I have lived in Tasmania for 33yrs, 32 of that in Penguin and the best thing I ever did was buy a home and raise my family. It’s a small community town, people are welcoming, we have 2 IGA supermarkets, doctors, chemist, school, garage, petrol station, the list goes on. We are about 11mins from Burnie, approximately 7 mins to Ulverstone and 20 mins to Devonport. Launie is 1 1/2 hrs from Penguin. There is so much you can do here, it’s well worth the visit or even move here permanently.

When you reference Latrobe and the Mersey hospital, this hospital was opened in 1958 , and a new maternity hospital and outpatient clinic were constructed in steel street in Devonport in the early sixties and remained in operation until the north west regional Hospital opened at burnie , the original hospital at Devonport was at meetcroft park and was later converted to meercroft park home for the aged after the hospital was opened at latrobe

Huonville is lovely but boy does it get cold. I went to high school in Geeveston and lived in Southport, Dover, Geeveston, Cradoc and Port Huon as a young adult. It's a lovely place to visit. I've never lived in Penguin but I visit weekly, I actually haven't been in many shops apart from the Penguin Undercover Market but I find the locals quite nice, the weather is fairly moderate and It's close to major towns. Wynyard is lovely too, I lived at Somerset for many years and went to Wynyard often. There's lots of nice shops but parking can be a bit tricky. I think if I ever moved from my current home I would pick Wynyard or maybe Penguin but not simply because of career opportunities. They seem to be friendly towns that would accept non locals.

For a comfortable winter the key is close to the sea, shelter from the west and south, and north facing windows and land

My late wife was from Huonville. It was nice to visit but the cold wind would spoil a nice day. On one visit, puddles froze along with waterpipes and car radiator. Current road to Hobart is a big improvement on the old road, but can be treacherous with black ice.

George Town is a nice place, the stigma of its past is regularly bought up by people who don’t live there and this perpetuates an undeserved reputation. It enjoys a beautiful outlook at the mouth of the Tamar River, a rich history as the oldest town in Australia good job prospects with Bell Bay on its outskirts, a hospital and a Woolworths and the locals are friendly and down to earth.

Scottsdale has a Woolworths and IGA and close to Bridport with two more IGA. Also nursing homes, a hospital and a show ground for horse and sporting events and the annual show.

yup, just moved to Huonville and it's amazing.

Don't forget New Norfolk. Close enough to commute to Hobart, about 30minutes, depending on traffic. Coles & Woolies. Nice main street. Small hospital. Lovely Derwent river runs through it. It's growing in popularity.

This is a really helpful video ! Thanks so much for sharing , it’s cool to look at your content and perspectives living in TAS, keep it up !! 😊

Really interesting to a prospective Tasmanian thank you 😃 On a recent road trip around Tassy I was struck by how friendly people were overall. Local people always had time to talk about the place and were often incredibly helpful

Lived in Tasmania for 5 years and still can’t pronounce Launceston correctly? It’s “Lon”ceston not “Lawn”ceston.

How about a program on the better small towns that would suit the many retirees that are looking at Tasmania, these people enjoy scenery, boating, sailing, fishing, easy hiking, and most of all community friendliness, where they know they can fit in, places were their needs can be meet without the need for Woolworths, and the cost of housing isn’t through the roof.

Well, I live in Ulverstone- and we didn't get a mention?. As much as I like Penguin, I would definitely say Ulverstone has more appeal and assets for living than Penguin as a town- but that's personal I suppose. Thanks for your insights though, interesting to hear another x-qlder's appraisal.

Thank you for making this, it's exactly what I was looking for.

I'm surprised Longford didn't make your list, I've lived here for over 60 years and it's one of the first small towns i would suggest.

Hey...Scottsdale!?...you forgot to mention the opium poppy paddocks you can skip and frolick through...and spuds, more spuds and more spuds, lots of spuds The good people go to bed at 8.00pm , snuggle down with a glass of warm milk and snooze off listening to the wireless.

