1 year in Tassie!

I hope I don't bore you with a rambling post!! I can't believe we have been here a year it has really flown by.

This time last year we left England in thick snow and arrived in Tassie to really hot weather.

We quickly settled into our 3 week rental and got to the job of arranging mobiles, cars, tax numbers etc etc....

We started looking at looking at long term rentals and found most estate agents very helpful and willing to go through the information with us. We did view several houses and settled on a lovley house in Blackman's Bay - 15 minutes south of Hobart.

Paul (carpenter) managed to get work after 3 days of looking. He visited several companies and sites and gave out plenty of resumes. He has now worked for the same company for alomst a year.

Kids settled into school really well. They were really nervous about going and had been really sad about leaving their old school but quickly adjusted to Aussie school life. It is more relaxed here and the kids are given more independance and a chance to think for themselves but I really like their school and think we were lucky getting them in there. Louise is of to High School next week and Billy is enjoying school for the first time ever.

Work for me didn't go quite as smoothly. In the UK I worked as a playschool assistant and over here I also wanted to continue working in school hours. I applied for lots and lots of jobs to no avail. It does seem that here you do need your foot in the door to get a school job. I started volunteering at the kids school and this led to occaisonal teachers aide work. Thankfully this paid of and after even more applications I got work as a playcentre leader and I am starting my teaching degree in a couple of weeks.

We have visited North and East Tassie and are really enjoying seeing the island and the sights. Hope to get over to the mainland soon to see some of the rest of Oz too.

We are really happy here and have all settled in our new life so well. Hopefully we'll be able to buy our own house in the next year of so. There have been moments when we have missed England and people but I think that's normal.

We have meet some PIO's and I think it is important that when you move half way accross the world you do make the effort to speak to people. I have found the mum's at school to be really friendly.

Australia isn't Utopia, you still have to go to work, pay the bills etc....... but we are enjoying it and hope to stay. Forever is a long way of and who knows what the future holds but we are glad and thankful we got the oppurtunity to get a visa to Australia.

Here's to another great year in Tassie.

Emma

:v_SPIN:

Congratulations on your first year!!!

What a wonderful post Emma, it sounds like you have settled really well.

It's a lovely area and you must feel very proud at what you have acheived.

Hi Emma what a lovely post, so happy you have settled well & are enjoying life in Taz, hopefully we'll get out there this year for our reccie & will find it just as nice as you have!

Great post Emma & Paul, lovely to see you are enjoying yourselves over here. Susie

Thank you everyone.

Welcome back Susie, are you back in Tas for good now?

Good luck on the reccie Rouge.

Emma

:laugh:

Thank you everyone.

 

Welcome back Susie, are you back in Tas for good now?

 

Good luck on the reccie Rouge.

 

Emma

:laugh:

 

 

 

Great post Emma & Paul. We were in Tassie for Xmas this year and loved it too. There were times when I thought we'd moved to the wrong state. Salamanca Markets and Rectango were times that sprang to mind. We have Aussie mates who live in Hobart/Geeveston and we gate-crashed their Xmas. Our good mates in Perth (same family) have decided to move over to Hobart after this holiday. I'd be very tempted to join them but we are so settled in Perth it would just be more hassle for the kids and I think they've been through enough already. I did find it very cold when we were there though and would really miss the Perth weather, yes even the 42degree days like today.

Our friends are looking at settling aroung the Kingston/Huonville area and the other family members own "Gone AWOL", the coffee shop on Barrack St around the corner from the Collegiate School.

My wife, Emma, would move tomorrow, but she likes the whole 5 acres and a Goat thing. I like the pool/beach thing.

Long may you continue to enjoy the move.

Paul (Yes, and Emma! My cousin, Emma, is also married to a Paul - good combo)

Hi Emma

Thanks for your post, by coincidence we are looking at moving to Tassie in particular to Blackmans Bay; wondered what you thought of the area and schools. What are the facilities like? Shops, gyms etc. Lifestyle? Wht are rental prices like. Not sure if my other half has already PM'd you so apologies if doubling up. How long does it take realistically to get to Hobart central and the aquatic centre. How near is supermarket. We are currently in Victoria

Cheers and kind regards

Fiona

Blackmans Bay is a few minutes drive from Kingston where you have supermarkets, shops, the High School, doctors, dentists and the sports centre. It takes about 20 minutes to drive to central Hobart and the aquatic centre. Hobart and the surrounds has most things you want.

