tassie anyone?

Discussion in 'General chat' started by teela, Mar 3, 2007.

  1. EmeraldEmber

    EmeraldEmber Junior Member

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    What really gets me...............*drags out soap box*.........there is a lot of poverty in Tasmania. The kind that the mainlanders haven't seen for years. The real estate prices are now that of the mainland. Some places are an hour away from Hobart and have limited employment but are worth more than where I live in Victoria now (yarra valley), where there's more employment and facilities. (The place I once owned trebled in price a couple of years after I sold it- murphy's law).

    Wages are less than the mainland wages, but rent is now that of say Melbourne........in many places in Tasmania........if you want to live where there is work. If you want to live where the rent is cheaper, then there's little or no work around, so you can't pay the rent.

    When I lived there from '99-'02, (because, my mother and step dad had moved there and my mum had cancer), the charities were already stretched to the limit. I met a lot of families who had to go for assistance. Not, because they are dole bludging slackers, but because of the lack of employment opportunities (unless you own an orchard or work in the mines). The charities then, were telling people that they could only get assistance every 6mths. It's worse now.

    A lot of Tasmanians are working class people. The kind you found on the mainland 30-40yrs ago. They're hard working people (when they can get work) and don't go on the dole because they can't get their £$%^ together.

    My step father still lives there and I know some struggling young families there.

    These developers are turning Tasmania into one big resort. Where I lived
    10mins up the road there is a posh resort now. It's in a town where a lot of kids were wearing patched up hand me downs and worn out boots. My daughter went to school there. She was one of few kids with a new uniform. (and yes I have been back in more recent times).

    Dinner for these families is off cuts from the butcher shop. They were still going rabbiting.....to keep food on the table, but the developers stopped it......They weren't going near the resort, but the developers have enough money to say what goes.

    They are proud people who don't like asking for hand outs, but these money grubbing developers are making it really bad for them.
    I mean really bad.

    And no, these resorts are not necessarily providing more employment for locals...........look at where most of the employees are from....

    And what is the government doing about it?????the usual.........

    BTW I heard good ol Mr Howard on the radio today saying that we shouldn't worry as Australia still has plenty of fossil fuel left to burn and that we shouldn't be too concerned about global warming. ......eh?? I remember being told about it in primary school and I turned 34y.o. on Monday!! Doesn't anyone have a clue anymore?! sheesh.

    From what I understand, Queensland and Western Tassie have the highest annual average rainfall. I want to go back to Tassie because of the higher rainfall. With the way things are going, they say Queensland won't be beautiful one day and perfect the next, in 20yrs time and the rainfall will be considerably less.

    Tassie.........I'm coming back

    If only they'd allow MO communities, like in Vic and NSW (intentional communities) then I could start one and offer cheaper housing and try and help out a bit. I'd love to learn to retro-fit shipping containers and make affordable housing too.

    Anyone willing to teach me??..........I find that there are no courses and the umpteen websites I've looked at offer no actual "how to" advice.


    Me
     
  2. LittleFish

    LittleFish Junior Member

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    Hi Permie Folks
    Just logged in after about 3 months without power or internet. I'm finally moved in to my new place in Tassie -Yay!

    Bovine - any sort of trade is in very high demand here -if you can get in with local contractors you will probably have more than enough work.

    Teela - I was born and bred in Adelaide. I left when Iwas 18 and have not felt comfortable there ever since. It is so dry and flat and lacking in the mountains and forests and water that I absolutely love.
    I have spent heaps of time in Nth Queensaland and nothern NSW and the Victorian Alps because of my love of mountains and forests and clear flowing water but finally settled in Tassie. How many places could you buy a house and 25 acres of forest within 40 min drive of a capital city for under 150k? I admit that at the moment I am still working at home for my boss in FNQ. Jobs do come up but they are less frequent than in Cairns which has about 1/3 of the population. It depends a lot on your qualifications.
    Avoid the areas in the north of Hobart as they are very dry and quite poor with a fair bit of petty crime. Unless you are into vipassana meditation; there is a community in Dromedary with blocks of land for sale there.
    I am in the Huon Valley in Cygnet and if you were looking for a little friendly community full of like minded permie-folk and creative people then you just cant go past Cygnet as a place to live (any town that has less than 1000 people but has 3 pubs, 4 art galleries and 6 cafes and Tassies largest folk festival has to be doing something right). Ive only been here 3 months so far but already I love the place with a passion and am being pestered to join a multitude of community orginisations.
    It is also one of the wetest places in Tassie - even with my leaky 1000 gallon tank I have never wanted for house water.
    Most of my neighbours are from somewhere else - one couple even moved here from my neighbouring suburb in Cairns, so you don't have to be a local. I have never encountered any mainland-resentment here; everyone is too polite for that.
    There are issues here , no doubt, and I am sure I will encounter more as I become more integrated but I moved down here to escape the hand of greedy rapacious developers that were tearing up most of the east coast. Ultimately life in Tassie is still quieter and retains a certain friendly charm that has all but been lost in most of the mainland. Certainly there is a price to pay for that but it is one that is worth the cost I feel.

