Possible move to Hobart?

[Steve73]

Hi Guys,

My wife and I live in Sydney and have all of our lives, basically we're sick to death of the rat race that Sydney well and truly is! We had a nice two week holiday down in Tassie last year and really liked Hobart. I know having a holiday somewhere is completely different to living there, but it got us thinking.....

We're toying with the idea of buying a 5 - 10 acre parcel of land within 30 minutes of Hobart around Huonville and surrounds and building on it. Do any members live around this area? I was wondering:

- What is the climate like? I've had a look at averages etc but would rather hear it from a local. I like cold weather (to me Sydney doesn't get a real winter and I dislike the humidity in summer up here)
- What is peak hour traffic like? I'm sure it's nothing like Sydney but was just wondering, if it took 30 minutes to drive from Huonville to the CBD in off peak, how long would it take in peak?
- Does the area have a strong community focus?
- Is there anything to do for kids? We're both outdoors people (lots of trail running and hiking) so hopefully kids would follow in our footsteps, but you never know!

Hopefully we would both be sorted for work as my wife will be a school teacher shortly and I should be able to keep my current job and work from home.

Anyway, if anyone has any feedback at all it would be very hopeful. We need to take a few more trips down and do plenty of research.

Thanks,
Steve

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hi Steve.
I live in Glen Huon which is about 5-10 minutes out of Huonville, towards Judbury.

I used to work in the city and it took me about 45minutes to an hour to get home on a busy evening.
The climate is cold, it's been a mild winter, but we usually get frosts and fog almost every day in winter, with -8 not out of the question.
On the other side though summer can be hotter than in the city as we do not get a sea breeze. When it's 30 in hobart, it's usually 36 down here.
It's very quiet, very peaceful (except the trailbikes on weekends) and overall I do enjoy the lifestyle down here.

[tastrax]

Hi Steve,

I am just out of Hobart but in the opposite direction to ILUVSWTAS. I am about 20 minutes east of Hobart at Seven Mile Beach. Its very quick and convenient to the city from here and close to the (quiet) airport for quick dashes to the "mainland"! There are also blocks ranging from about 1 acre to 5 acres in the adjoining suburb (Acton Park). You can also get acreages between Cambridge and Richmond or further out towards Campania. There is also a great primary school at Cambridge if you have young children.

I would think about what you actually want to do on the land as well as the location. No point coming down here to enjoy the lifestyle only to spend all your time cutting the grass on the acreage! The inner city and surrounding suburbs are nowhere near as hectic as Sydney so don't rule them out - Remember you can get to many places very quickly in Tassie so sometimes the convenience and facilities of the city can be a bonus.

Good luck with the house/land hunting.

[stepbystep]

Hey Steve,
I moved here 4 years ago from Perth and lived in Sydney for a couple years, live in Hobart but are looking to move further out with more land.
Huon Valley can get pretty cold and is susceptible to frosts and thick fog in winter, the drive over Vince's saddle can be a bit hairy in these conditions.
We are tossing up between the Huon Valley and Tasman Penninsular.
The TP is a bit further but has milder conditions and amazing coastal walking, on the other hand the Huon is closer to fantastic mountain walking.
I'm told that further sth in areas like Glaziers Bay/Petcheys Bay you get out of the regular fog - but then you are up to an hour from Hobart.
Prepare yourself for a culture shock, in a good way though Takes a little while to adjust.
Anyway it's all about what you want and what you need and finding the balance - Acton Park does nothing for me(sorry Phil).
Cheers, sbs

[walkinTas]

Off topic conversation moved to here!

[Drifting]

Getting a permenant job in teaching in Tasmania is next to impossible, and getting harder. The system down here is absolutely ridiculous. That said, if she wants to do relief work, I'm sure she'll get plenty of work.

Also, you cannot trust the DofEd information re: work conditions. If you have questions about this feel free to PM me or speak to an AEU person from down here.

Having said that- Tassie is a paradise, just not for teachers seeking full time, on-going work. Or even 1 year contracts (they don't do them).

[norts]

Southern Outlet at peak hour. Yuk. I use to live at Snug. Couldnt live there now and commute.
Much prefer my drive down the St Marys Pass each Morning and the drive along the coast to St Helens.
Huon is nice but the Channel is better.
Roger

[Macca81]

I live in claremont, takes me10 mins to drive to town, 20 in peak

but, i dont drive to town, i drive past and go out to midway point, takes about 25 mins. no idea about peak hour, as im driving around in the city itself at this stage

i do agree however, that the outlet is poo... in peak hour! if i had my way, i would live in collinsvale or glen dhu rd. outa the way, but still within half hour of the city

[Steve73]

The climate is cold, it's been a mild winter, but we usually get frosts and fog almost every day in winter, with -8 not out of the question.
On the other side though summer can be hotter than in the city as we do not get a sea breeze. When it's 30 in hobart, it's usually 36 down here.
It's very quiet, very peaceful (except the trailbikes on weekends) and overall I do enjoy the lifestyle down here.

