Strick

Hello Violethaze, I'm still in Hobart and having a good time. Socially, things are going great and I've met a lot of nice people. I think one week I went to two barbecues, one birthday party and a dinner party. I spent Christmas in Launceston and then went on the Overland Track for 6 days, which is why I've been a bit quiet. I'm still not working, but didn't really expect to be. It's very slow in the public sector at this time of the yet and the police checks here take almost as long as London at 6 weeks. I think I will stay in Tasmania. Still not a big fan of the weather. Today is 33 degrees but so windy my hat blew away 3 times in the street and I had to risk life and limb in the street retrieving it. There's something about the windy weather that doesn't sit well with me and makes me feel strangely anxious. I'm told you get used to it. However, Tasmania is very beautiful and I can easily understand why those in employment here have a nice lifestyle and often live better than those on the mainland in terms of price of real estate, lower rents and those indefinable things like proximity to the city centre and great views.

Esperance is a beautiful name and it has beautiful beaches but, if I remember correctly, it's one of those places that you drive through and then have to turn and around and go back because you can't believe that was it!

When I sat down and added up the cost of all my IKEA furniture in London, I was surprised how cheap it was - certainly less than $5,000. In the end I got the double luggage allowance from Singapore Airlines and had done with it. Make sure you get something in writing re: the luggage allowance. I had a stopover in Singapore and this appeared to compromise my allowance somehow. I had to fight not to pay excess baggage to Sydney, they gave in eventually, but not before they threatened to call security for my use of "fruity language"! Not done in Singapore. I am a single person so that makes a big difference but, to be frank, I've had enough hassle moving around my 50 kilos, let alone an emormous shipping container! For me, it makes sense to travel light and maintain maximum flexibility.

Be absolutely sure you have your UK Policy number - you can bring your no claims bonus to OZ no problems at all. Just this week I took out car insurance with NAB (which uses Allianz). I got fully comp with roadside assistance for $440. Without my UK bonus it was gonna be $1,600!!!

I think Jonny English was specifically asking the question in relation to citizenship. I know there are many examples on the forum of people who have jumped state almost immediately and not had any come back in their efforts to seek employment. My feeling is that failing to fulfil the criteria of state sponsorship would not effect your chances of obtaining citizenship in any way but, I too, would like to hear it straight from the horses mouth as it were. My understanding is that there is a push to get more permanent residents to take up citizenship as it solidifies their relationship with the country. They certainly make it much easier (and cheaper) to take out citizenship than the million hoops you have to hump through to get PR. I don't think withholding it from hard working people wanting to make a commitment to Australia is on the agenda. Yet again, citizenship is a federal matter and the states have little to do with it. I think it would be a relatively simple matter to enforce the criteria of the state sponsored visas, but I don't think it's really in the Federal Government's interests to do so. I think market forces are at play here and, ultimately, it wants the migrants to go where the jobs are and start paying taxes. They have little interest in having people sitting around unemployed or under-employed in remote parts of the country just because, say, Victoria is concerned that there aren't enough podiatrists in East Gippsland, or whatever..... Having said that, I agree there is a moral commitment to the state that sponsores you as you wouldn't be in Australia at all if it hadn't and you should give that state your best shot. However, if after 6 months you still find yourself picking fruit with the backpackers in Kununnuara, it wouldn't make much sense to turn down a well paid job in Melbourne.

The citizenship angle is a good point... My understanding is that tax file numbers are national rather than state issued, much as NI numbers are in the UK. Therefore you can take your number and work where you like. I've also heard there's some stuff written in the Australian Constitution about freedom of movement for citizens and permanent residents that sits badly with the notion of having to remain within one state for a period of time.

Yes, I have looked at the sites you mentioned and I'm looking at at car from Gumtree tomorrow. I would really like a van/campervan but if I get a job that involves driving all over the place am I gonna feel like a tool forever turning up in a camper? I might go for a Ford Falcon/Holden Commodore/Toyota Camry station wagon that I can camp out in if need be. I am reluctant to commit to a long contract on a room in Hobart right now in case I have to bite the bullet and head out fruit picking just to make ends meet. Have you got jobs lined up? Give me a shout when you get to Tasmania and we'll go out for a drink. The trick is to know where the Happy Hours are. This lunch time I almost spent $16 (£10) on a bottle of craft beer but managed to wriggle out of it at the last moment and made my excuses and left.

At least the weather has picked up now - it was quite a shock earlier in the week, especially after 5 weeks on the mainland. Last night I went to an Open Evening at the Tasmania Police Academy in Rokeby and saw first hand how much dryer and brighter it was in that part of town compared to the South Hobart area. The trouble with my line of work is that applications take ages to process with all the police checks and policies and procedures that need to be followed. It's the same in the UK. In my London council, if we gave someone a job tomorrow, we would be unlikely to see them turn up for their first day at work for another three months or so. I really need a job now and have started to feel that I'm haemorrhaging cash. I might have to go fruit picking and fight it out with the backpackers. I wouldn't mind getting my hands dirty.

