Tasmanaia where to live ?

[Happy Pirate]

I would have to agree with Steve, I have lived in Cygnet for 10yrs now but being fairly popular the prices aren't that 'cheap'. NBN has just arrived. You could pick up a bush block in the hills nearby which may suit your needs for not too much though. It's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, or even approaching landowners.

NBN and an ATM in the main street all in one year! Progress will spoil the place !

Cygnet is also the town of double-vision. Nothing much occurs there only once. It may be the free-thinking, independent nature of the place perhaps but in a town of less than 1500 it has 2 IGAs, 3 Pubs (middle pub has burned down again recently though), 2 service stations, a varying number of cafes between 3-5 (plus 1 pub), a varying number of art galleries of about the same number or more, 2 real estate agents, 2 funky gourmet restaurants (plus one pub), 2 car mechanics and 2 small engine mechanics, 3 primary schools (including the independent on the outskirts), 2 funky art-fashion import shops, 2 footy ovals, 2 butchers, 2 banks (hopefully soon with Bendigo community),.......... but only ever one pie shop which kept going out of business. Dammit.
Gee I miss the place. Closest thing to home I've had. But I sold my house there in Feb. so the cord is cut.

'tibboh' - would I know you? I worked in the online centre in 2007 with Susan FMR. Apart from that and the HAEG exhibition I didn't get out much.
How is the town going?

cheers
Steve H

[tibboh]

'tibboh' - would I know you? I worked in the online centre in 2007 with Susan FMR. Apart from that and the HAEG exhibition I didn't get out much.
How is the town going?

cheers
Steve H

Small town so bound to have met, was in HAEG years ago, am a bit of a hermit also
Town is progressing....Bendigo Bank built and opening soon as is a new chemist it's becoming a little metropolis.....well not really.

[north-north-west]

Oh, great! Cygnet was one of the main areas I was thinking about. Now I'll have to find somewhere else that no-one's heard of.

[Strider]

Oh, great! Cygnet was one of the main areas I was thinking about. Now I'll have to find somewhere else that no-one's heard of.

Black Bobs would suit you nicely I reckon.

[Happy Pirate]

'tibboh' - would I know you? I worked in the online centre in 2007 with Susan FMR. Apart from that and the HAEG exhibition I didn't get out much.
How is the town going?

cheers
Steve H

Small town so bound to have met, was in HAEG years ago, am a bit of a hermit also
Town is progressing....Bendigo Bank built and opening soon as is a new chemist it's becoming a little metropolis.....well not really.

Well there was only one chemist so another one restores the town symmetry
Good news about the BB. Its been pushed for for a few years.
Steve

[Happy Pirate]

Oh, great! Cygnet was one of the main areas I was thinking about. Now I'll have to find somewhere else that no-one's heard of.

Most of the Huon Valley is somewhat 'tamed' agricultural areas rather than wild, near-wilderness areas. That being said you get a better community and there are still a few places that retain the independent, regulation-free, bush-building attitude to life. Poke your nose up the end of some of the roads in Nichol's Rivulet and you'll still see houses made out of old water tanks or recycled corro iron... or cars. Also look at the areas out past Judbury near the state forest.
What you're less likely to see in the Huon as opposed to some wilder areas such as out the back of Geeveston or Maydena is disgruntled unemployed forestry workers casting menace at anything that looks like a 'Greenie'.
(Although there is one bloke in Cygnet with more facial hair than a wookie who drives a bright green ute with the words "Don't be fooled by the colour" emblazoned on the back!)

[Happy Pirate]

double post

[north-north-west]

Black Bobs would suit you nicely I reckon.

Took me long enough to get away the first time. I don't go near the place any more.

Most of the Huon Valley is somewhat 'tamed' agricultural areas rather than wild, near-wilderness areas. That being said you get a better community and there are still a few places that retain the independent, regulation-free, bush-building attitude to life. Poke your nose up the end of some of the roads in Nichol's Rivulet and you'll still see houses made out of old water tanks or recycled corro iron... or cars. Also look at the areas out past Judbury near the state forest.