I like the cold so that wouldn’t bother me and the heat is OK as long as it’s not humid, which I believe it isn’t down there? At least not as bad as Sydney anyway?

Fog would be nice but I guess that can play havoc with commuting to the CBD?

Hi Steve,

I am just out of Hobart but in the opposite direction to ILUVSWTAS. I am about 20 minutes east of Hobart at Seven Mile Beach.

I would think about what you actually want to do on the land as well as the location. No point coming down here to enjoy the lifestyle only to spend all your time cutting the grass on the acreage! The inner city and surrounding suburbs are nowhere near as hectic as Sydney so don't rule them out - Remember you can get to many places very quickly in Tassie so sometimes the convenience and facilities of the city can be a bonus.

Good luck with the house/land hunting.

Is that near Sandford? I like that area but prices for land seem to be a bit higher than other areas. I guess another reason for making the move would be to have a much smaller mortgage than what we currently have.

As far as land goes we would only be growing fruit and veg for ourselves. I’m more keen on the land for a bit of privacy. My Mum has a farm on the mid-north coast of NSW and I just love the piece and quiet.

Prepare yourself for a culture shock, in a good way though Takes a little while to adjust.
Anyway it's all about what you want and what you need and finding the balance - Acton Park does nothing for me(sorry Phil).
Cheers, sbs

Haha yes I’m expecting it would take a bit of getting used to. I imagine we’d get very homesick for a while but I think once we get past that we would love it!

Southern Outlet at peak hour. Yuk. I use to live at Snug. Couldnt live there now and commute.
Much prefer my drive down the St Marys Pass each Morning and the drive along the coast to St Helens.
Huon is nice but the Channel is better.
Roger

Hmm traffic doesn’t sound good. But traffic in Sydney is horrendous so maybe I could cope with it down there better than a local.

Where is the Channel?

Getting a permenant job in teaching in Tasmania is next to impossible, and getting harder. The system down here is absolutely ridiculous. That said, if she wants to do relief work, I'm sure she'll get plenty of work.

Also, you cannot trust the DofEd information re: work conditions. If you have questions about this feel free to PM me or speak to an AEU person from down here.

Having said that- Tassie is a paradise, just not for teachers seeking full time, on-going work. Or even 1 year contracts (they don't do them).

Hmm doesn’t sounds great. Are there many private schools in Hobart? Maybe better to be employed by one of them rather than DofEd? Then again I bet jobs in private schools are very hard to come by.

By the way, am I allowed to drink Boags in Hobart?

[ILUVSWTAS]

I made the switch from Cascade to Boags a few years ago, and im still breathing so far....

The Channel is from Margate to Gordon.


And coming from Sydney you would cope with the traffic fine, it's really not that bad at all!! We Tasmanians dont know how lucky we are at times!! We build by-passes because people complain about getting stuck at a roundabout for 5 minutes..........

[Nuts]

By the way, am I allowed to drink Boags in Hobart?

NO!

[ILUVSWTAS]

By the way, am I allowed to drink Boags in Hobart?

NO!

I do

Whatcha gonna do about it huh???

[Nuts]

hey...I believe I have a cousin down your neck o the woods also

[stepbystep]

Hey Steve, don't underestimate the fog, it's really full on, esp. when you are stuck in it for a week....

The Channel is a good option, but I really like the Wattle Grove/Glaziers Bay area on the Huon which is just over the hill from Cygnet, a great little town....

Oh, and no Tasmanian understands what a traffic jam is, it's hilarious to hear them complain, as SWTAS says 5 mins IS peak hour!

BTW, Cascade is 'orroble swill, Boags is just swill - Little Creatures is the KING of all beers(like all good things it comes from WA and is here to enlighten all ), as far as Tassie brews go there's a couple of good micro-brewers about....

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hey ease up on the fog bloke, we had bugger all of it this winter!! And only a handful of frosts!!

[stepbystep]

Hey ease up on the fog bloke, we had bugger all of it this winter!! And only a handful of frosts!!

I've got rellies near New Norfolk who cop 'the Jerry' regularly and really hate it -so think it's worthwhile info to take into account

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yeh but thats Norfolk, we dont get it anywhere near as bad down here.......

[stepbystep]

Yeh but thats Norfolk, we dont get it anywhere near as bad down here.......

There ya go Steve, listen to the local, not the yokel.....

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hehehe yokel....