    If you have kids I would look at Woodbridge, which is nearby and about 40 min from Hobart and very community minded with growers markets and lots of arty people. The local high school won the local landcare award for bushcare with all of the kids getting involved in seed-saving and bush regeneration and growing organic veggies and chooks in the school ground. They also have a giant ceramic whale sculpture in the front yard of the school (very cool). I wish I had kids just so I could send them to school there.
    There is also a small community based school here called the Peregrin School.
    happy to provide you with any extra information

    cheers
    Stephen
     
  3. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    I suppose there is good and bad in Tasmania like anywhere else. I'm hoping to cash in our half owned house in suburban Perth and buy somewhere in Tassie outright. No mortgage goes a long way towards making life a little more comfortable, especially if we can grow more of our own frit & veg (I'd love to try some aquaponics too).

    Anyway, we have been looking at places in the Huon and Derwent valley areas and plan to fly over in October to scout things out. Any advice from the locals about these areas or anywhere else within driving/public transport/cycling distance of Hobart?
     
  4. EmeraldEmber

    EmeraldEmber Junior Member

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    My daughter went to Woodbridge District High School, years ago........I hope that the school has improved. And wow, they have a market there now? I know that the former principal/headmaster........pooh poohed everything..........I'm glad he left.

    I went to his office (on friendly terms), to ask if we could have more than a few days notice for excursions and he asked me if I had emotional problems lol..........

    I have seen the woodbridge school (goes from K-Yr10) on gardening australia. The uniform is still in the same attractive colours lol. It's a pity that Mr. Taylor left ...........he was right into teaching the kids about eco-systems, organic gardening and permaculture.

    Has the bus service improved from Cygnet? Do they still have the folk festival and winter solstice festival??

    A couple of years ago I almost bought a nice house in Cygnet for $100,000............drats..........now I can't afford anything there. Except a small block and a caravan lol.

    We had our first proper frost last night, but it's warming up to be a lovely day now.

    Me :D
     
  5. MonteGoulding

    MonteGoulding Junior Member

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    After a trip down to tas Rebecca and I are very keen to head down there. We have come up with a plan that should see us with some land and approval for a strawbale house within two years. We'll be buying the land early 2008 and at the moment we are thinking somewhere between Kingston and Huonville.

    Looking out my office window right now I see someone vaccuming their lawn. I've got to get out of suburbia!

    Cheers

    Monte
     
  6. sab

    sab Junior Member

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    we are in the process of buying an acre in Glen Huon. i saw it on the net and thought we'd have a look. it's a beautiful area. We still work and live in Hobart but compared to the other capitals this is pretty nice.

    I spent the evening drawing up a plan of the lot. I'm thinking of making a 3d scale model to figure out where to put what.
     
  7. arawajo

    arawajo Junior Member

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    Hi Teela,
    My advice would be to stay put until the kids grow up and then move.
    They grow up so fast and I reckon they do better if they stay put.
    I was moved around a lot as a kid and so was my first born. My youngest will be finishing school this year and moving on, but she grew up here and she is far more settled in herself and she has more friends and she does really well at school etc.

    Droughts come and go - just make adjustments to fit in with the weather and relax and enjoy giving your kids stability and your time.
    A family in this town moved to Tassie and they were back in two years. They hated it. They had three kids.
    Another family with four kids moved down there and have stayed and really love it.
    Remember that when you have problems you always take them with you.
    Let us know what you decide won't you?
    Joan.
     
  8. living simple

    living simple Junior Member

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    Moving Tassie

    Hi all,

    Just a thought for those thinking/wishing to move to Tassie. I know it's probably not practical for some, but i would think that a small holiday to Tassie first to see if you even like it would be the best move! Even just a week or two (hopefully three!) would give such an insight. Not doing this would be like buying a new car without firstly taking it for a test drive - for me! Just more costly!

    This way you would be able to find out which towns/cities you like, what areas have the facilities you need, what the weather is REALLY like (lol!) and what the cost of real estate really is (not those 'bargains' in out of the way places we see on the net!).

    Now would be a perfect time to come - it has been raining in my part of the world for the past 10 days (except Sat & Sun) which suited me perfectly since i work most days! hee, hee! and it is starting to get dark early, colder and a bit morbid and grey! Not that i'm complaining, since i'm loving the water in our tanks/dams, and on the veggies/fruit trees and lawn! Yipee!

    Anyhow - i love looking at the real estate in Tassie, and here are two places which always tickle my fancy - but i can't afford until i win the lotto! hee, hee!

    https://www.propertiesonline.com.au/prop ... 96&xsl=696

    https://www.eldersrealestate.com.au/list ... _id=185290

    All the best with the BIG decisions!

