Guest siamsusie Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Hi everyone,I feel like an interloper ..I am a born and bred Tasmanian and I'd like to welcome you all to our wonderful little secret. I hope you enjoy your time here and meet some great Tasmanians. Deborah, I work at the RHH as an admin officer...you will probably have your contract extended after twelve months, it sometimes happens. I can't recall who was looking at Glenorchy as a place to live, being a Glenorchy girl (lived there when I was young) I wouldn't advise anyone knew to Tassie to live there as it has just heaps since I was young. The eastern shore (except Rokeby or Clarendon Vale, Gagebrook or Bridgewater) and the southern suburbs (kingston & Blackman's Bay) all have good reputations. Would also steer clear of Risdon Vale (in the shadow of the gaol) and Warrane although I have heard that is getting better. If you need to know anything just put a message on this site and I will attempt to answer your questions. I am a descendant of about seven convicts form England and two gaolers at Port Arthur so fascinated with England. Good luck to you all...by the way I still have the scar on my neck to prove where they removed the second head!!! lol Regards, Carolyn Hi Carolyn, welcome to PIO. Dont feel like an interloper, this site is for everyone:wubclub:. There are a few us here that are married to Tasmanians, (I love my husband's scar:wink:). Hope you enjoy this site as much as we do. Best wishes Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Lass Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Hiya Carolyn! Welcome to PIO; you are definitely not an interloper :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest max bloom Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hello again to everyone . . . my inlaws(who do not like to drive) have decided to come to Hobart to assist us with our home search and now we need a mini-van or a vehicle to accomodate 4 adults and two children. Our arrival date is 24 DEC and it seems all vehicles in that catagory are sold out. Any suggestions short renting a 2nd auto? Many regards! Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi Stephen, Hope someone can help you out but we visited Tasmania last January (flew in) and only managed to get a small campervan due to a late cancellation. We found that all campers and even minibuses were fully booked out from the end of november till the end of January. The advice we were initially given was to try and hire one on the mainland where they are more avavilable and catch the ferry over. Good luck. kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Lass Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Hi Stephen, Kev has given you the best advice here and I wish you luck in finding one with less than two weeks to go! :smile: The best advice I can give you for this time of year is to make sure you take the time to go to the Taste of Tasmania festival where you can try out the local food, wine and beer. It starts on the 28th of December: Taste Festival Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest max bloom Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Thanks so much for that info. We'll definately be there! I gave up on my attempt to rent a mini-van and reserved two vehicles instead. We'll be leaving for Sydney on the 18th and arriving in Hobart on the 24th. My wife will be travelling with her Blackberry so if anyone in the group would like to make contact during our stay in TAS (ending on the 5th of January) we would love to hear from you. Her email is: llehavi@archernorris.com. Thanks so much for the advice and links and I look forward to continuing the conversation. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deborah Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi Stephen,Kev has given you the best advice here and I wish you luck in finding one with less than two weeks to go! :smile: The best advice I can give you for this time of year is to make sure you take the time to go to the Taste of Tasmania festival where you can try out the local food, wine and beer. It starts on the 28th of December: Taste Festival and the Sydney to Hobart yatch race which starts on boxing day i think strange having christmas in sun although forecast is for 17c. I am eally jealous of the white christmas back home though. apparently there was snow on the mountain one christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deborah Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Thanks so much for your quick responses Emma & Susie. Two of the 10 properties I've been looking at are in Blackmans Bay so your input Emma will be received with much anticipation. My personal favorite places to live in TAS are a bit too remote with two little ones. My immediate objective is to purchase a home that I could easily rent for a year or two until I can comfortably make the big move. According to the stats homes around Hobart or within close proximity meet that criteria. I also want to make sure the area is family oriented and close to good schools. I do not want the children to feel isolated. On the other hand, I'm moving to TAS partly to escape Suburbia so I would rather not replant myself in the same, albiet more beautiful, flowerbed. Our ideal budget for a four bedroom home is 400,000 AUD or under. Perhaps the first question I have to the group is can anyone recommend a good and trustworthy real estate agent or agency in the Hobart area? Next question, how easy is it to rent out a home in the current market? Last question on this subject . . . I've been reading some nasty oped pieces in your local papers about noxious property tax hikes. Do these only apply to new home sales? Would it effect new purchases of used homes? I hate to bombard you all with boring practical property questions, but this will be the largest single investment of our move and I want to make sure I'm not missing some important detail. Thanks again for your input. BTW. Max Bloom is the lead character in a screenplay I wrote and also the name of my Cafe in Fullerton, CA. My real name is Stephen. we have found all the real estate agents pretty helpful but at the end of the day they are there to make money and we have almost been stung (no different to uk then) there is no cooling off period so once your offer is excepted that is it unless the building inspection is dodgy or the finance cannot be raised. My advice would be to get a good solicitor or conveyencer (we know a good one whom we are dealing with, worth her salt she is) House prices are steeper than what we expected in Kingborough area but the further out you go the more you get for your money. hope you have a good trip. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest max bloom Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 we have found all the real estate agents pretty helpful but at the end of the day they are there to make money and we have almost been stung (no different to uk then) there is no cooling off period so once your offer is excepted that is it unless the building inspection is dodgy or the finance cannot be raised. My advice would be to get a good solicitor or conveyencer (we know a good one whom we are dealing with, worth her salt she is)House prices are steeper than what we expected in Kingborough area but the further out you go the more you get for your money. hope you have a good trip. Debs Just returned yesterday . . . prior to arriving we narrowed house choices to two - one in Blackmans Bay and one in Howrah. Both were under offer by the time we arrived. The agent let us walk through the house in Howrah nonetheless and it was not exactly as described. We looked at two other homes in Blackmans Bay but both were about 75k overpriced for the current market. The good news? We loved TAS! Visually it was better than we imagined, although the inlaws were a bit bored . . . not enough to do, too much convict history, and no big natural wonders (ie. Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley). On the other hand, our children left kicking and screaming. None of us were prepared for what a welcome environment the State(at least the Southern part)was for children. Playgrounds and parks everywhere! Our base was in Cygnet, a small hole in the wall town that has an amazing restaurant - The Red Velvet Lounge - and even more amazing scenery. We travelled as far as the Tasman Peninsula and everywhere in between. Our number one place to live (in our price range) is Blackmans Bay. From a practical standpoint there were a couple of negatives. The cost for the flight from Sydney to TAS was rediculously expensive and certainly must have a negative impact on Tourism. Hopefully, the direct flight from the U.S. to Melbourne being introduced by Virgin in a few months will change all that. Also average food prices, including produce grown in TAS, relative to the U.S., are about 40 % more expensive. Book store prices in Hobart substantially exceed the recommended pricing printed on the cover. In the U.S. no one pays even the suggested retail price. Housing on the other hand is still a good deal compaired to U.S. (California prices) and a bargain compared with Sydney real estate.(With the exception of electronics, Sydney is the most expensive citiy I've ever experienced other than Tokyo). As far as the people of TAS, we had nothing but positive experiences. Overall, we fell in love with TAS and now are convinced that we will make a go of it. Now its just a matter of timing - finding the right property and employment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Just returned yesterday . . . prior to arriving we narrowed house choices to two - one in Blackmans Bay and one in Howrah. Both were under offer by the time we arrived. The agent let us walk through the house in Howrah nonetheless and it was not exactly as described. We looked at two other homes in Blackmans Bay but both were about 75k overpriced for the current market. The good news? We loved TAS! Visually it was better than we imagined, although the inlaws were a bit bored . . . not enough to do, too much convict history, and no big natural wonders (ie. Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley). On the other hand, our children left kicking and screaming. None of us were prepared for what a welcome environment the State(at least the Southern part)was for children. Playgrounds and parks everywhere! Our base was in Cygnet, a small hole in the wall town that has an amazing restaurant - The Red Velvet Lounge - and even more amazing scenery. We travelled as far as the Tasman Peninsula and everywhere in between. Our number one place to live (in our price range) is Blackmans Bay. From a practical standpoint there were a couple of negatives. The cost for the flight from Sydney to TAS was rediculously expensive and certainly must have a negative impact on Tourism. Hopefully, the direct flight from the U.S. to Melbourne being introduced by Virgin in a few months will change all that. Also average food prices, including produce grown in TAS, relative to the U.S., are about 40 % more expensive. Book store prices in Hobart substantially exceed the recommended pricing printed on the cover. In the U.S. no one pays even the suggested retail price. Housing on the other hand is still a good deal compaired to U.S. (California prices) and a bargain compared with Sydney real estate.(With the exception of electronics, Sydney is the most expensive citiy I've ever experienced other than Tokyo). As far as the people of TAS, we had nothing but positive experiences. Overall, we fell in love with TAS and now are convinced that we will make a go of it. Now its just a matter of timing - finding the right property and employment. Pleased you enjoyed yourself! Maybe your in laws should remain with the natural wonders of the US, they will be frothing at the bit to go home after 2 weeks pmsl Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em&paul Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Glad you enjoyed yourself. I agree with you about book prices, but you can buy cheaper, Big W, K-Mart etc often sell books 20-35% off recommended price. I think you'll find that fruit & veg prices vary with the seasons and there are local sellers that sell cheaper than the supermarkets. Where abouts in the US are you? I have family over in Boston. Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Glad you enjoyed yourself. I agree with you about book prices, but you can buy cheaper, Big W, K-Mart etc often sell books 20-35% off recommended price. I think you'll find that fruit & veg prices vary with the seasons and there are local sellers that sell cheaper than the supermarkets. Where abouts in the US are you? I have family over in Boston. Emma Hi Emma, yes I agree with you . I have just ordered a load of books which were strangely enough printed in the US for $10 and RRP here in Angus & Robertson $30!!..... our home growers (organic) are much much cheaper than Woolworths & Coles.:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em&paul Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Susie I've just noticed you are from York Town area in Tassie when you're here. Yesterday we drove through York Town on the way to Beauty Point. We drove Browns Creek Road - which was an experience!!! It's a beautiful area up there. Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 SusieI've just noticed you are from York Town area in Tassie when you're here. Yesterday we drove through York Town on the way to Beauty Point. We drove Browns Creek Road - which was an experience!!! It's a beautiful area up there. Emma Thanks Emma, it is gorgeous there we are on the Tamar, next time you are up that way please do let me know and come for a lunch with us......:wubclub: pleased you loved it. xxxx Susie ps. I just got back from there, Emma, we had a scare but fire is now by Beaconsfield now poor things xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em&paul Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Thank you for the invitation. They were back burning yesterday as we were driving through. Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Thank you for the invitation. They were back burning yesterday as we were driving through.Emma Yes Emma, I am so pleased we prepared everything before we left undergrowth wise, poor guys much be exhausted:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest max bloom Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Glad you enjoyed yourself. I agree with you about book prices, but you can buy cheaper, Big W, K-Mart etc often sell books 20-35% off recommended price. I think you'll find that fruit & veg prices vary with the seasons and there are local sellers that sell cheaper than the supermarkets. Where abouts in the US are you? I have family over in Boston. Emma Emma - I'm in Southern California (about 5 minutes from Disneyland). I order all my books from Amazon.com at substantial discounts, but love browsing bookstores for the unexpected reads. Are you able to order from Amazon? One important criteria I use for assessing the quality of a city is the number of bookstores available and was pleased to stumble accross 5 in Hobart . . . a good sign. I also was pleased at the number of local artists I came across. Sydney is a great city, but personally I found Hobart much more intellectually stimulating. BTW. My mothers husband is from Boston and she frequents that city every year although I've never been. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 From a practical standpoint there were a couple of negatives. The cost for the flight from Sydney to TAS was rediculously expensive ...(snip)... Book store prices in Hobart substantially exceed the recommended pricing printed on the cover. In the U.S. no one pays even the suggested retail price. We long-term residents think the cost of flights from Sydney ridiculously cheap compared to what we used to pay!! It is possible to get cheap seats but booking well in advance is usually required for these - particularly for the December - January period which is the peak tourist season for Tasmania. The price of books became a political issue in 2009. The following article might help with a bit of the background - Author arguments can't hide this fact: the import monopoly means dearer books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 One important criteria I use for assessing the quality of a city is the number of bookstores available and was pleased to stumble accross 5 in Hobart . . . a good sign. Somewhere I read that Hobart has the highest number of bookshops per capita of any Australian city: also the highest number of library users. It might be something to do with the cooler climate: we have a real winter, when snuggling up by the fire with a good book is the best thing to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deborah Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Just returned yesterday . . . prior to arriving we narrowed house choices to two - one in Blackmans Bay and one in Howrah. Both were under offer by the time we arrived. The agent let us walk through the house in Howrah nonetheless and it was not exactly as described. We looked at two other homes in Blackmans Bay but both were about 75k overpriced for the current market. The good news? We loved TAS! Visually it was better than we imagined, although the inlaws were a bit bored . . . not enough to do, too much convict history, and no big natural wonders (ie. Grand Canyon, Yosemite Valley). On the other hand, our children left kicking and screaming. None of us were prepared for what a welcome environment the State(at least the Southern part)was for children. Playgrounds and parks everywhere! Our base was in Cygnet, a small hole in the wall town that has an amazing restaurant - The Red Velvet Lounge - and even more amazing scenery. We travelled as far as the Tasman Peninsula and everywhere in between. Our number one place to live (in our price range) is Blackmans Bay. From a practical standpoint there were a couple of negatives. The cost for the flight from Sydney to TAS was rediculously expensive and certainly must have a negative impact on Tourism. Hopefully, the direct flight from the U.S. to Melbourne being introduced by Virgin in a few months will change all that. Also average food prices, including produce grown in TAS, relative to the U.S., are about 40 % more expensive. Book store prices in Hobart substantially exceed the recommended pricing printed on the cover. In the U.S. no one pays even the suggested retail price. Housing on the other hand is still a good deal compaired to U.S. (California prices) and a bargain compared with Sydney real estate.