What's Tasmania really like?

[otsmith1]

After a long search to find the perfect place to settle, we're now seriously considering Tasmania.

 

For those poms already there, how would you compare Hobart to a place in the UK?

 

Is it the size of a city like Manchester, Cardiff or Liverpool? Bigger than that or more of a large town? I can't figure out just what size of place it really is.

 

Re the jobs market, how did you guys get on and are the salaries lower than mainland Oz?

 

Weather? I know it's not like some of the real hot spots in Oz, but is it still a step up from the UK?

 

Thanks in advance :-)

[Skani]

I'm half a Pom born in Australia so I'll leave some of the questions to those who have migrated.

 

Tasmania has the same area as Ireland and a population of 500,000.

(I think Ireland, north and south, has about 5 million).

The capital city (Hobart) has a population of about 200,000.

To me it has the feel of a large country town with the facilities of a city.

The second largest city (Launceston) has a population about half that.

It is the most regionalised state of Australia - about a third of the population lives in country areas.

 

I think Hobart has about two thirds the pop of Cardiff.

However, one of our posters on here, crispysince70, has recently arrived from Wales so can give you a better comparison.

 

Yes, salaries are generally lower than the mainland. House prices are lower, supermarket food tends to be a bit more expensive, but Tasmania is a prime agricultural area and if you buy local and in season you can definitely get cheap fruit and vegies. There are famers' markets here where you can buy direct from the grower or producer - including meat producers. And fish direct from fishermen.

Petrol is a bit more expensive than the mainland - they always give the reason as the extra cost of shipping it here. On the other hand most Tasmanians live closer to their employment than mainlanders so the average kms driven is probably less.

 

Because it is a mountainous region with a coastline temperatures can vary tremendously - there are lots of microclimates here. However the areas where most people live are definitely warmer than the UK.

For example, for Hobart the mean maximum varies from 11.7 in July to 21.7 in January and the mean minimum from 4.6 in July to 12.0 in February.

The highest max ever recorded in Hobart was 40.8 and the lowest min -2.6.

Those are long term averages and the last few years have been a bit warmer.

You can look here for more detail:

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=94029

 

You can find similar information for any place in Australia.

 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

Vivien

[Skani]

Forgot to say that Hobart also has the lowest median weekly rent of all the capital cities - $320 per week, compared to Darwin (the highest) at $550 and Sydney ($480).

[crispysince70]

Hi,

 

I'm finding it really difficult to compare Hobart to anywhere that I've been in the Uk. If it was in the Uk you would probably say it was a large town rather than a city.

 

We've had no problem whatsoever fitting in here, the people are so freindly and welcoming, I havn't had any negativity other than gentle ribbing about being an immigrant.

 

I found work very quickly, though my oh stuggled for about 6wks. Luckily we'd prepared for this, money wise, so it wasn't too much of a stress.

 

Tasmania is such a wonderfull place, and still relitively undiscovered by most. The weathers definatley more than a step up from the Uk. When people say it's cold here, they're generally comparing it to other places in Aus, which is fair enough, but it is not cold by Uk standards at all. For example i think that the Tassie winter was more like Autumn in the Uk, with sunny warm days and cold nights.

 

As far as wages go, I think that the wages are less than the mainland, but then so are the living costs, so they cancel each other out in most occupations. Another thing to consider is the traffic or rather the lack of it. A traffic jam in the centre of Hobart means an extra couple of minutes waiting, it really is that laughable.

 

I kinow we've only been here for about 7 months now, but this really is where we're happy to live. I've loved it from the moment we got here, and still have to pinch myself every now and again to belive we're really here.

 

Chris x

[CarlosG]

I moved over from York about 16 months ago. I now live and work in Launceston. In that time I have travelled around Tassie fairly extensively - I try to get away every other weekend.

 

Personally, I would agree with Skani's comment that Hobart has the feel of a large UK town or a small city. I think the same thing about Launceston too actually. It's a good way to describe the 'feel' of the place.

 

As for the weather...

 

Midwinter solstice here is almost identical to Bonfire Night in the UK. That is in terms of both daylight hours and temperatures. Just think how much the weather in the UK plummets through November, December and January. I personally found winter here to be a fairly pleasant time of year. I walk to work, and I think I put my coat on about three times last winter. I found a jumper generally adequate. Temperatures aren't everything though, I think the thing I liked the most was that I could go to and from work in the daylight, even at midwinter. None of that going to and from work in the dark nonsense.

 

Spring and Autumn here is similar to a UK summer, although much sunnier.

 

Summer is much better than a UK summer -- think the south of France or northern Spain. The last couple of weeks here have been hovering around 28-30°C, which I find to be plenty hot enough for me. In fact I have had trouble sleeping on a night because I'm finding it too warm. Now, if I'd ended up moving to Perth, I would now be experiencing temperatures this week hovering around 40°C.

