The mainland is over-rated, right? Well, that seems to be the belief amongst many young Aussies, who are now packing up and heading South to Tasmania. Personally, Tassie may not be the first place that comes to mind when I think of relocating, but now ranked fourth most liveable city in the country, it seems tempting.
With outrageous and ever-increasing housing prices in capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne, lockout laws dimming the night life, and packed streets where it takes 40 minutes to find a park, we don’t blame anyone for seeking a fresh, new life down South.
Affordability
This is a massive one, particularly amongst younger people. Buying a house in Sydney, where I live, just seems like a far away dream. I am honestly afraid I will be stuck in the rental trap forever, but even renting a place is seemingly impossible to some. According to Domain, when it comes to purchasing property, Tasmania is the cheapest state or territory in the country by miles. In Dec 2016, Sydney median house prices were sitting just over $1.12 million. Melbourne followed behind, sitting just under $800,000. Hobart, on the other hand, came in with the lowest median price at just $382,888. Okay, In my opinion, that is almost enough of a reason to relocate, but being a smaller city both in population and size, does this mean less opportunity? Apparently not, according to the latest State of the States Report from CommSec, Tasmania is gaining momentum.
Employment Opportunities
The State of the States Report from CommSec tells us that, although unemployment is an issue (still much lower that Sydney), annual employment growth in Tasmania is the highest in the nation. Not only is there opportunities for employment, it is also a fantastic place to start that business you’ve always wanted to begin – lower costs, less competition and a growing population means slightly less risk.
There’s actually room to breathe!
Do you live on top of someone? And by that, I mean in an apartment block, or units? Void of a backyard or personal space? If you’re like me, and live in a bustling city like Sydney, Melbourne or even Brisbane, you will know that space is limited. There are many areas in Sydney and Melbourne that house up to 17,000 people per square kilometre. Hobart, on the other hand, had the lowest maximum population density of Australia’s capital cities in 2016 with 3,160 people per square kilometre. That’s a huge variance between the two. Tasmania is also known for it’s national parks (18 to be exact) and thousands of kilometres worth of walking tracks. Being an island, it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful coastlines and beaches that are just waiting to be visited.
Say bye-bye to the gruelling daily commute
Smaller population means less traffic, which means less time on the roads or on public transport. Hey, you might even get a seat on the bus on the way to work on Monday! It is painful to know that I spend up to four days of my life each year stuck in Sydney traffic, so this is a huge selling point for me. You can also drive around the entire state in a few days, which means there is heaps of opportunity for weekend road trips.
Culture
Tasmania is known for it’s accepting and adventurous yet relaxed culture. Sick of lock out laws dampening the culture and arts of your city? Yeah, same. The Tasmanian club and arts scene is booming in Hobart and Launceston and they have no intention of following Sydney with their entry restrictions. Pubs, bars and live music venues are popular amongst Tasmanians and most are open and full most nights of the week. In addition to great night life, there are markets, museums, lavender fields, all those national parks I was telling you about, and not to mention the Tamar Valley Wine region which is one of the Top 10 Wine Routes in the world. You can even see Tasmania’s own version of the Northern Lights, the Southern Aurora Australis, all over Tassie. The opportunity to experience the Tasmanian culture is endless.
With less expenses, more room to move and opportunity to delve into Australian and Tasmanian culture, we don’t blame people for waving goodbye to mainland Australia and making the permanent move across the Bass Strait to Tassie. What do you think? Could you make the move?