(With the exception of electronics, Sydney is the most expensive citiy I've ever experienced other than Tokyo). As far as the people of TAS, we had nothing but positive experiences. Overall, we fell in love with TAS and now are convinced that we will make a go of it. Now its just a matter of timing - finding the right property and employment. Glad you enjoyed your trip and B;ackman's Bay. Cygnet is lovely my friend was playing at the Folk Festival there today. My mate is in LA and hoping to visit him again someday When will you be making the move here do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rouge Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Hi all, been catching up on this thread from time to time, last posted around a year ago & we're still hoping to come over for a reccie, finances went to pot last year so still saving the pennies! Just to refresh you all we are a couple in our 30's & have a 1.5 year old son, we are looking probably Launceston area, semi rural location but obviously this is if we like Tas when we eventually get there!! Just a couple of things been playing on my mind maybe you guys can help out? How do you all keep in contact with friends & family in UK, skype, phone, e-mail etc & do you find it enough, especially if you have children seeing / speaking to Grandparents? Also how often realistically do you get to go back to the UK to see everyone & how often do people come over to visit you? I worry about the hole in the Ozone layer, do you really have to cover up most of the time? How has everyone found making friends & intergrating? Here in France, we've found this hard, lots of people will talk to you but not interested in being your friend, which can make life very lonely at times! How are you guys finding Tas that moved over in the last say 5 years? Everything you imagined it to be & still love it or want to move / moving on? Just out of interest really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Hi all, been catching up on this thread from time to time, last posted around a year ago & we're still hoping to come over for a reccie, finances went to pot last year so still saving the pennies! Just to refresh you all we are a couple in our 30's & have a 1.5 year old son, we are looking probably Launceston area, semi rural location but obviously this is if we like Tas when we eventually get there!! Just a couple of things been playing on my mind maybe you guys can help out? How do you all keep in contact with friends & family in UK, skype, phone, e-mail etc & do you find it enough, especially if you have children seeing / speaking to Grandparents? Also how often realistically do you get to go back to the UK to see everyone & how often do people come over to visit you? I worry about the hole in the Ozone layer, do you really have to cover up most of the time? How has everyone found making friends & intergrating? Here in France, we've found this hard, lots of people will talk to you but not interested in being your friend, which can make life very lonely at times! How are you guys finding Tas that moved over in the last say 5 years? Everything you imagined it to be & still love it or want to move / moving on? Just out of interest really! Hi Rouge Lots of questions.... I would suggest living close to the CBD (town centre) as if you live out on a larger block you will find yourselves a little isolated. Launceston is a very friendly place but to be honest most of the friends I've made have been from interstate or are poms. However its very community and family oriented with a fabulous quality of life. We've been back to the UK once since arriving five years ago. We are planning another sometime this year or next. I stay in touch with my family and friends via telephone, email and facebook, I did use MSN & skype for a while but found it too restrictive.... arranging times and then being cut off constantly although if you pay for the service I've heard its much better. The UV is high here but not as high as it is in the other states. The outdoor life style is big here in Tas. I have settled but want to move into the city, we are 15km from the CBD but it is too far for me. However oh wants to try somewhere warmer so we are moving again :biglaugh: However I would strongly recommend Tassie for the quality of life and as an ideal place to raise children. Let me know if you have any more questions I might be able to help with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rouge Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Thanks Pommielady, hope your move goes ok! What is the weather like around Launceston? Do you get many grey, misty days? I think we will probably have to go out of town somewhat as would need acreage & I expect the closer you get to town the more expensive property will get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hi Rouge For information on the weather try Tasmanian Forecasts The weather in Launceston (Lonnie) is generally better than Hobart, during the winter there are periods of grey and misty weather but it usually clears to a sunny day. You can purchase property near the CBD with acreage with price dependent on location, land and quality of the housing etc. How much land are you wanting? I would strongly recommend not moving too far out, myself and colleagues all have properties about 15min from the CBD and feel isolated, there is no public transport, taxi's (if you can get one) cost $50 one way and being on such large blocks you don't get to know your neighbours. Have you had a bit of land before? We only on 4 acres, with only about 2 needing 'stuff done' but it still eats into your leisure time even if you have a bush block. I hope this helps. Stef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hi Rouge The weather in Launceston (Lonnie) is generally better than Hobart, during the winter there are periods of grey and misty weather but it usually clears to a sunny day. HRRUMPH!!! (I live in Hobart):wink: Here are the climate averages for the two so that you can compare. Launceston Launceston climate, averages and extreme weather records Hobart Hobart climate, averages and extreme weather records Launceston itself is in a valley, so gets frostier at night in winter: being inland it is on average a bit warmer in summer, whereas Hobart is on the coast and usually gets a sea breeze in summer. The averages show a mean number of rain days for Launceston as 126 per year, and Hobart 159 per year, but the average rainfull in Launceston 2 - 4 inches more. We get more windy showery days in Tassie than still mizzly days - so your washing still dries on the line between showers! Vivien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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