The first thing to decide
How are you getting to Tasmania? The choice is to either to travel by plane or to catch the ferry – each has its’ own pros and cons. The best advantage of flying is that it’s quick …. actually that’s probably the only advantage I can think of (unless you’re prone to seasickness like me!). Well, flying is cheaper too but that only really matters if you’re not getting travel subsidised by your employer.
Going on the boat – it’s a long trip that takes all day, so if you can get a night sailing, I find that better. Get on, go to sleep and then you’re in Tassie. Getting a cabin is definitely much more comfortable than trying to find a seat on the boat to spend the night. There are recliner seats to hire, but I’d much rather have my own space. If you have a vehicle that is taller than 2.1m, which ours is as we’ve got a rooftop box, the spaces are limited so it’s essential to book in advance. The cons for sailing, would be the time it takes, the price (it’s not cheap) and limited booking space (if you’ve got a tall vehicle). But pros – you now have your car with you and all the stuff you can fit in your car.
Whilst working in Tasmania, I’ve been based in Hobart. Within the city itself, you can quite easily survive without a car. The public transport is a bit limited but being a smaller sized city, many destinations are within walking distance. If not, there’s Uber and E-scooters are available to hire as well. But once you want to get out of the city and explore, it becomes much more difficult without a car. So, if you like to use your days off to get out & about, then I would recommend bringing a car.
Weather
It can get cold, as in snowing cold. But we have had a few hot days too (as in high 20s, warm enough to swim in the icy water!!!). For the majority of the time though it’s been pretty cool. So, puffer and rain coat are recommended as are some good hiking shoes. There’s so many amazing walks to go on! If you’re full-on into hiking, there’s plenty of choices for longer hikes nearby but if you’re like me, who doesn’t mind a walk but doesn’t fancy an 8 hour or 3 day hike, there’s heaps of short walks that will reward you with spectacular views.
Hobart is small city living
Literally everyone knows everyone. I bump into people from work at the supermarket, in the pub or when I’m just walking down the street. And there is plenty of good bars and places to eat, so you won’t be missing out. However, coming from Melbourne, I was used to pretty much 24hr life (pre lockdown!!!) and I could go out for dinner at 9pm without a worry that I wouldn’t be able to find any place open. In Hobart, it’s a bit more of a hunt – most restaurants will be closing their kitchen at 9pm. I have found some late night eateries, they’re just few and far between.
Of course, there’s more to Tasmania than just the capital city. The entire state is full of delightful little towns that are just waiting to be visited. As far as the hospitals go, the ones in Burnie, Hobart and Launceston regularly need agency staff.
I have absolutely loved working in Tassie and would 100% go back there again. For the littlest state, there is so much to see and do.