Chris, I'm interested in getting into Fishing and those Flatheads are delicious. When your less busy with family stuff would you consider showing me the ropes? I walked passed your Barbers the other night (closed) and I'll definitely look you up.

runslikeafish, thanks for your advice. I have now submitted quite a few applications for 'proper jobs'. Your blog is a tremendous resource for potential migrants to Australia and I have read all your entries (not many recently though, probably a good sign!) Particularly helpful on coffee recommendations, though I would have to add: Villino and Ecru on Criterion Street, OOmph! on Liverpool St and Doctor Coffee on Salamanca.

Thanks Tuosist, I will definitely put an application in for one of these posts. I have arranged a meeting with the resettlement people for next Monday. These are the same guys who manage the skilled migration sponsorship, so I might get to the bottom of why they haven't handed out any new state sponsored visas since August!

Thanks Chris! I might just take you up on the discount offer. The last haircut I had was from a bloke up near Victoria Markets in Melbourne who didn't speak any English and his clippers were none too sharp either! Cheap, but not the best I've ever had. Yes, I didn't expect to be rugged up in a T-Shirt, wind-shirt and a fleece during the Australian summer and still feel the chill. I walked across the bridge tonight at 8:00PM and did well not to be blown over the side. Tell me it's not normally this cold in December? My phone is saying me that it feels like 3.5 degrees outside right now, with the wind chill factor, which is an improvement on the 1.5 degrees it was telling me earlier...... At present, my feelings towards Hobart are changing just as frequently as the weather, but we'll see how it goes.

I don't even know what pre-skillselect is so I presume I must have got in before it was introduced. To be frank, I was amazed that Tassie sponsored me I the first place. I think I was off-list. The sponsorship came through so fast, within hours, that it actually arrived before I sent it off on account of the fact that I got on a plane to San Francisco just after I did the form!!:err: I waffled lyrically a lot about what a great place Tasmania was and it seemed to do the trick. I did not attempt to find a job before I arrive as I wouldn't mind having a crack at something different. I also wanted to travel for a month or so on the mainland and visit the Snowies and the mountainous areas of NSW. I am sure your application will be successful. I hope you remembered to add a good dollop of good old-fashioned BS? - it seemed to do the trick for me! I appreciate the comments about the relative flatness of the NSW/VIC econonies, however the fact that those cities are nearly 20 times bigger than Hobart has got to count for something!

Thanks for the link. It does seem there are quite a bit of work available in the disability support area in Tasmmania. I'm in the library on Murray St right now buffing my CV! I must say the 15 degree weather is coming as quite a shock after 5 weeks on the mainland, not sure I'm enjoying the constant "off and onning" of layers thing. I went out this morning into bright sunshine, but it was somehow raining at the same time. What's that all that about? It does seem a little perverse that I have passed through Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne where the economy is going great guns to here, where things are a lot flatter. But Tassie was the only state that sponsored me so I'm gonna give it my best shot. It's lucky that I'm a bush walker and and outdoors nut, or otherwise the temptation to stay in Melbourne would have been overwhelming. I have arrived in Tasmania at the beginning of summer: the best time. I'm gonna give it at least three months and see where I am around March time. If things have not picked up then I'll probably do the old moonlight flit thing across the water, but I intend to give Tasmania a chance.

I received my permanent residency back in January, on a Tassie state sponsored visa, and it's taken me all this time to finally arrive in town. I've been on a mini-tour of Oz, taking in the areas I'd not been on my previous visits, notably, the national parks around Sydney and Koszikusko and the Snowy Mountains. I have just spent 6 nights in Melbourne trying to desperately put off the boring stuff, like finding a job, a house, a life but in the end it couldn't wait any longer and I jumped on the 'Spirit of Tasmania' on Saturday night. Now I'm not sure what hit me.... I suppose Hobart is similar to what I imagined. It's certainly a contrast after Melbourne, a city I love and had a hard time dragging myself away from. At first glance the centre reminded me a lot of Exeter or a big Falmouth, which was disconcerting as I lived in the West Country for 17 years and if that was what I was after I'd have just moved back West from London, not to the other side of the world. Things improved - but not the weather - when I walked up to the Cascade Brewery via Sandy Bay. The views were great and I liked the colourful, old weather board houses that reminded me a little of a mini-San Francisco. I also liked the roaring forest that grew right up to the Brewery. I love forests. In fact, they were in the main reason I moved to Tasmania. I have emigrated as a single person and, although I do have a bit of money from selling my flat in London, I have decided to strip it all back to basics and rent a room in a shared house for a while. I'm 43, but can still live like a student if required. It helps that I'm really immature... It also gives me great flexibility as to where to live. I couldn't help noticing up at the Brewery today that the suburbs on the other side of the river seemed to retain the evening sun a lot longer than that particular area. Is that normal and just the shadow of the mountain? I'm rambling and a little lost, but any additional advice would be gratefully received. Not just where to live, I'm also looking for a job in disability services or welfare work, but I'm willing to try my hand at anything. I need the money. I feel I'm hemmoraging cash. I'm m also in the market for an old Toyota Hiace or similar, with a view to making a camper. Thanks in advance, Rick