12 replies to this topic

[greenzx9r]

Good afternoon all. I have spent the past few days reading just about everything on this forum and loving it, but wasnt able to register. With a little help from Anna I was registered within minutes. Thanks Anna.

well where do I start? I live in Bundaberg Queensland and plan to buy property in the west somewhere (Queenstown or Rosebery) The land is so cheap there, I dont know why.

First came to Tasmania for honeymoon in 2007 and just loved the place, We spent ten days driving around clockwise. Came back for a holiday in 2010 cause I loved it so much and decided its where I want to be.

Now that Im single, I have the opportunity to do the things I've always wanted to do. This is it.

Not sure if im boring you all to pieces so im stopping here lol. Thanks for your time.

Paul.

[dave]

well howdy and welcome to you, nope not boring me at all, love to hear what folks have to say and what they are doing (I'm a nosy old baaaass...... umm bugger) , I reckon if you got some land around queenstown then you would be amongst friends, PSSSsstttt!! I know a couple of lovely folks in that area who would be only too pleased to go and drink all your beer!, anyway you feel free to flap your chops about anything anytime, good or bad!

[Cascade]

Same goes for me, welcome to the "Real Tasmania" forum.

Hmm, Queenstown, Rosebery. Cheap prices? You'll find out why when you have your first winter in the area. You may need to find someone to keep you warm.
Buy a strong padlock for the fridge if you do end up anywhere near Queenie, I also heard there are a few beer drinking fairies and goblins out there as well.
Me, I figure I got smart and camped a couple of hours up the road towards the NW coast, although I still get the odd snowy day at 400 mtrs.
Wherever you decide to settle its generally all good. After all, it's Tassie the only place in the world to live. I guess I am slightly biased.

[greenzx9r]

Thanks to Dave and Cascade... Yep I did realise you Tasmanians are a decent bunch.

Cascade.... Thanks for the heads up, I heard it gets a bit chilly on the west coast, and thats part of the reason I love Tas so much. Having been in the Queensland heat most of my life and hating every bit of it the cold weather makes me feel great. When I say cold i mean anything under 25! Havent seen snow yet!

[Cascade]

Don't worry, for me, if its over 10C I break out in a major sweat. 20C and I want to crawl into the nearest freezer. After that I dont even try to go outside.
I really do happen to love and prefer the cold. I actually ended up going to Nova Scotia for so I could have a real winter. I got lucky for me it was the worst winter they had had since 1901.
I think its the dampness that really gets into the bones here, but thats probably relevant to age and grumpiness.

These couple of pics will give some idea.


The vehicles had to pull over and stop for the night due to the snowstorm being so heavy.

[Tessc]

Welcome Paul. I'm sure you will get plenty of cold and wet to try on the west coast. We are up the north west too but selling up and heading to the big island. Hubby absolutely hates the cold and I hate the heat so it makes for some interesting debates.

[dave]

good god! thats seriously cold, if it drops below 10 degs here overnight I'm looking for my beanie and overcoat. I too suffer from arthritis, rheumatoid (shoulder, elbows, knees, hands, neck) so I'm not fond of the wet, had a small storm go through last night and I'm pretty bad today, temp didn't go below 19 though so hardly cold!

I have yet to see snow even though we've traveled throughout Australia extensively! we will remedy that one of these years before i get too bad!

[greenzx9r]

Thanks all, Ive just finished cracking the rest of the ice from my screen after taking a look at Cascades pics. Amazing.

The only Issue I have is work. If I dont find work down there I will have to come back for my work at the sugar mill six months a year. Looks like I can buy land whenever I am ready and head down there for a look around in December when work is finished for the year. Such a big decision....

talk me into it will youz???? heoaheaoehaohae.

[Mystic]

Hi Paul, glad we could finally get you in here, but also very happy someone told me there were issues with the registration process. Will be looking into streamlining that later today.

I have absolutely no idea who these goblins and fairies are that would drink all your beer if you lived in Queenie, but maybe it might have something to do with the fact that Shane and I, who just happen to live there, have not been around because we have been indulging in a beer and pizza night that started yesterday afternoon. If your fridge has ordinary beer, it would be fairly safe, if it has Guinness or Cascade stout, your fridge is in danger, and we can smash padlocks

Why is real estate cheap in Rosebery and Queenstown....? The west coast is remote, the nearest department store or major supermarket is over 160km away. We do have small IGA type stores for your general provisions, but generally, you will find a lot of stuff needs to be shipped in. When making electronic and other major purchases we tend to shop globally, which does mean you can save a bundle if you are careful.

Lived in Rosebery for about 3 years until the start of this year, can say the community is cliquey, and most newcomers are considered "ferals". There is also a grey area surrounding soil and ground water contamination there. Not sure about how bad that is, though I think acid rain may be a problem in the area, and we found a thin layer of black dust often settled on the car. Rosebery is the least friendly town on the west coast.

Have been in Queenstown since the beginning of the year, and it is, very surprisingly, quite a nice town to live in. The locals are very friendly and helpful. Almost reminds me of Zeehan (where we spent 6 months, but where a new estate agent has convinced people their properties are worth double what they might actually get, and so general home prices are way too high).

Employment in Rosebery is at the mine, or you might like to try your luck with a job at the mine. In Queenstown, you have mining and hospitality, and also a quick drive to Strahan, where there are also numerous positions always available in the hospitality industry.

The west coast is not really as cold as those above make it out to be, and you will see snow, but only on the peaks around the towns, not generally on the ground. It does rain here though, a lot, but mainly during April-October, during which period you can often go up to 5-6 weeks without a dry day.

Hope you find something you like and looking forward to seeing you around the place.

[greenzx9r]

Thanks Mystic... seems like Queenstown would suit me well considering there are more job prospects in that area. When I was in Tasmania in 2007 we drove from Hobart to Queenstown but arrived late at night and the motel was full. We ended up driving out to Strahan instead and stayed at Cosy Cabins. Loved it. Saw Ocean Beach, henty dunes then over to Cradle Mountain. So technically I have been to Queenstown but we stopped at the first motel right on the edge of town and it was about midnight!

[Shane V]

Hi Paul and welcome to Real Tas. Looks like everyone else has got things covered info wise so I'll just say hi...oh and don't worry about the fairies...they are friendly

[greenzx9r]

Shane V, on 22 April 2010 - 04:19 PM, said:

Hi Paul and welcome to Real Tas. Looks like everyone else has got things covered info wise so I'll just say hi...oh and don't worry about the fairies...they are friendly

Hey, I don't mind sharing a drink or two. Im not a beer drinker though. I can see the Rum Distillery through my window as I type this!

[Mystic]

You might also like to take a look at this thread if you haven't already. Might show you a few of the sights you missed on your midnight raid into Queenie