I don't understand why Ulverstone didn't make the grade. Much more liveable than Penguin...warmer,dryer and less windy. My family came on the first boat into the Tamar(Launceston) and I would not live west of Ulverstone because of the climate...WIND ! Wynyard is particularily a windyard and Stanley is cute on a nice day.Actually if you want a good community and like to pretend you are living in an English fishing village ,Stanley may be for you...but...brrrrrrr!

Back in the '70's some friends & I pulled into Bicheno.Grabbed lotsa bubbly & 2 crays each & sat on the beach for several hours.I was 24 then & I'm 74 now & still want to do it again.This time I'll add 3 months either side of Bicheno & see a bit more of Tassie,only much slower this time.

An interesting view. Well made video. Dissapointed with your view of George Town. Like all places it has its problems , but has a magnificent history, glorious beaches, good job opportunities, easy commuting inland to Launceston, great sports clubs, a vibrant arts community, hospital, Doctors, physio, chemist etc. Airport 50 minutes away.. Great bike tracks and in the middle of the best wineries in Tasmania.

Nice video, we are thinking of a holiday in Launceston, hopefully it captivates me enough to move there. Perth is so polluted and hectic.😂

Thanks for an excellent video, and excellent delivery, you are a wonder. Also happy to read the comments. One was a bit defensive about their own locale, but their comment was also very enlightening, the more information the better off we all are. Looking forward to hearing more from you😊

we going in november on the boat and going in a big circle trip , looking fwd to it , and dnt have money for a house but would love a job and somewhere i could rent .

Thank you for this presentation you've got Tasmania pretty nailed! You're right about judge by the supermarkets, or lack of them. Huonville is my number 1. But if you commute to and from Hobart every day, treacherous in winter? You bet! Two I would put in my top 10 - St Helens and Campbell Town. Two I would drop off your list - Smithton and Penguin. . As to the west coast of Tasmania - WILD! It's not nick named The Wild West, for nothing. But, what a place to visit. Unforgettable and unique. Once you ease in to Tasmanian living, things become very " relative". A 30-40 minute drive to work is considered to be a LONG way, a long drive. Caution to Mainlanders. Don't be fooled if you think Tasmania is a cheap place to live. No, it's not. In many ways, it's a high cost , high $$$$ place to live.

Love Penguin beer company.. Go there regularly. Great bakery.

Thank you so much for the really informative personal insights, it's even more valuable coming from someone who's lived in numerous mainland states. I'm seriously considering the move from NSW, i feel trapped here with people exploiting my generosity and kindness and Tas would imho be perfect as a fresh start. Love the cold, tranquil and nature life it looks to be there. I would have to go down for a trip instead of buying a house from somewhere in your list but it's a great start. I had a friend buy a house in Ross several months back, he had his car windows smashed and things in his car stolen. But he likes it there, but he's older and retired so his needs are minimal. Very captivating video's you make, may i ask what rough area are you in? Thanks again and glad i found your channel. 🙂👍

Your video popped up in your feed so I watched it as I lived in Devonport for 12 years, my husband is Tasmanian and our daughter was born at the Mersey (Latrobe) hospital. I agree with most of what you said. Except your top two. Can’t say I agree with you there - Penguin and Huonville and I have been to Penguin many many times and Huonville 3 times. But it depends on what sort of lifestyle someone is seeking, I enjoyed Devonport as it was central to everywhere and has great amenities including the airport. Unfortunately house prices have gone crazy in the last 10 years. Oh one thing that I totally disagree with is the way you pronounce Launceston - you say it like Lawnceston but most people say Lonceston….and Lonnie for short. Good video, I enjoyed! Heading to Melb and then Devonport (from Darwin) this afternoon! Can’t wait to visit family and friends. I LOVE TASSIE (just wish it was a little warmer lol).

Thanks for this epic video. I'm busy grinding out a book about a beachcomber living on the west coast near strahan. I notice when driving towards Queenstown years ago there were bullet riddled road signs. Could I ask what were some of the other mannerisms you came across while living there that put your senses on alert. I'm formerly from Hobart BTW.