I'm not too fussy. As long as it has power, NBN, reasonable TV reception, wood heater, indoor dunny, decent bathroom, room for all the books, no termites or leaks, and enough secure storage for my dive gear, walking gear, caving gear, kayak, bike and tools, no neighbours within a half km and doesn't cost any more than I'm paying here, it'll be fine.

[Strider]

Haha, nowhere will have NBN soon enough!

[Happy Pirate]

Black Bobs would suit you nicely I reckon.

Took me long enough to get away the first time. I don't go near the place any more.

Most of the Huon Valley is somewhat 'tamed' agricultural areas rather than wild, near-wilderness areas. That being said you get a better community and there are still a few places that retain the independent, regulation-free, bush-building attitude to life. Poke your nose up the end of some of the roads in Nichol's Rivulet and you'll still see houses made out of old water tanks or recycled corro iron... or cars. Also look at the areas out past Judbury near the state forest.

I'm not too fussy. As long as it has power, NBN, reasonable TV reception, wood heater, indoor dunny, decent bathroom, room for all the books, no termites or leaks, and enough secure storage for my dive gear, walking gear, caving gear, kayak, bike and tools, no neighbours within a half km and doesn't cost any more than I'm paying here, it'll be fine.

Geeez
Want want want...
I was missing 3 of the above and missed none of them.
Jest don't bring yur noo fengled desire fur technologee and inside toylets wiv yur from the big island...

[Happy Pirate]

I wouldlike to move to Tasmania and live there, but where.

I want to live off the grid and in an Isolated area, with lotss of trees and a place with a decent amount of sun and rain for my off grid needs, would be nice if it was close to a State Forest, reserve ect.

I have a friend who lives south of Mt Victoria and he seems to like it there.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I wouldlike to move to Tasmania and live there, but where.

I want to live off the grid and in an Isolated area, with lotss of trees and a place with a decent amount of sun and rain for my off grid needs, would be nice if it was close to a State Forest, reserve ect.

I have a friend who lives south of Mt Victoria and he seems to like it there.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Hi John
Are you also posting over at the ATA forums currently?
I've liked reading the posts over there (of you or someone similar) and I relate very much to your ideals and attitudes.
Having lived in Tas and started with a similar outlook I must admit that many of the posts were tinged with something I could only describe after a decade of O/B lifestyle as 'mainland navity'.
Tasmania attracts many folk who see themselves as fringe dwellers or wild-folk with idealised notions living off the land or becoming eco-advocates.
The truth is a small percentage of them last beyond the first winter with many fleeing to Northern NSW and others back to the safe reality of the suburbs.
I also watched the Tassie RE market for many years and it was always amazing how much was bought in spring and then reappeared for re-sale after winter.

I've made this point before but I'll repeat...
If you've come over to Tas (or are planning to) with no background experience then rent for a year and experience a Tas winter and the tragic economy to be sure to disavow any illusions first.

If it was as easy as you think everyone would be doing it

You can also PM me if you need any info
cheers
Steve

[John Sheridan]

Yeah that's me on the ATA forums, spreading out my questions

Might just get me a Nice caravan and buy me a block of land and live like that and take my sweet time building my place, no hurry at all. I can do my garden,chickens and everything else just fine with just my Caravan.

If I buy decent sized land, 10 acres or more, I wont be seen or bother anyone at all, just the way I want it

I think I am being too optimistic and naive, but it does make me happy thinking about it, I don't want to be where I am at the moment, kind of sick of it, just want something more simple.

I am not in a massive hurry to buy my land, I think renting or just using a caravan park and staying a bit to see how I like it, but I am pretty sure if I go I will stay, going to stay till I die, I have no interest to go back where I am now.

I hope it works out.

Cheers.

