Thread: Crossroads of life...

I'm in the same position.Both myself and partener and kids are moving to Kalgoolie as we have stagnated here in NSW and we can't move forward in our position.A new well paying job came up for the boss,she's in HR and rent is provided so our house will be sold so we can save money each week.We have travelled everywere but WA so it also gives us a huge state to explore so for us it is a good choice.Listen to what everyone here is saying,move start fresh,you will not regret it and you will look back later in life enjoying that decision you made. Pat

HI d3funct....sound like you have to make a decision,and soon...
I am a lot older that you.........and I made a decision when I was your age...but back in the 60,s.........I was working as a shearer,in queensland,for five years,just traverling around the country,working in sheds all over the state,not realy enjoying my self at all.......can get very boring working in hot sheds in the middle of summer,with temp hitting 50 deg inside the shed at times.
So I decisioned to give it away ,and travel around abit.....ended up down in Melbourne,and got a job with a coach company,as a driver,doing tour all over Australia.........I stayed with them for 10 years(best job I ever had)travelled to every state in Australia including Tasmania........did tour along the gunbarrel high,tanami track,birdsville track,travelled the nullarbor before it was sealed....all this in a non 4x4 coach and no a/c.
the company was called Australia pacific tours,I look back on those years with great affection.
your young ,and you have many years left,the house will come in time....
p/s I am still driving after 38 years,but b /double,not coaches

Originally Posted by d3funct

OK, old guys time to put your advice caps on!

Im 23, and pondering a decision.

Im bored with WA - Perth specifically. I have yearned to leave for a long time and go somewhere completely different (to live and make a living).

It has usually always been within WA that I've looked, Kalgoorlie, north or south, anywhere really.

Unfortunately, the resources and real estate booms have locked me out of the market, pretty much anywhere in WA.
That trend is continuing nationwide, housing is climbing everywhere, and now Melbourne is in its own real estate boom (25% rise this year).

Then I found Tasmania with an average homesite still only $240,000.
Average rent is $125pw.

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Thats the background, here is the decision.

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Myself and my partner, oh and my adorable dog - have nothing against Tasmania (the forgotten island), we love the outdoors.

I have a good, secure job as a supervisor for a contracting company at a major Alcoa refinery.

If I leave, I pretty much have to start fresh, maybe even learn a new trade or at the very least, keep doing my job, with a different company if I can.

Im 23, is it too late to start again - do a trade and move forward.

Or should I sit tight, keep working as I am, and wait for another promotion here in WA.

I'd probably go mental here eventually, but I need to think about my career, and being able to sustain a family first.

Mate,

After having spent the last 25 years in Tassie (I was born n educated there) i've just upped stumps @ the ripe ol age of 45 (going on 30) n moved to North QLD. I have a gut feeling that it was the best thing to do.

I'll provide "advise" and try to break it down into subjects so it appears logical.

• Changing careers @ 23.

Given the current economic climate I believe you are in an ideal situation to "change careers". There is work all over Oz with record low unemployment figures and the labour market being in demand as opposed to supply you can pretty much choose based on you skill set.

Keep you eye on the economy, if we follow the septics n fall into a recession then the ball game might change BUT not dramatacally. Australian should still have a strong economy based on its export markets. I'm not going to belabour the point as there are others here better educated than I.

• Living in Tassie

Tasmania is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It sits between 39.40 South and about 43.40 South. It has a population of just under 500,000 with the 2 major population centres being Launceston (approx 100,000) in the North and Hobart (approx 195,000) in the South. Its climate is cool temerate and it sits in the Southern Ocean which is the Southern Hemisphere's weather engine.

The cost of living is generally higher than in the Northern states and there is also plenty of evidence that the island economy is heavily subsidised by the other states. The cost of housing is lower but the tasmanian real estate market has dramatically increased in price since the early 90's. The rents are certainly not about $125 per week but more like $200 on average. Median house prices are probably closer to $300,000 for a half reasonable 3 bedroom birk n tile 10 years of age.