Heading end January. Motorcycle trip. Typically free camp. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of Tassie 👍

Thanks for the great presentation and excellent comments too. One thing I love about Tas is that the “big two” supermarket duopoly are less well entrenched, as I made a conscious decision to avoid them due to their unethical business practices, especially re their impact on Aussie small producers. Meanwhile I love shopping at Hill St Grocer, Salamanca Fresh and prefer Farah’s IGA when in the Huon Valley. Another area I think has potential is the Channel area south of Kingston - rural lifestyle and easier commute to Hobart vs crossing Vince’s Saddle out of Huonville. Just hope the vibe is not ruined by overdevelopment, as Kingston itself seems to be booming!

Hobart, an undeniably beautiful city, is 10-15 deg C today. Darwin, with a face only a mother could love, is 24-34 deg C today. Horses for courses, but I wouldn't survive a southern climate again. Thanks for the video.

Thank you for making this video. You are so honest and well informed about the Island. I have decided to stay in Western Australia. 🐎🐎

Thankyou we did a big round trip and we are thinking of saint helens as I love to mountainbike and the beaches and fishing. Any more on the v ibes. We also think Huonville but thats much colder and maybe not many beaches.

Thanks for a great video. I have been a number of times to Tassie and to nearly all of the places you mentioned, but not for many years. I would agree with all of your points after doing much research as to where I would go if I moved there. I haven't checked Huonville however. Given I'm in my 50's and single not working, is it a safe place to live do you know? Thanks 😁

My wife and I live on the mainland, nearing retirement and after 3 holidays in recent years to Tassie including cycling the Tasmanian Trail couple of years ago, we are considering retiring to the Apple Isle hopefully soon. So, with this in mind, we watched your video with interest. Being probably half our age, your criteria is a bit different to ours so things like career opportunities, commuting times and supply chains are not as significant criteria for us. However, nature for us is a big one so sea change and tree change qualities rate highly, as well as being somewhere with beautiful native wildlife and native forests, quiet and peaceful, sans too many people. We agreed on a no. of your nominations in your top ten, some we didn't and a couple of others have piqued our interest and deserving a look. We enjoyed your video and found it interesting and informative, thank you. PS: Curious as to where you've now settled.

Awesome video and great information :) We are currently researching a move to Tassie (from Qld) and found your video super helpful. We are curious to know more about what you mentioned about George Town, is it not a good area to consider?

I agree totally re: woolies/coles cos in queensland we have em everywhere on corners cos we like close proximity convenience. Ive been 2 tassy 4 times meself now and wow u can feel folk jusging you for been a MAINLANDER ffs we are all aussie Right. Me n hubby been wanting to move down there to however now i read this stuff about lots of snakes there i may stay in qld. Btw nvr known so many mofoze hung up on how to say the word LAWNCESTON ffs Lornseston get over ur selves - the lass is just giving uze public HER OPINION on tasmania where shes been n we got tort specill nglish in Queerslands skools duhhh Good vid missy make more Louisa

You need to do lot more research before recommending huonville in the winter the Southern out let out of hobart gets a lot of black ice and is regularly closed.and at times midlands hwy can be closed at times from snow and ice. Ice can be a problem any where in tas be careful

Nicely done! 👍 Useful. Thank you

Agree on Huonville, or one of the nearby towns, especially Cygnet. Nearly built a house in George Town 4 years ago, but it had a depressing vibe, though this is apparently changing. My picks on the north coast are Ulverstone and surrounding towns as it has both a Woolies and Coles and good medical specialist access,; Wynyard or the nearby Somerset, and Sheffield which is a great place to live, especially if looking for a trout fishing change, but it has limited GPs and only a IGA. However, Devonport and Latrobe are just 25 km away.

My father grew up in Geeveston in the 30s in the Huon area while my mother grew up in Queenstown in the 30s when it was a thriving mining town with some 5,000 residents in the greater area and a wonderful thriving atmosphere. My father met my mother as he worked in the mines in Queenstown. In fact it still had a pretty good atmosphere around the town in the 60s but started to dissipate somewhat during the early 70s from memory. Your video is so insightful and concurs with a lot of my thoughts being a regular traveler to TAS to see my cousins who are located all over the state but mainly on the west coast. I have been to most of these places you have mentioned and your views are pretty spot on. I look forward to visiting the two or three places you have mentioned that I have not been to. Great video.

Strahan is nice but very isolated.

Penguin all the way! But your biggest omission was New Norfolk.

What are your thoughts on New Norfolk and the Derwent Valley?

This is crazy…… I’m born and raised in Alice Springs NT 😞 my mum is born in Devonport and I have all my mums family lives in most of these places on the north coast.

Interesting that you never mentioned Ulverstone, the town I grew up in in the 70s, best in my perspective, having lived in Launceston, Penguin, Gladstone, Riverside, Gravelly Beach, but now in SA and in a rural city with many more services than Tasmania can give. Daily bus service to Adelaide, Airport here, all supermarkets, too many other things to list. Unfortunately Tasmania has become overpriced and some of the places you mention you would never go when I was young

Love to visit Deloraine. A lot colder than the coast🥶

Thanks for this interesting information this is just what I needed I'm looking at moving from Qld to Tas I'm primarily a lover of cold weather even though I've been born in Hell fire zones like South Africa and the aforementioned. I'm over the hustle and bustle of big cities I never liked that vibe anyway I'm interested in finding an acreage or 3 and live totally off grid adopt abused or unloved cats and dogs to live out the remaining yrs on Planet Earth All I need is an internet connection or perhaps I'll need to join Star link to run my business, so I don't need a career or job.

Scottsdale with out mentioning mountain bikes?

Thank you - Great segment and I believe you were nearly "spot-on". However I would rate Penguin 🐧 as No 1! Reasons as follows: Living near the sea, climate, small but excellent shopping strip, good schools. close proximity to both Burnie and Devonport (for employment) airport, Spirit of Tasmania. And the locals care about the town and are friendly. We have lived in Penguin since 2011 after initially spending 3 years in Hobart having relocated from the Surf Coast in Victoria. Regards Chris

Appreciated your video and I would totally agree with everything you said spot on Good on you. Where do you live?

2 small critiques: Launceston does not charge a lot for parking. Council carparks are $2 an hour and are free from 3:30 to 5:30! I have parked in Launceston for as little as 70 cents using a parking app. Deloraine is closer to Devonport than Launceston, not the other way around. George Town got just 5 unhelpful words from you, and yes it has some problems, but it is a sea-change area, and has one of the most temperate climates in Tassie. It has a hospital, a medical clinic, shops that are walking distance from almost anywhere you choose to live, a Woolworths, preschool, primary & high schools, and wonderful mountain, river & bay views. It also has two great mountain bike trails, employment opportunities in Bell Bay (5 mins away) or Launceston (40 mins away), parklands, riverside walks, and inexpensive housing with the best places to live being east of the main road that goes through town. It's also very close to Low Head with it's penguin tours, fantastic beaches, and the Pilot Station Centre. It's 40 mins to Bridport with two world-class golf courses, and one of the most beautiful beaches in northern Tas, and is the same distance to the Narawntapu National Park across the river, as well as Beaconsfield. Another top pick for me is Exeter, 30 mins from Launceston on the West Tamar Highway, with a variety of shops, 2 IGAs, Dr clinic, bakery, library, bank, preschool, primary & high schools, etc., all within walking distance. It's a tree change rather than a sea change, but has access to the Frankford Highway to Devonport, or the Meander Valley (Westbury, Deloraine, etc.) via the Birralee Road, as well as many wonderful wineries in the area, including the Tamar Valley Wine Centre in town, and is just 10 mins to a large shopping centre in Legana. PS, after 5 years here you should know that Launceston is pronounced Lonceston, not Lawnceston.

Thanks for the video! We have decided to move to Tasmania from New Zealand and this was really helpful. I do have a question though - how do Tasmanians feel about Kiwis?

Very helpful! Thank you!

Great information. Thank you.

Agree, Wynyard is good. Beautiful, commutable to Burnie, Airport is good for FIFO. Near the Tarkine.

We live in Devonport and I’d warn people away from the Mersey Hospital. I’m not sure Tasmania offers many career opportunities if you are a white collar worker. Higher Education is not valued in the North West. It’s a stunning state but work opportunities are VERY limited to key industries. There is a huge demand for medical staff and obviously anything related to mining and agriculture but not much outside of that.

I was expecting somewhere in the north midlands area. But I guess there were a few places that are close.

Have been looking to move to Tasmania to work as a Gp. It looks freezing though. Like North Wales in the UK. Beautiful but miss the warmth

What is Swansea like .Its close to Hobart ?

Apparently in the colonial days, there were plans for Cleveland to become a major hub for the midlands but that never happened. I know this because I have a lot of Tasmanian family history and my aunt is super into it (and even wrote a book about it). Also Zeehan was once the third largest town in Tasmania, interestingly enough.

"Career opportunities" really means "job possibilities". A career is more life-long.

NW Coast = much better weather throughout the year. I have lived in Ulverstone, Wynyard and Burnie over the last 29 years.

Love Latrobe, Penguin, Ulverstone, Sheffield, Port Sorell. North West Coast has the best weather, good population which means jobs and amazing scenery /beaches.

I'm 63 now. Born and bred in Devonport (..and NZ😂) Not surprised it didn't rate....

I heard a song by Amanda Palmer called "map of Tasmania" and the terrain of any other region in the world has been underwhelming for me, since.

Launceston is pronounced, Lonceston, not Lawnceston, if you're a Tasmanian, that is. I'll always be a Tasmanian, even though I haven't lived in Ulverstone since 1966.

What the criteria "were".

are there snakes in penguin and wynyard...?

You had me up until your number one pick. Huonville is a wonderful place to visit, however it is isolated from the rest of Tasmania. It would be No5 on places I don't want to live. You left off Ulverstone, Shearwater, Westbury and Longford, all better places than Huonville

It’s Launceston, not Lawnceston

Good Video

I wouldn't mind living in some nice town in the huon valley - my criteria would be decent butchers, decent cafes, a few restuarants, and a couple of shops and markets etc...Im actively taking donations if anyone wants to buy me a house LOL

I would LOVE to be able to actually speak to you. Is there an opportunity to do so? Really. Not weird, I think o.O. I am a New South Welshman and dead keen on moving down this way. Am currently staying on the Huon on this wonderful and charming little bedsit for a week and frankly, .. I am done. Sold! But, your insight would be grand. I am happy to pay you for your time, but not ok with giving my ph over on YT. May I email you?

Make more videos please.

What could of been said in 5min dragged out to 26

Where do Europeans and non-Tasmanians like to live. Family friendly and safe.

Who doesn't want to spend their weekends at Bernie(s). 😆

Huonville too cold for me🥶. Too dry.

Beaches are not as nice at the top. More tidal too

Hot tip: Launceston is pronounced ‘Lonceston.’

Stanley.

Don’t move to Tassie if shopping is important to you

Job opportunities? There really aren’t job opportunities in small towns- the majority of Tasmanians who live in small towns actually commute to the bigger towns/ cities for work

Why don't you like George Town?

penguin 2 your joking right hahahaha

If you got lots of money you can retire in Tasmania. Youll have to go to mainland for decent medical care. You'll be an out of towner in every town except Hobart no matter how long you live in Tasmania. Tasmania is cold. Ross and Oatlands are the coldest. There isnt much to do in Tasmania. Wynyard to Devonport good. If you live south of Hobart your commute to work will be slow as there is only on route in and its steep and icy. Go on a holiday but stay on the mainland.

Agree 100% with what you said on queenstown and stahan and ross and port arthur. Latrobe is and has for at least the last 50years been the sporting capital of tasmania , if ur into sports then thats a great place to live. Bridport in my opinion has the best beaches in tas but the people are a different breed , similar to queenstown theyre not friendly . Penguin is beautiful , scottsdale is in a perfect spot , 10minutes from bridport if you want water sports or fishing , 45minutes from the city if you wish to live in the country and work in the city, and a great place if ur into horse riding trails or motorbiking in the bush . Wynyard is not a place that does anything for me. St helens up until 10years ago was my fave town but now its just way too overcrowded through summer. Sheffield is another place that i rate highly, huon valley is a beautiful area but in my opinion its only for visiting

We’re right here in Tassie stay over the big island we’re fine 👍

Yeah you should remember why you came to live here !!👎 stop this nonsense of exposing us to even more people who will never know how this island works ! - basically leave us alone 👌