/PS I LOVE THE COLD, i am going to go out of my way to find some snow

Might buy after winter, might get a good deal then

[Happy Pirate]

Yeah that's me on the ATA forums, spreading out my questions

Might just get me a Nice caravan and buy me a block of land and live like that and take my sweet time building my place, no hurry at all. I can do my garden,chickens and everything else just fine with just my Caravan.

If I buy decent sized land, 10 acres or more, I wont be seen or bother anyone at all, just the way I want it

I think I am being too optimistic and naive, but it does make me happy thinking about it, I don't want to be where I am at the moment, kind of sick of it, just want something more simple.

I am not in a massive hurry to buy my land, I think renting or just using a caravan park and staying a bit to see how I like it, but I am pretty sure if I go I will stay, going to stay till I die, I have no interest to go back where I am now.

I hope it works out.

Cheers.

/PS I LOVE THE COLD, i am going to go out of my way to find some snow

Might buy after winter, might get a good deal then

John
I hope it works out for you. Tassie is a great place to pursue those self-sufficiency dreams.
Would never argue against pursuing your dreams; but doing it open eyed helps ensure your success.
I miss the place massively. I miss the cold too. I'm in Townsville at the moment and I have to keep heading for t' hills just to survive the heat. (Even the winter was hot).
Good luck and keep posting how you get on
cheers
Steve

[Happy Pirate]

...the only thing that will be on 24/7 would be a small fridge/freezer, 12 or 24 volts...

Probably better to consider a 3-way (12v, 240v, gas) fridge/freezer than something that runs only on electricity.

Although I'm Sure John will get expert advice on appliances over at ATA, 3 way fridges are notoriously inefficient. A gas-only is better than a 3 way but better still is an electric Chest Freezer conversion.
Assuming you have some constant electricity source.
Steve

[matagi]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

[Happy Pirate]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

matagi
very jealous.
My self-reliance experiment was cut short by Tassie's response to the GFC.
Hope to start again in Kuranda / Atherton eventually.
Would like to hear more of your fridge experience.
Steve

[michael_p]

...ATA...

Not seen that forum before. That's a really interesting site. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

...Chest Freezer conversion...

I love stuff like this. Super simple idea that makes so much sense.

Cheers,
Michael.

[matagi]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

matagi
very jealous.
My self-reliance experiment was cut short by Tassie's response to the GFC.
Hope to start again in Kuranda / Atherton eventually.
Would like to hear more of your fridge experience.
Steve

I shall have to hand over to my spouse for further technical details - he is the electronics whiz in this household.

From a user's perspective I can say it works well (although getting the temperature setting right took a bit of trial and error). I don't know why top loading fridges are not more common. They make perfect sense if you don't want to lose all the cold air every time you open the fridge door. We use a series of baskets to make storage inside the fridge easier. You do need to be somewhat disciplined about how you load it with regards to location of heavy items versus light and fragile items.

[Happy Pirate]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

matagi
very jealous.
My self-reliance experiment was cut short by Tassie's response to the GFC.
Hope to start again in Kuranda / Atherton eventually.
Would like to hear more of your fridge experience.
Steve

I don't know why top loading fridges are not more common. They make perfect sense if you don't want to lose all the cold air every time you open the fridge door. We use a series of baskets to make storage inside the fridge easier. You do need to be somewhat disciplined about how you load it with regards to location of heavy items versus light and fragile items.

matagi
The reason is the same as with all issues I think. Disconnection and a slave to the idea of convenience.
Pulling baskets out to access items is 'inconvenient' (regardless of the fact that vertical electric fridges are less than 2 generations old) - somehow we cannot ever live without the most luxurious version of the newest technology.
I find that as soon as you put solar on your roof or take growing food seriously you become fascinated (and dare I say obsessed) with your consumption and generation relationship.
This is how it should be, as much for your solar panels as when you look to your own food production, it becomes a daily topic of concern because it becomes important to your life. It reflects a basic understanding of your place in the global ecosystems.