Lifestyle is great here - we like it. Things are very relaxed. It took us some time getting used to running on Tassie time.

State primary schools for Blackmans Bay are Illawarra Primary - very strict on catchment area and Blackmans Bay primary. You also have the church schools.

For rental prices you are best to look at realestate.com as rentals move very quickly.

I hope this helps.

Emma

Thanks Emma.

I'm posting thanks because for some strange reason, your post hasn't got a thanks button on it, despite me seeing that others have thanked you?

kev

I hope I don't bore you with a rambling post!! I can't believe we have been here a year it has really flown by.

 

This time last year we left England in thick snow and arrived in Tassie to really hot weather.

 

We quickly settled into our 3 week rental and got to the job of arranging mobiles, cars, tax numbers etc etc....

 

We started looking at looking at long term rentals and found most estate agents very helpful and willing to go through the information with us. We did view several houses and settled on a lovley house in Blackman's Bay - 15 minutes south of Hobart.

 

Paul (carpenter) managed to get work after 3 days of looking. He visited several companies and sites and gave out plenty of resumes. He has now worked for the same company for alomst a year.

 

Kids settled into school really well. They were really nervous about going and had been really sad about leaving their old school but quickly adjusted to Aussie school life. It is more relaxed here and the kids are given more independance and a chance to think for themselves but I really like their school and think we were lucky getting them in there. Louise is of to High School next week and Billy is enjoying school for the first time ever.

 

Work for me didn't go quite as smoothly. In the UK I worked as a playschool assistant and over here I also wanted to continue working in school hours. I applied for lots and lots of jobs to no avail. It does seem that here you do need your foot in the door to get a school job. I started volunteering at the kids school and this led to occaisonal teachers aide work. Thankfully this paid of and after even more applications I got work as a playcentre leader and I am starting my teaching degree in a couple of weeks.

 

We have visited North and East Tassie and are really enjoying seeing the island and the sights. Hope to get over to the mainland soon to see some of the rest of Oz too.

 

We are really happy here and have all settled in our new life so well. Hopefully we'll be able to buy our own house in the next year of so. There have been moments when we have missed England and people but I think that's normal.

 

We have meet some PIO's and I think it is important that when you move half way accross the world you do make the effort to speak to people. I have found the mum's at school to be really friendly.

 

Australia isn't Utopia, you still have to go to work, pay the bills etc....... but we are enjoying it and hope to stay. Forever is a long way of and who knows what the future holds but we are glad and thankful we got the oppurtunity to get a visa to Australia.

 

Here's to another great year in Tassie.

 

Emma

:v_SPIN:

What an inspiring post.

Your positive attitude no doubt made you Winners with the locals.

One area that seems to be a great source of employment in South Australia is Aged care in people's home. In Holdfast Bay Council area in South Australia (beach suburb) there are a huge number of older people. And where the elderly person is able to get a Home Care package from the Federal government or even better is able to get an EACH package (Extended Aged Care at home) from the government you will find many jobs available caring for really lovely older people, still living in their own homes, often with willing and caring family members also assisting. But they also need help when the family member is not there. The work is not hard. But you do need to be organised, and have done a specific training course in Aged Care at the TAFE college. Not too difficult. And you need a police check. Also not too difficult. The work is rewarding and the elderly people are lovely. Lots of the carers are from UK so it suits kind nice people with good communication skills. Means you may have to drive the elderly person to the Doctor, or take them for a drive, down to the esplanade cafe for a coffee, maybe assist some home tasks. Each visit is for 30 minutes or an hour. Some longer visits, for instance if accompanying the person to the supermarket for their weekly shopping. Or for times when there are more things to do. At the end of each visit you write up what was done. Nice work, good people to deal with. Good ongoing training too once you are employed. And you learn a lot. Much better as employment option in the aged person's family home, than in a Nursing home. Do not even consider work in a nursing home as they are not good - too much expected of too many and it is rush rush and you end up having to ignore all you were trained to notice as essential.

Care at home is much more civilised.

Aged people living at home, with caring family helping too, seem to have a much better quality of life and are happier. You get lovely welcomes every time you arrive for your visit.