Yeh the jerry is a regular thing, where as the fog here only comes in on really bad days.....

Look at a map though and you'll see the Norfolk valleys and Huon valley are actually quite close!! If only theyd open the plenty link road to the public i'd get to my beloved Southwest in almost an hr less time....

[Steve73]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys, very helpful!!

When fog was mentioned I was thinking it would be around for a few hours in the morning, not for an entire week!! That's interesting.

Someone mentioned Margate which I do like, trouble is land is much more expensive there than further south. Anyway we need to spend a couple of weeks down there in summer and winter and take a good look around. Won't be next year as my wife will be a full time student again and money will be tight. We'll get serious about it in early 2012. Just need something to dream about for now!

[ILUVSWTAS]

The fog does lift, usually comes in around 7-8am, and lifts anytime between 10am- 1pm (on the bad days) It NEVER lasts all day......

[sthughes]

The fog does lift, usually comes in around 7-8am, and lifts anytime between 10am- 1pm (on the bad days) It NEVER lasts all day......

No - thats only in Launceston

Does anyone else hear the ABC traffic report at about 5.45pm?? I do - it's good for a laugh, especially seem they cover Burnie as well! Although occasionally there is a crash on the southern outlet, Brooker or the Tasman Bridge to spice things up just a little.
I had to wait behind 9 other cars at some lights this morning - crikey the traffic was bad, I nearly phoned it in

[flyfisher]

Hey you!! Go easy on Hobart. We know where you're from.

[Steve73]

The fog does lift, usually comes in around 7-8am, and lifts anytime between 10am- 1pm (on the bad days) It NEVER lasts all day......

No - thats only in Launceston

Does anyone else hear the ABC traffic report at about 5.45pm?? I do - it's good for a laugh, especially seem they cover Burnie as well! Although occasionally there is a crash on the southern outlet, Brooker or the Tasman Bridge to spice things up just a little.
I had to wait behind 9 other cars at some lights this morning - crikey the traffic was bad, I nearly phoned it in

OK now that's the kind of peak hour I could live with

[Steve73]

My wife and I are staying in the Huon Valley for a few days in late November to get a feel for the place and check out some land. Can anyone recommend a good pub for lunch? And also some non-touristy things to do on Bruny Island?

[stepbystep]

My wife and I are staying in the Huon Valley for a few days in late November to get a feel for the place and check out some land. Can anyone recommend a good pub for lunch? And also some non-touristy things to do on Bruny Island?

Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet - a great little town.

Bruny - the Cape Queen Elizabeth walk is excellent even if you only go as far as Moorina Bay(especially in the morning), Fluted Cape is speccy and really close to Adventure Bay if that's where you are staying. Cloudy Bay lagoon and beach is also well worth exploring.

[Liamy77]

By the way, am I allowed to drink Boags in Hobart?

NO!

I do

Whatcha gonna do about it huh???

i'm happy to volunteer to help "get rid of the evidence"

[Steve73]

My wife and I are staying in the Huon Valley for a few days in late November to get a feel for the place and check out some land. Can anyone recommend a good pub for lunch? And also some non-touristy things to do on Bruny Island?

Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet - a great little town.

Bruny - the Cape Queen Elizabeth walk is excellent even if you only go as far as Moorina Bay(especially in the morning), Fluted Cape is speccy and really close to Adventure Bay if that's where you are staying. Cloudy Bay lagoon and beach is also well worth exploring.

Excellent, thanks for thet stepbystep.

[Beeper]

I live out near Richmond 25km from Hobart, small acreage with a great lifestyle. If you go south of Hobart its cooler and wetter, and in the hills around Mt Wellington. East of Hobart is milder and drier. If you buy land with the intention of building, make sure you get one that is east/north facing, the sun in winter makes a real difference to home heating and preferably one with a view. The one thing I hate about Tassy is the wind, I can handle cold and hot weather, but not the blustery wind, its probably why alot of Taswegians hibernate over winter. If you like the outdoors and activities, Tassy is a great place, and there are so many places you can access within a few hours drive. There is no real traffic problem only the occasional hickup, no toll roads either.

[flatfoot]

Southern Outlet at peak hour. Yuk. I use to live at Snug. Couldnt live there now and commute.
Much prefer my drive down the St Marys Pass each Morning and the drive along the coast to St Helens.
Huon is nice but the Channel is better.
Roger

It's not as bad as it sounds! I'm a mainlander but spent a month in Kingston a few years ago when both my parents were very sick. I was driving into Hobart daily. Usually that was quite early. That was nothing compared to nasty commutes I've had in Sydney.

Most of my family have been in Hobart about 6 years. I must admit the roundabout at Kingston can sometimes be diabolical.