The fact that most of us consume, pollute and devour without even a second thought shows that we suffer from the most dangerous of pathologies: that of a complete disconnection of our role, effect and place within the wider world. That we eat without a thought of the source, devour energy as a right not a privilege, and have no idea of our footprint nor effect.

Disconnection is, I feel, the main issue as we have been free from any measure or standard against which to judge our behavior. Even the discussion of judging our own behavior usually assumes a comparison against others rather than against a set standard.

And this all started from a fridge...

Steve

[Miyata610]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

Yep, the electronic thermostat was happy to turn a lightbulb on and off during testing, but didn't like switching a motor.

The link to the mechanical thermostat kit posted elsewhere pretty well duplicates what I did. Except I just bought a thermostat from the local fridge repair place. I did need to replace the spade connectors on the wires because of a size difference, but in all other respects it was a simple swap. Getting the temp probe thingy back in to the conduit in the freezer was a pain.

Another mod I made was to rewire the light that indicates that the freezer is on. It's meant to show the freezer is plugged in, but I changed it so that it only turns on with the compressor. I didn't want my inverter running constantly just to power a pilot light.

[Happy Pirate]

We did the chest freezer conversion. We went with a Haier 150 litre, which after converting, consumes about 100 KWh per annum.

The only problem we had was that we tried an electric thermostat initially which was inconsistent, so we ended up using an ordinary mechanical fridge thermostat.

Yep, the electronic thermostat was happy to turn a lightbulb on and off during testing, but didn't like switching a motor.

The link to the mechanical thermostat kit posted elsewhere pretty well duplicates what I did. Except I just bought a thermostat from the local fridge repair place. I did need to replace the spade connectors on the wires because of a size difference, but in all other respects it was a simple swap. Getting the temp probe thingy back in to the conduit in the freezer was a pain.

Another mod I made was to rewire the light that indicates that the freezer is on. It's meant to show the freezer is plugged in, but I changed it so that it only turns on with the compressor. I didn't want my inverter running constantly just to power a pilot light.

Yeah, phantom power is a pain for inverters.
So you guys just invented a system from scratch?
Impressive.
I've been eyeing off the DIY kit for a while but as I currently live alone it's not worth replacing my little bar fridge.

Have also been eyeing off a portable (I'm renting) evaporative composting toilet to replace the inbuilt septic unit ... and just to give it a try cos I kinda dig composting loos
Some people buy new packs or sports cars... I want to buy a toilet for fun...
Steve

[headwerkn]

My 2c...

The south-east gets less than half the rainfall of the north and a fraction of what the west gets. I grew up there on tank water - short showers, brown lawns in summer and all that. If you're serious about self-sufficency agriculture... live elsewhere. Soil isn't flash either (very sandy).

Mountain River would be my pick of places south of Hobart - a beautiful place, with some nice acreages and bush blocks. Only 25-30min commute from Hobart but priced accordingly.

The central-north area between Launceston, Devonport and extending south to the central highlands has a number of suitable locales.... places like Golden Valley, Jackies Marsh, Reedy Marsh, etc. would be worth a look. They're all on the grid (well, not sure about Jackies Marsh) but do have a number of places living off the grid. All have a certain "alternative" vibe which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your personal tolerance of pot-smoking hippies Places like this continue west in the foothills of the Great Western Tiers, though large areas of highly arable land tend to fetch a premium out this way. All that lovely chocolate brown soil.

Alternatively, large tracts of the central highlands are off-grid and there is (IMHO) a glut of bush blocks and land available for sale currently. We have an off-the-grid shack at Great Lake, running on solar+battery banks, spring water and wood heating/cooking. The area west of Great Lake tends to be very rocky, and combined with the cold wouldn't be ideal for growing vegies, etc. Parts of it are also under the Central Plateu Conservation Area so there are limitations to what you can do construction/land clearing wise. The land between Miena, Bronte Park and Bothwell would be better for small scale farming.

