things in the UK . We did but took them out of the boxes and packed them as if they had been used. Bedding I think is expensive over here and it is good to get stocked up with that.
We had all our items packed by the shippers and only had a couple of breakages. the Antiques which did not have any problems with were fine too. we had to have no certificates and they went through the customs and quarentine no problems .The chain saw had to have a certifiate to say that it had been cleaned. the only problem was with 2 crates that was used to pack 2 items as the shippers used new wood and it had not been treated . the crates had to be fumigated at a cost of $250 . this was paid back to us by the shippers. The container took 10 weeks to get to Tassie. There is no guarentee by shippers as to the exact date the container will arrive in Tassie and certainly no guarentee as to when it will be released unfortunately we had 2 motorbikes in the container and this held it up because Customs couldnt work the duty out. I could not see the point in having the container not filling it and giving stuff away in the UK only to have to go out and buy it when we got here.
Tasmania and Australia iare not a cheap places to live we didnt move over here for that reason BUT it is a great place to live and you have to take the rough with the smooth. Sure some things seem expensive but not because we keep converting back to UK but because they are expensive in regard to $AUS . We stopped converting back after we had been here a couple of weeks. it dosent help at all . We live in Tasmania and we are now Tasmanian and to that we think Tasmanian. I used to come over to here to see my aunt over many years she gave me advice 2 pieces of which were When you move out here bring everything and I mean everything she moved in 1964 and didnt she regretted it all those years. 2 nd piece was I used to say to here its so cheap over here compered to the UK.( this was when the $ was 2.45 to the pound!!!!! )She said when you get here dont convert back all the time to the UK . It isnt England and youll soon learn. I did and have. But I wouldnt live anywhere else
Sally

Sally's right as usual, Emma, on all counts! She's also a STAR, but don't tell her I said so! It is amazing what is sold 2nd hand here & the prices they expect to get!!! The fact you need to bear in mind with your own container, is that everything in it is YOURS, it'll be sealed before your eyes & you'll sign for that & it won't be opened again till it reaches the quarantine station. Our packers boxed-up special things like our bears inside larger pieces of furniture, where we believe they will be safe & protected from the worst of the journey - knowing what sensitive dispositions some of our beary friends have! We did pack up personal items, inventoried them which the shippers checked & packed them inside their boxes.
For our 20' container - 2-bed cottage, with some gardening bits & a push bike, cost us a bargain £4000 for the packing & shipping with a further £1K for marine insurance, + $300 to Hobart customs/quarantine inspection... We now expect our shipment to land in Tassie on Friday & fingers crossed that everything will be fine, we went over everything with a fine tooth comb, so would be quite disappointed if there were problems... But you never can tell! I would also allow longer than they project for the shipping, as I understand it gets de-shipped in Singapore & then put onto another vessel for Oz, where it can make several stops before arriving in Bell Bay... So again, mucho patience & factor that into your long term plans... Do you spend the Waiting Time in UK doing all the things you've put off doing, visiting rellies, etc., etc., or here...????
I will get round to putting it all down logically... One day...

Hope this all helps,

Colin R · 18-06-2008, 06:43 AM

Strange as it may seem population 496,000 at the last count , and to be honest I am glad that there is only 12 surnames !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!at least the people over here are friendly, ,too trusting sometimes for there own good . They have a warmth about them that you could only wish for in UK . and above all its my home and I can only thank god ( and I am not religious ) that we managed to get here to live finally. I really dont care what people say about Tassie I only hope that the people who make fun of it dont ever come to live here because I for one moved away from the UK to get away from people like that.
Sally

tracy123 · 18-06-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin R

Strange as it may seem population 496,000 at the last count , and to be honest I am glad that there is only 12 surnames !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!at least the people over here are friendly, ,too trusting sometimes for there own good . They have a warmth about them that you could only wish for in UK . and above all its my home and I can only thank god ( and I am not religious ) that we managed to get here to live finally. I really dont care what people say about Tassie I only hope that the people who make fun of it dont ever come to live here because I for one moved away from the UK to get away from people like that.
Sally

Hi Sally

Lived in Tasmania for 2 years in Waratah!!!
Being Victorian I have every right to slate Tasmania, Sydney, Queensland, Perth, South Australia, N.T and The ACT all I want! Thats my right as an Australian.....
You will need to thicken up that skin of yours! because wether you like it or not Tassie is at the butt end of most Australian jokes Told by Australians, or are you going to tell Every Australian that tells a Tasmanian joke (funny or not) that they cant take the p1ss out of their own country???
On the other side i have recommended Tasmania to alot of people it is very under rated as a place to live. It's just a bit quiet

Geoffrey