Economically Tassie tends to be a bit of a basket case with the current government and many of the past administrations lacking the forsight to really capitalise on the islands potential.

Fuel must be up over the 1.55c per litre mark by now. If its not grown or manufactured in Tassie then its either flown or shipped in. This adds to the cost of liveing (ask Jc about the cost of getting LR parts)

One other MAJOR thing to keep your eye on. 90% of Tasmania's power is generated from Hydro Electric schemes with a couple of other sources. Given the rapid onset of climate change and the massive reduction in rainfall that the island state is recieving thier ability to generate the 1450Mw peaks that they need in the middle of winter there is a very real potential that in the next 5 - 10 years they will be unable to supply power. If this happens then one connected customer in the north of the state will pack up and leave. Taking with it about 6000 direct and indirect jobs and relinquishing its 33% power system consumption.

What the fallout of that will be I don't know.

Either way, you're young, smart and capable. Do the research, talk to your partner n the dog then follow your heart. If it doesn't work then u had a go.

Cheers,

Heh, being -old- at 21 does the same to me. I'm running into my fourth year of apprenticeship and wondering just what I'm gonna do after. I have to admit, planning life, in my young oppinion, is something you should be excited about doing. Like the first step on the staircase you just built, you have just got to hold the bastard together until you get upstairs...then you can worry about how to get back down if you want to.

That's easy to say, and harder to do; but as I figure it, you have familiar territory in WA when all else fails. Leave on good terms, and return at will.

Mate, ya only 23. Go hard move to Tassie & enjoy the change of life!~

23? 23!!! IS THAT ALL??? Are you *^#$%@ kidding me? You've got heaps of time!!!

I turned 40 last year and have made a few major changes. In fact, it's been four moves between Australia and Canada so far. (It took a while to make up my mind! But I'm staying here now.)

Tasmania's attracting a lot of people, by the sounds of it, but I'd recommend you head north. The whole top end needs people and it's almost a whole different country up here. The culture is different, and the weather and the landscape, and you may as well move to another country as come up here because that's how much new there is to learn. That is, "I Know Nothing" is an attitude I've found helpful when I came up here.

Quite a few jobs come with housing - of varying quality - or subsidised rent, and the jobs are often interesting just because of the challenges of the place. (Though there also seems to be a "just sit on yer bum and do nothing" box that white people get to tick when they start some jobs!) There are some funny characters up here . . .

Don't worry about the money and houses and whatever. Get to know your state and your country. Then when you do settle down and get old you'll be able to tell some tales, not hit 60 and realise you never really did do anything.

I lived in Perth for a good deal of my life and it just about sent me barmy, too. I don't know what it was exactly, even now. I think it's just how everyone isn't interested in anything else or anyone else. Just looking inward. It will get to you if you're not like that as well. (Great weather, though! )

Depending on what employment you are going to take up really depends on where you want to settle. The west coast is, remote, rugged, generally colder and wetter, and harder to get things. However most mining operations are out that way as well. Rosebury and Queenstown are the mining centers for the most part, asides from Beaconsfield. Real estate in those two areas is still very cheap, however you are some hours drive away from the major centers of Launceston, Hobart, devonport and Burnie. Drive time to launceston from queenstown can vary from 3 hours upwards depending one weather. Remembering we can have rain, hail ice and snow most all year round. Often i've played in snow at christmas time in Tassie (27 years old in 2 days time, Launceston born and bred). The west coast roads for the most part are very windy, but lots of 4wding.

Beaconsfield has far more limited mining opportunities, but is in the beautiful tamar valley, and only about 1/2 hour drive from launceston. The north of the state is generally warmer and a bit less far away from the bigger centers, but with plenty of seclusion only a stones throw away from town.

The south east is much the same in that respect. Plenty of outlying areas, in some cases in 10 minutes you can feel a million miles away from anybody else.

However real estate in the north and south is a bit more expensive, but $250-350 still gets you a nice house in most areas, up to to a large house in some areas. Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au is helpful there

Employment opportunities are harder to find on the whole however, so my advice is find work, then somewhere to live.