 

There's a lot to like about Tasmania IMHO.

[otsmith1]

Thanks for these replies, your two opinions mirror our gut feeling that Tasmania could be the place for us :-)

 

One nagging doubt is that perhaps there aren't enough opportunities for the kids when they grow up and they take off for the mainland or further afield for Uni/work etc. What are your views on this? Does this happen a lot?

 

We've a while to worry about this yet (eldest being only 9) but it is a slight worry.

 

We want them to travel and explore of course but it would be nice if they felt Tasmania had enough opportunities to want to return to.

 

Anybody with old children in Tasmania have any experience of this?

[crispysince70]

This one I can only reply with what clients I speak to at work tell me. The general thing seems to be that if your kids have careers that are more speacilised, they tend to move to the mainland as the their simply isn't the diversity in jobs over here to cater for them. If their career is something more mainstream, they tend to stick around. ( alot tell me they've never even left Australia in their whole lives ).

 

The good news is though, that the general trend is to move back again, when they start having families of their own, as this really is a fantastic place to bring a young family up.

 

Chris x

[otsmith1]

This one I can only reply with what clients I speak to at work tell me. The general thing seems to be that if your kids have careers that are more speacilised, they tend to move to the mainland as the their simply isn't the diversity in jobs over here to cater for them. If their career is something more mainstream, they tend to stick around. ( alot tell me they've never even left Australia in their whole lives ).

 

The good news is though, that the general trend is to move back again, when they start having families of their own, as this really is a fantastic place to bring a young family up.

 

Chris x

 

Thanks for that, it was just what we were hoping for :-)

 

You want your kids to see the world, maybe spend some significant time away, but when they eventually get the age they want to have families of their own it would be great if they wanted to come back. Hopefully Tasmania will provide that.

[Skani]

Yes, it does happen a lot - and if I were the Dictator of Tasmania I would make it compulsory! :wink:

I think it is of great personal benefit to see and work in other places for a while. If they don't it is impossible for them to understand and appreciate what is so special about this place. And it gives them a much less parochial view than, for example, a young person from Sydney who has never lived outside Sydney.

 

I think it is only natural that young people from any island community want to move "from the edge" to wherever they think "the action" is. I did it when I left university and so many others I knew did the same.

But I came back when I was 32 and it is true that so many (most) return when they are of an age to settle down and have children. The same with my daughter. She lived in Queensland for some years as her architect husband had to go there for work after first graduating. But she became very homesick and they returned, they both have employment here (she is a teacher) and both their young boys were born here.

 

I think one of the advantages of being a young person here is that, when you scratch beneath the surface, there are so many activities here for them which are very accessible if they want to get involved. So they can try lots of things without too much cost or taxiing time for the parents!

[CarlosG]

Again, I agree with Skani, I know a fair few people who were born here, moved away to other states, and then returned to Tasmania later. It does seem to be quite common.

 

I don't have kids, but I would imagine it would be a very good place to raise a family. Personally, I would have loved to have grown up somewhere like Tassie.

 

I know you mentioned Hobart in your opening post, but have you also considered Launceston? I'm not going to claim that one city is better than the other. It's just worth considering too if it isn't on your radar. In fact Devonport and Burnie are worth considering, but I suppose it all depends on work and what you do.

[Guest kalamingo]

It really depends on your personality and what your looking for to be honest.

 

In my case, I got sick of Hobart after 5 months. Weather was windy all the time and colder than the other Australian states, which didnt suite me.

 

Houses/apartments there are generally older and lack the quality that I look for in a home, compared to my rental apartment in Melbourne.

 

Although market vendors are plenty on the weekend, they arent necessarily cheaper than my local Safeway or markets in Melbourne. From my point of view, there was nothing better in Tasmania than in Melbourne, unless of course you enjoy the more laid-back, quiet, country kinda life. I highly suggest you take a trip down to Tasmania. Stay for a week a minimum, and see for yourself. If your making such a commitment to move here from the UK, it is worth it. If you dont think it's worth the cost to do that, then think about the cost involved if you change your mind later on and want to move back or move to other states.

[CarlosG]

Okay, I understand.

 

It's been 31°C here in Launceston today.

[runslikeafish]

Only just seen this thread, a couple of thoughts:

 

• Summer is MILES better here (I'm in Hobart) than the UK (I come from Cornwall)
  
• Hobart feels like a perfect city to me - it has everything I could want in a city but doesn't have a "big city" feel.
  
• There are A LOT of very good and affordable houses around. Of course there are also some poor ones but you can easily find a great house that's affordable.
  