    Cheers
    Lyn

    p.s
     
  9. sab

    sab Junior Member

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  10. teela

    teela Junior Member

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    tassie

    AAAAAAAAARRRGHHH stoppit! Those places look so nice. I'm so jelous of anyone who might be able to live their dream of living in Tassie.
    Unfortunatly it wont be me....least not for a while
    I was the one who started this post but now Tassie is as far away to me as the moon. I've been trying to sell my place in SA but because of the water crisis here there were no takers.
    So here I am still in good old South Australia.........ah well, least we've had a bit of rain.
    Still dreamin of Tassie.
    Teela
     
  11. MonteGoulding

    MonteGoulding Junior Member

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    I'm sure you'll get there Teela. We can't up and leave either. We have a two year plan though ;-)
     
  12. Paul Lehmann

    Paul Lehmann Junior Member

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    Great place. As natives of New South Wales and Queensland, and having worked overseas for most of the past 12 years, my wife and I bought a block in Fanklin, SE Tassie a few years ago. We now have about 18ha of North facing hill and head back there every year. We have only ever seen the place in June and July, when it's usually wet and cold, but love the place. This year we intend camping on the block for a few weeks to get some preliminary work done prior to our permanent return next June.
    We agreed to buy the original block sight unseen, then visited for 36 hours to make the purchase...and have never regretted it. By the way, we have had incredible support and help from our real estate agent and our lawyer (both locals) over the last 5 years. I'm happy to pass on their contact details for anyone thinking of moving to the area. Two very honest, helpful guys.
    Paul Lehmann
     
  13. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    We now have our place in WA on the market and will hopefully be in Tassie in the next couple of months. Thanks to all the posters here for their help in this decision. We are leaving with the attitude that if we give it a year and don't like it, we can always move back.

    The next thing is actually finding somewhere to make a new home.
     
  14. MonteGoulding

    MonteGoulding Junior Member

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    Good luck bovine_blue!

    Please keep us informed (maybe start a blog)???

    Cheers

    Monte
     
  15. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    Thanks Monte. A blog sounds like a good idea.
     
  16. living simple

    living simple Junior Member

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    Tassie!

    Hi Bovine_Blue

    I've just got back from holiday and see that you are making the 'big move' - congratulations! I hope to see you down here in Tassie sometime! Hee, hee!

    Now, i'm not sure what type of property you are after, but i find one of the best websites to search for Tassie properties is https://www.realestate.com.au OR https://www.propertypoint.com.au

    You can register your preferences with this site, and when a property comes up for sale they will e-mail you with the details. Here is a link to a property 1/2 hour drive from Hobart i found

    https://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rs ... 1182807931

    If you have specific requests/budget, etc let me know and i can keep a look out for you. Also if you need somewhere to stay or just pop in for a cuppa while you're in Tassie i may be able to put you up at our place! Anyhow, good luck with your new adventure!

    Cheers
    Lyn
     
  17. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    Thanks Lyn.

    We are looking at the lower end of the market. It's either that or put ourselves into debt again and give more of our money to make the banks rich.

    If we had the money, we'd probably get this one, it looks really good.

    https://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-b...=&fmt=&header=&c=57370304&s=tas&tm=1183135825

    As it stands, there is a little shack on 60 acres in Lachlan that I'm flying out to have a look at next week. If it doesn't suit, we will probably get some land and a caravan and build our own.

    https://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-b...=&fmt=&header=&c=88968926&s=tas&tm=1183135947

    Either way it will be an adventure. I'll be looking to do a PDC and improve the property as finances allow so it shouldn't matter as long as we have somewhere to live and somewhere to start a garden. No job, a new house and a new baby on the way in January should make for an interesting time.

    I'll have to get working on that blog.
     
  18. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    By the way, is it just me or have property prices gone up a heck of a lot over the last year?
     
  19. living simple

    living simple Junior Member

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    Tassie!

    Hi Bovine_Blue,

    Just to answer your question - property prices in Tassie had a MAJOR boom about 4 - 5 years ago! To give you an indication, we bought our 50 acres 5 1/2 years ago, mostly bush, river frontage and perm. spring water (15 minutes from town/ocean) with a private 'shack' on it for $65,000 - and it had been on the market for about 1 year! We had an offer from a couple to buy it a few weeks ago for $300,000!! Admittedly, we have done some major work including clearing a couple acres, planting 45 fruit trees, building chook shed and workshop sheds, some fencing, and general renovations - but sadly not enough to justify the price hike!

    Unfortunately this doesn't help anyone buying these days, but it hopefully it will indicate that Tassie isn't as cheap as it once was and a bargain here these days means long drives to towns/services/schools or steep blocks with no water.

    Best of luck with your property search, i do like the look of the one at Lachlan (tho no water??), if you need any help in the future - please keep in contact.

    Cheers
    Lyn
     
  20. bovine_blue

    bovine_blue Junior Member

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    Can't really complain though. We bought our place in Perth for $150,000 5 years ago and sold it for $380,000. It's crazy because that increase is probably more than I earned in the last 5 years. Everybody seems to have their hand out for a slice of the money though.
     

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