One thing I would suggest - get a decent sized block of land (30-50 acres) with plenty of timber on it. Wood heating is very much back in vogue in Tasmania (thanks to high power prices and the relative ease of accessing firewood) and being able to get your own firewood off your own property is a big help. We're not off-the-grid at home, but have both a wood heater plus a wood stove with water jacket for hot water, which is gravity fed. Works great, especially when the power goes off for a night and you can still have a hot shower.

Another suggestion; get a tracker for your solar panels. Obviously we're further south from the Equator and in winter especially, the sun sits low in the sky. Our next door neighbours just installed a tracker-solar system and even through winter managed to generate enough electricity to offset almost their entire power bill... that's with a family of 6 and running some farming equipment.

As someone who grew up in Tassie and has lived in Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Melbourne, I have to say rural Tasmania is the best place to live. So long as you can earn a decent income (which of course is the main issue for many), then why live elsewhere?

Cheers, Ben.

[Wingnut]

Looking at moving to Southern Tas myself but feeling quite disenchanted by the ongoing high usage of DDT and other animal poisons by Forestry Tasmania...initially thought I would be moving to a better place...

[corvus]

Looking at moving to Southern Tas myself but feeling quite disenchanted by the ongoing high usage of DDT and other animal poisons by Forestry Tasmania...initially thought I would be moving to a better place...

Wowsers Wingnut where did you get your info on the use of DDT ?? which was an insect controller now banned in most civilised countries .
Most feral animal control is done down here in Tasmania with the (I believe ) limited use of 1080 ( nevertheless horrific and noxious in my mind) but I think you should do more research b4 posting misinformation please.
corvus

[Nuts]

'Senator' Brown and his '1080 laced corn'??

[Wingnut]

Hey Corvus,

I'm not trying to spread misinformation...maybe I was a bit brash with my reaction but I'm just disappointed that Tasmania isn't as pristine as I wanted it to be...

Yes DDT was fazed out in the 1980's but if you do some basic research you will see that DDT levels in various aquatic and native Tasmanian animals are at similar levels as if it's still being used today...and MCPA's are still being used in plantations...

[corvus]

G'day Wingnut point me to that research please , and our Fauna and Aquatic life must have some a really good genes to have survived to old age after ingesting DDT in 1987.
AS to clean air I guess one day in the Melbourne fug would be enough to stifle our wee Furry Tasmanian beasties and suspect the Yarra in plenty of reaches would choke our Blackfish,Galaxies and Trout
How pristine do you want Tasmania to be ?? there are some areas that have only ever been accessed by foot and water that is so pure you could pour it on your corn flakes neat
corvus

[Wingnut]

Hey Corvus,

I'm not trying to trash Tasmania, I'm still planning on moving there and want to find a healthy, safe place to live...it's just the more I look the more I find...

http://www.ntn.org.au/wp/wp-content/upl ... ochure.pdf
http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php/art ... oned-water
http://www.wildlifetasmania.com/lethal.html
http://www.lead.org.au/lanv13n3/LANv13n ... efence.pdf

And there's more and more articles Corvus...

[taswegian]

Wingnut there are many places in Tasmania that are beautiful and relatively clean pure whatever you like to call same.
Much of Tasmania has been affected by years of forestry, farming or other nasties.
There are still areas that would be okay unless one is so finicky and then nothing would come up to standard outside probably parts of the southwest and parts of central reserve.
Even some of that has seen mining and grazing.

I haven't followed all this thread but something all who wish to take up land and build need to justify why you should do so.
We have over the top planning legislation here that protects our agricultural land.
I won't get going on that, suffice to say it's not automatic when you buy land to expect to build. In town yes, rural no!

[Wingnut]

My requirements when living in Tas are I need to be about 1 hr from Hobart for my studies and my girlfriends work, not too far from the ocean too as I'm a surfer and I'm also looking for land that isn't in the middle of a town but not too far into the wilderness that I get severely caught out with bush fires...obviously there is a certain price that I'm thinking as well...I guess I have too many boxes that need to be ticked?