• There are some industries (Marine/Antarctic/Climate science being one off the top of my head) where Tasmania is a major force on the world stage. I think there are over 1,000 marine scientists employed in and around Hobart. I could be wrong on the number but there are certainly an awful lot (at least several hundred).
  
• Employment prospects in my opinion are similar to how they were in Cornwall in my industry (IT). For my wife (health) it sometimes seems like people are queueing up to offer her a job.
  
• You really can have the best of all worlds here, if you drive 10 mins (or 5 in certain directions!) out of the city you are pretty much in wilderness. If you drive 30-40 mins out of the city you can literally be in complete wilderness and the road will soon run out.
  
• That said, there is a good "commuter belt" (for want of a better expression) around Hobart so it's not at all isolated - wilderness is there if you want it but there is plenty of "civilisation".
  
• The people in general (I know it's a generalisation) are very friendly and helpful. We have experienced more "comment worthy" friendliness/helpfulness since we've been here than we have ever had before.
  
• Financially we are significantly better off at the end of the month than we were - and I am in a more junior job than I was in the UK. The mainland will undoubtedly pay better salaries in most industries but the salary/cost of living balance here is pretty good!
  

As you can probably tell, we love it here - I can't recommend it highly enough. I would strongly recommend a "recce" trip here to see for yourself though as recommended above. Aside from helping you decide it also has less obvious benefits like helping to visualise what you're aiming for when you're filling out a huge immigration form in cold, wet UK.

[Guest guest57545]

I love Tassie but my GF is from there so I am biased!

 

Think there is a lack of "action" for people in their 20's and 30's in general - thats why we dont live there but the attractions are obvious:

 

- Cheap housing in relation to wages = better living standard

- NO traffic what-so-ever EVER!

- Friendly people

- Peace and quiet

- Unspoilt

 

 

people often bagout tassie weather but fact is whilst we have been drowning in Sydney for the last month in constant rain tassie has had some lovely weather! think winter feels cold compared UK however since houses are not as warm (maybe just the places i've stayed in)

[Skani]

people often bagout tassie weather but fact is whilst we have been drowning in Sydney for the last month in constant rain tassie has had some lovely weather! think winter feels cold compared UK however since houses are not as warm (maybe just the places i've stayed in)

 

We had friends arrive from Sydney on a beautiful day just before Christmas. They said it was the first bit of summer they'd seen. :wink:

Houses traditionally haven't been as well insulated as UK ones. That is improving though with new builds and retrofitting of existing houses.

[starlight7]

Hobart is a lovely city. It is not big and is really a unique place, very pretty. Lots of lovely eateries and cheap real estate. Quick to get out into the bush. Not sure if you would want to live there long term, though because Tasmania is small and tends to miss out on things a bit. Nearest is perhaps some of the New Zealand cities I think, perhaps Auckland. We lived over in Tassie for a while and enjoyed it thoroughly though I was glad to return to Melbourne in the end. Have to say I don't really like Launceston, a bit dead for me though nice to visit as a tourist.

[Skani]

Not sure if you would want to live there long term, though because Tasmania is small and tends to miss out on things a bit.

 

Missing out on some things can be a positive advantage!:biggrin:

Direct flights to Melbourne and Sydney are now much cheaper than in the old days, so big city life is only an hour away if needed. In fact some people live here and commute to one or the other for their working week.

[runslikeafish]

Missing out on some things can be a positive advantage!:biggrin:

Direct flights to Melbourne and Sydney are now much cheaper than in the old days, so big city life is only an hour away if needed. In fact some people live here and commute to one or the other for their working week.

 

Completely agree. To put it in UK terms, if you live in London and couldn't contemplate living in Cornwall say because "nothing ever happens" you won't like Tassie. If you live in Cornwall and couldn't contemplate London because it's dirty/cowded etc then Tassie will be more for you.

 

That's an over-simplification but broadly true.

 

For me though, Hobart has more than enough going on to keep me happy.

[Guest Vzdrul Sharikoff]

Hi to all of you.

My wife and me are arriving in Australia at the end of April. We have 2 variants: Tasmania and Townsville (Queensland). Which city would you recommend us: Hobart or Launceston? We are not interested in any lifestyle. We want to have a wise standard of living. Where is the possibility to get a job higher? For now we incline to Hobart as, its climate is more suitable for us, no snakes and spiders, a little bit cheaper. What ideas could you give us? And, sure, advice:biggrin: What about football (soccer), job market, apartments availability etc?

 

P.S. If anyone of you was in Townsville what could you tell about this town? This forum contains not so much information about it. Unfortunately, we are limited in time about the town to go to as we want to buy tickets in 3 weeks, so any ideas will be very much appreciated.