Thanks Emma; sounds great to me; we have children aged 10(hannah), 8 Adam and a 3 year old so schools and quality pre-school are very important to us so any reccomendations welcome. Tasmania is sounding more and more appealing; we used to live in NZ and prior to that UK. Tassie being relaxed sounds like NZ.

Cheers

Fiona

I have to say that in the Blackmans Bay area you are really lucky as both primary schools are good and the local childcare is also good. Blackmans Bay Primary school has the Blackmans Bay childcare service and there are also ABC childcare centres to.

Emma

I hope I don't bore you with a rambling post!! I can't believe we have been here a year it has really flown by.

 

This time last year we left England in thick snow and arrived in Tassie to really hot weather.

 

We quickly settled into our 3 week rental and got to the job of arranging mobiles, cars, tax numbers etc etc....

 

We started looking at looking at long term rentals and found most estate agents very helpful and willing to go through the information with us. We did view several houses and settled on a lovley house in Blackman's Bay - 15 minutes south of Hobart.

 

Paul (carpenter) managed to get work after 3 days of looking. He visited several companies and sites and gave out plenty of resumes. He has now worked for the same company for alomst a year.

 

Kids settled into school really well. They were really nervous about going and had been really sad about leaving their old school but quickly adjusted to Aussie school life. It is more relaxed here and the kids are given more independance and a chance to think for themselves but I really like their school and think we were lucky getting them in there. Louise is of to High School next week and Billy is enjoying school for the first time ever.

 

Work for me didn't go quite as smoothly. In the UK I worked as a playschool assistant and over here I also wanted to continue working in school hours. I applied for lots and lots of jobs to no avail. It does seem that here you do need your foot in the door to get a school job. I started volunteering at the kids school and this led to occaisonal teachers aide work. Thankfully this paid of and after even more applications I got work as a playcentre leader and I am starting my teaching degree in a couple of weeks.

 

We have visited North and East Tassie and are really enjoying seeing the island and the sights. Hope to get over to the mainland soon to see some of the rest of Oz too.

 

We are really happy here and have all settled in our new life so well. Hopefully we'll be able to buy our own house in the next year of so. There have been moments when we have missed England and people but I think that's normal.

 

We have meet some PIO's and I think it is important that when you move half way accross the world you do make the effort to speak to people. I have found the mum's at school to be really friendly.

 

Australia isn't Utopia, you still have to go to work, pay the bills etc....... but we are enjoying it and hope to stay. Forever is a long way of and who knows what the future holds but we are glad and thankful we got the oppurtunity to get a visa to Australia.

 

Here's to another great year in Tassie.

 

Emma

:v_SPIN:

Hi Em

Does Paul work for Hinman Wright by any chance? I remember speaking to a fellow Pom called Paul who worked for HW. Just wondering if Tassie is as small as they say!!

Mark

[quote=em&paul;

State primary schools for Blackmans Bay are Illawarra Primary - very strict on catchment area and Blackmans Bay primary. You also have the church schools.

There is also Tarremah, which is a Steiner school at Huntingfield, just next to Blackmans Bay.

It now encompasses Prep to year 10.

Hi em&paul (and anyone else reading)

I loved this post!! It's made me even more eager to get there!

We're in the system at the moment waiting for the 176 visa, and after having visited Kingston and Blackmans Bay back in Feb we thought straight away that we could settle in either of these places.

While we were there I developed a abcess on my tooth so had to stop in the area for quite a few days, so used it as a base when out exploring.

Do you know of Nicks hobby shop in Sorell? We bought a bit of fishing tackle there one day and got talking to the owners (Barry and Trisha) who were the most lovely, welcoming people you would ever wish to meet. They also introduced us to another lovely (english) couple who own a florist's in Kingston ( Sallyann and Colin ) who we keep in contact with.

Your little post has refreshed my memory of what a great time we had there, and just reminded me that we can't wait to get back!!

ClaireandMark - although Tassie is small it's not the same Paul.

crispysince70 - everyone is so friendly here and many paople will chat with you for ages. I recently met a lady who works in the Horse shop who had lived where I grew up in England. There are lots of families here who still have strong ties to England and they quickly pick up on the accent. I know Colin and Sally and they are very helpful. Hope the visa arrives soon and you don't have to wait much longer.

Emma :v_SPIN: