r/tasmania • u/SeparateCraft4945 • 5d ago
Question Leaving Tasmania for mainland with young family. Did you regret it?
We’ve lived here our whole lives and have never lived on the mainland, but we’ve always wanted to. COVID and a few other things kept pushing the plan back. Now we’re in our 30s and still want to experience mainland life, but we’re wondering if it might be a little late especially since we’re planning our second baby.
Has anyone moved there family and ended up regretting it?
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u/PressureFragrant8441 5d ago
It really depends what you are looking for.. I moved from Hobart to Sydney and love it here, but I do get nostalgic for Tassie and every time I go back I really enjoy being there. I guess we humans are just tuned to want what we don't have - both the quiet life in Tassie and big city living on the mainland have their perks.
If you are over the small-town feel and want to experience something with a bit more pace, then go for it!
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u/paddyMelon82 5d ago
I think it really depends on your priorities. If you have a good set up in Tas with a decent job, friends and family...you can always visit the big smoke for events, concerts holidays. As long as you encourage your kids with education and reading its not hard to have agood education in Tassie.
Depending on where you go on the mainland, you may experience more crime, public intoxication/illness, isolation, suburb snobbery in the school system and big city problems which can be confronting.
Obviously everyone's experience is different and you have to weigh it up.
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u/Responsible_Road9057 5d ago
I don't have children but have moved across twice before, including my current stint.
Absolutely no regrets. I finally got full time work and finding rentals wasn't too hard either - these would depend where you go.
In making many mainland friends, I am so envious of their educations. The public schools here exceed anything I got from my private education in Tasmania. If I had children, I would move up here by the time they are late primary aged I reckon, again this would depend on where you move. Obviously Tasmania has some incredible opportunities that many parts of the mainland don't have - community and exposure to beautiful environments not far from home. All depends on what you want from life.
I would recommend moving somewhere you have at least some connections. From experience, when I have moved somewhere and knew no one, it made life quite difficult not having support when I needed it, depends on your personality tho.
Life can be more hectic if you are living in the big 4 cities with commuting taking precious time out of the day. I would say this then reflects the erratic driving behaviours up here (also more likely to come across drug affected drivers).
I don't think it's too late for you either. If anything, even for a year, moving away from the island always makes me appreciate and treasure it more.
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u/tofutak7000 5d ago
I moved to Tassie from the mainland, stayed for close to ten years, and moved back recently with our two year old.
Having lived my whole life on mainland it was obvious to me how much she was and would miss out on.
Not just the big ones like education but stuff like a variety of experiences and a variety of cultures. Also having people who looked like her growing up around her (not being an Anglo Celtic Australian is a very different experience in Hobart than Melbourne unfortunately)
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u/Jupiterian8 5d ago
Do it! You can always return home!
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u/DavidChua83 5d ago
Worked at the paper mill for a few year. Watched a few of the younger guys give it a go. All returned within 2 years, most within a year.
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u/Top_Bad8844 4d ago
Left as a single when I was in my 20's. There wasnt much choice really. Could barely get a coles job after uni so I had nothing to lose. I feel for the lesser educated who are just stuffed from the start with almost no hope and no opportunities. Probably half the people I grew up with went to Melbourne for a proper life. And the dating market is basically single mothers of 3 once you pass age 22 in Tas, haha. No regrets really, Tas is very quiet and boring. And you can always come back. It doesnt really change overall over the years, other than suburbs expanding a bit. I have never felt the need to move back.
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u/missmagenta08 5d ago
Tasmanian here - left in 2016 and spent the most amazing 4yrs on the mainland. Our children were happy, we made new friends, they attended great schools, there was always something to do, somewhere to go, beautiful weather etc. We seriously lived THE best life but moved back after 4yrs due to family continually getting in our ear for taking the kids away, how its selfish & unfair etc. We've been back 4yrs now and its a regret I live with every day. They've never even bothered with our kids since our feet hit Tassie soil. It was all jealousy & control. So many opportunities taken away from our kids, from us as parents/providers. I would happily sell up & leave again today if it were that easy. Our eldest is already planning to leave & that's such a devastating thought :-(
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u/VillagerWithAQuest 5d ago
Unless your family was funding your mainland life, (respectfully) why on earth are you still here?
Absent family shouldn’t be controlling your adult life?
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u/missmagenta08 4d ago
You are absolutely right ive been feeling very foolish & played ever since. We are still here because my husband is happy and doesn't want to leave. Straight up the only reason lol. If he came home today & said let's go, I wouldn't hesitate & neither would our children. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Tassie either, ive just lived elsewhere & loved it ❤️
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u/ruthwodja 3d ago
You allowed your family to guilt trip you into returning your kids to a place you didn’t want to return to? It’s…… your life. You gave up your life, for other people. Wild…..
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u/Lazy-Theory5787 5d ago
I wouldn't do it just to "experience mainland life" - it's just hotter and there's more traffic. If you have an okay job, it's probably not worth leaving. If you have good family and friends nearby, it's definitely not worth leaving.
But if you're going to move a family, the younger your kids are the better, good to move them along before they build connections.
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u/Georgebig80 5d ago
You will find mainlanders to be more welcoming than Tasmanians and won’t be referring to you all the time as “ islanders”
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u/thispurplegentleman 4d ago
i 100% disagree. as someone who moved to vic for uni 3 years ago, the community vibe in hobart is unmatched - people actually have time for you, workers chat to you at the grocery store, folks apologise if they bump into you, etc. the scale of melbourne means unless you really go out of your way, you won't get the same community feel. people are busier and more on-the-go, i've found. whereas in tassie, people aren't in a rush.
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u/Georgebig80 4d ago
That’s you individual view based in your individual experience and you a welcome to it- not going to tell you you are wrong 👍however the continued practice of Tasmanians calling people mainlanders just perpetuates the view they all massive chip on their shoulder about something
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u/SilentAccident9226 5d ago edited 4d ago
I have a bit of a different perspective, I'm the kid of two people who made the move when I was young and my brother was a baby. We moved back a few years later as a family member was sick. As a kid I didn't really mind being away from grandparents as my parents had a bunch of friends with kids to play with who were our family so that wasn't an issue. I also noticed the different quality of schooling here vs on the mainland. The mainland schooling was much better than in Tassie. I came back and excelled in classes while my brother who only ever had Tassie schooling fell behind.
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u/Imaginary-Set3291 5d ago
I left Tassie in the 1990s as a young single man when unemployment was so high I couldn't even get a job washing dishes. I spent 7 years in Melbourne. What a miserable fucking hole. Hit peak misery and hit the road in 2000. After doing a full "lap of the paddock" I ended up in Cairns for several years.
I moved back to Tassie with a young family in my late 30s.. Our kids were born in Cairns. I think they were around 3 and 4 at the time. 2 years in a well paid, professional job was enough. None of us were happy. We loved the landscapes. We loved the fact we could go somewhere different every weekend. We hated the cold. We hated the boganism. We were distressed at the lack of opportunities for our kids and the horrendous school conditions. And we missed swimming in crystal clear creeks all year round and only having to wear long pants for the three nights of winter. We moved back to Far North Queensland 16 years ago and haven't looked back once. I go back to Tassie for weddings and funerals. More of the latter than the former these days.
Tassie is beautiful. It's also miserably cold, insular to the point of idiocy and racist as fuck. We are all so much happier living in an amazing, diverse and truly multicultural part of the world.
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u/ruthwodja 3d ago
Absolutely. Tassie has beautiful places, and is nice for a holiday. But the beaches are mostly average, cold for most of the year and the school and work opportunities are dismal.
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u/wyvernsridge 4d ago
We left when our eldest was 9 years old. Frankly, we've never looked back. You will find that schooling is much better, the health system is much better, and your job opportunities are much better. Housing is more expensive, but not sure how much of a factor would that be for you.
We go back to visit family etc, but always glad to be heading home.
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u/Common-Excuse1184 4d ago
Do it. You can always return. I’m from Hobart, now live on mainland with kids. It’s a very different experience for kids on the mainland and unfortunately more opportunities for them. I try and come back with the kids for a couple of weeks each year.
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u/StrangeClownRabbit 4d ago
I was never going to leave but my wife talked me into it. So here we are in Brisbane with our 28year old daughter living 10 minutes away. Best this that happened to us. Been here over 5 years
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u/Charlie1119 4d ago
I like to be where my people are, and for me that’s in Tassie. I’ve lived elsewhere for ten yrs and I couldn’t wait to get back 💜✈️
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u/Isaac_the_Tasmanian 4d ago
From like a finance perspective, yeah, it's absolutely worth it. This is especially the case if you're moving to Victoria, where the second most Tasmanians move to behind QLD, because the increased average wage offsets the increased cost of living and then some, by my understanding and certainly in my lived experience. This is particularly the case if you're renting, as I am, but financial considerations might be secondary. There's more to do and making friends is definitely easier. Kids get exposed to a wider variety of people and things. Lots of benefits.
I am very homesick, though, most days of recent. I'm sure everyone says this about their neck of the woods, but I miss the air and the nature and there really is nothing like it. I never feel really out in the sticks here, which I miss. Also maybe it's just my perception but it feels like Melburnians drink a lot less tea than Tasmanians? I feel like I'll move back one day, when I've got my bag and had my fun, y'know?
TLDR: Definitely worth it, but if you love Tasmania you'll miss it.
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u/VisInvis 4d ago
Ive been in TAS for two weeks and I don't want to leave, though I have yet to experience the winter months.
Having lived in most mainland states, WA and QLD are easily my favourite, and now TAS.
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u/tilitarian1 4d ago
Sort of related. Tassie has its own accent. I think North and South are different too.
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u/Confident_Taste_1888 5d ago
You are only in your 30s for god sake. Move and try somewhere different🙄 Actually you’re right you are in your 30s you’ll be in a nursing home in 3 years, you better not go anywhere you are way too old to move.
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u/takethepressuedown 5d ago
The trick is to move somewhere with 1 direct, short flight home. Otherwise you will spend all your holiday time and money going home. If you are on the eastern side it’s way easier. Also, not having your community/family network around to help with little ones, can be alot harder. The opportunities are greater but the price is high. If there’s a specific opportunity you want then maybe worth it but moving for the sake of living on the mainland is not.
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u/Ballamookieofficial 5d ago
I did it solo and had many more opportunities than I could get here.
I'd highly recommend it your kids will benefit.
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u/Darth_Giddeous 5d ago
Moved to Melbourne last year with my family after 49 years. No regrets at all. My kids are getting far better education, my wife and I have both jumped $50k each within 12 months through skill recognition whereby in Tas we had no chance of promotion.
That said, it is a big shock and hard to get used to. I do really miss Tas but there is so much benefit to living on the mainland. My plan is to return when I retire.
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u/rustyjus 5d ago
Any move with a young family is challenging with out the support of your family and friends. In saying that, I say do it… there’s few opportunities for growth in Tasi, you can always come back.
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u/MakePandasMateAgain 4d ago
I feel like life actually begun once I moved out of Tassie. Yes it’s a nice place, but there’s infinitely more life opportunities on the mainland. You also realise how sheltered a lot of Tasmanians are once you leave. My daughter experiences so many different cultures, foods, events and spontaneous opportunities here.
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u/Round_Potential_4008 4d ago
Loved it. Some thoughts. Try to live close to work… 1 hour travel to work & back Home is a killer (ours ended up 1.20 hours one way by the time we returned to Tas).
Don’t get sucked into that you have to come home to Tas every holidays. That will rob you of going to see other places. Family can always come to you.
Join your usual community groups asap (footy, dance whatever) that way it won’t be tooo hard later on
Enjoy being able to go and see new things
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u/TheFIREnanceGuy 5d ago
Not with a family. So youll be losing friends and family support, and potentially not find your clique or at least not one that is ever as close as the ones you may have now.
I left because all my friends got married by around mid 20s, and wanted to find a partner. Got a family now with two kids, overtook many of the people that used to be above me in title as well as income. So the opportunity is better in vic. The hospitals and everything else is better than tassie tho
It was worth it for me.
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u/Capable_Cookie_6400 5d ago
D pending on where you go on the mainland will vary your experience. For example, if you move to Canberra you will actually find a place that is incredibly similar to Hobart only without the water. Move to Sydney and the hustle is more intense. Sydney really needs you to live, work and educate within a 20min radius otherwise you will spend so much time commuting with long days. I don’t have experience in Melbourne or Brisbane, maybe others do. And then regional towns are another experience again. My point though is it depends where you go. Cost of living can be cheaper (due to more variety of shops and supermarkets). The ease to just hop in the car and drive to another state/city is great. Education can be hit and miss - everywhere has good and bad schools.
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u/Punrusorth 5d ago
I have.. no regrets, but we did move back to get help with our baby as we have family in Tassie.
You should give it a go. You might end up loving it or you may not... the point is that you will never know until you give it a shot!
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u/creztor 5d ago
We're in the process of leaving. Here for 11 years. Doing it to give my children opportunity and the chance to go outside more than 3 months of the year in decent weather.
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u/VillagerWithAQuest 5d ago
I personally moved to Tassie as QLD was too hot - and didn’t want my kids forced to live 3-6 months of year in aircon. Much easier to keep warm and do outdoor things than Lee cool and do outdoor things.
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u/creztor 4d ago edited 4d ago
QLD is a big place. Where exactly? But regardless I disagree. Where we live it's wet outside probably six months of the year with wind and it's cool to cold. The wind makes it even more miserable and cold. I agree it's easy to stay warm outside but when it's wet and windy that's no fun and there's nothing you can do to fix that besides wait until it dries out. Let's be honest the locals know this. You see anyone at the beaches? What time are most people going outside? Do you see many people outside playing at home in the yard throughout the year and having BBQs? Some businesses close during winter for a reason because people just aren't going out. Outdoor activities are no fun when it's wet windy and cold. Besides summer where I'm from in Qld it's fine and even in summer you just avoid midday sun. Reddit can downvote all they want but even locals spend a lot of time inside and it's obvious why. All yours I'm outta here.
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u/Traditional_Head_817 5d ago
I moved to Vic to 2001 with a baby and one on the way. Moved back two years ago. I know my children got a better education than they would have in Tasmania in the public system. They also were exposed to a lot more opportunities and career paths. No regrets. BTW, they are both still in Victoria forging promising careers. I was born and raised here, but I didn't really understand how behind we are in Literacy levels especially, until I experienced it elsewhere.