[Skani]

The job market will depend a lot on what sort of work you are looking for.

Hobart has about twice the population of Launceston so, all things being equal, your chances are probably greater in Hobart.

Sorry to have to tell you that there are snakes and spiders around Hobart. If you live close to the city your chances of seeing a snake are very small but many of the suburbs extend into bushland so if you live there your chances are higher. However they try to avoid people - they don't come looking for you!:biggrin:

 

Soccer is not the major sport here as it is in Europe, however there are soccer teams in both Hobart and Launceston.

For property to rent have a look at the Tasmanian section here - it will give you an idea of what is available and the price being asked.

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent

 

I don't know anything about Townsville but I know there have been threads about it on the Queensland forum. Here is one:

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/queensland/120678-townsville.html

[Guest Vzdrul Sharikoff]

Hi Skani.

Thanks a lot for your feedback. What about water restrictions in Hobart?

I am engaged in financial sector with the assessed diploma by ICAA. Could you please describe the job market more in detail? Besides, my wife is pregnant and we are going to have a baby in the first days of September, so I will be the only person to make money.

I am fond of football very much and would like to have a football session once a week. Do you happen to know how much it costs?

Thanks beforehand. :wub:

[Skani]

Hi Skani.

Thanks a lot for your feedback. What about water restrictions in Hobart?

I am engaged in financial sector with the assessed diploma by ICAA. Could you please describe the job market more in detail? Besides, my wife is pregnant and we are going to have a baby in the first days of September, so I will be the only person to make money.

I am fond of football very much and would like to have a football session once a week. Do you happen to know how much it costs?

Thanks beforehand. :wub:

 

Water restrictions - we don't have any!:wubclub:

 

Sometimes in past years there may have been a month or two in summer when watering of gardens was restricted to certain hours of the day but we haven't had that situation for at least the last three summers. We certainly have had nothing like the water problems on the mainland of Australia.

 

The job market is uncertain at the moment because the Tasmanian state government departments have very tight budgets and the government sector here is quite large and therefore affects everything else, even if only in confidence. Also people are very uncertain about the Eurozone crisis and, as everything globally is connected these days, they are unsure how it will impact here. However our latest PomsInOz migrant to Tasmania - "runslikeafish" - managed to obtain employment (he is in IT) within about 6 weeks of arriving. (His wife obtained employment before they arrived and he has said people have since been queuing up to offer her jobs as well, but she is in the health sector).

 

The Institute of Public Accountants has a Tasmanian division and there is an email contact on their website, below.

They could give you a better idea of what the financial sector is like.

 

http://www.publicaccountants.org.au/contact-us/tasmania

 

I don't know how much it costs to play football (often called Soccer here) but this is the website for the Tasmanian organisation

and the second page has an email contact for Player Registration so they will be able to give you all the details.

(Although Australian Rules Football is the predominant football code in Tasmania, "soccer" is VERY strong in the schools: some primary schools have up to 18 teams each playing in weekly competitions).

 

http://www.footballfedtas.com.au/

http://www.footballfedtas.com.au/About%20Us/office.html

 

All the best with all your planning and keep the questions coming if you have them.

 

Vivien

Hobart

[runslikeafish]

A good way to get an idea of the Tassie job market is to regularly look at the employment websites:

http://www.careerone.com.au/

http://www.jobs.tas.gov.au/

http://www.seek.com.au/?cid=sk:main:au:tab:jobs

 

...will start you off. I would also recommend contacting an employment agent before arriving or as soon after arriving as you can. Employment agents are a lot easier to "get in front of" than employers themselves and once they know that you are serious about wanting a job and have good skills etc they can start looking for jobs for you.

 

As far as football is concerned, there certainly is a lot of interest here but I don't know of any local teams as I don't play myself. What I can say though is that there is LOADS of local sport around so I would be absolultely stunned if there weren't a few teams around.

[rogero]

Yes its a magic part of the world and so many opportunities ,we are moving back from qld to tas soon and i cant wait ,we left to go back to england then to tas ,then the kids left home and we followed to qld, now the laugh is one is in n.z ones going to thailand to live, two will remain on mainland oz but right up north ! and then another one has got the block next to ours in tas so he will be there with the grandkids ,as he says best place in oz to raise kids no doubt .

[Skani]

As far as football is concerned, there certainly is a lot of interest here but I don't know of any local teams as I don't play myself. What I can say though is that there is LOADS of local sport around so I would be absolultely stunned if there weren't a few teams around.

 

There are at least 16 soccer football clubs around the Hobart area with about 13 different divisions in the Senior League (including 3 for women).

It has been strong ever since the post war European immigration when they founded teams based on nationality. It is now encouraged in schools because it is less likely to produce physical injuries than Australian Rules football.