Any Aussies here? Could do with some advice..

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I'm a 25yr male with diagnosed mild/moderate Asperger's from the UK. My parents are planning to retire in Hobart, Tasmania, and the plan is that I'm going to emigrate with them, as I have been offered a place at UTAS as a mature student, starting in February.

Now I have been to Oz a few times before (my mum's Australian), and stayed in Hobart last time we visited - my impression was that is was a nice place, I liked the slow place of life there, it felt more laid back and less "hustly" compared to Sydney say. I figured that starting out fresh at (literally) the other end of the world might be just what I need. However, I did only spend 2 weeks there and I have my doubts, I didn't really get to know anyone or spend much time checking out the Uni, I wonder if it might feel a bit too isolated and backward for somebody who is used to all their mod cons? From what I gather it seems most peoples view is something like - Taz is to mainland Australia what Wales is the UK.. a less desirable place to live! Though I don't know if that is joke, and/or the view of "NTs".. I have been to Wales and some parts are very nice!

Anyway, if there is anybody here (Aspie or otherwise) who could give me any advice or insight as to whether this is a good (or crazy) idea I would be most grateful!

Tasmania is probably fine (my dads from there) though I've heard it's very conservative and behind. i.e. a lot of bullying in schools, the worst prison in Australia, I've heard being homosexual was illegal there until recently, and also have been told the only complete genocide in history happened in Tasmania. (the Aboriginal people were completely wiped off the island) But I expect it would be very serene, and nice weather. If you can find some people to fit in with it would be very nice.

when i was younger i lived in tassie for two years in a place called launceston, which is an hour or two from hobart, tassie is a nice place to live, I liked it. (had to move because of dad's job)
U should try a google search on the uni at google.com.au (select pages from Australia) and read up on it. just to give u some idea as to what the uni is like.

Thanks for the advice guys, anyone else here from Oz?

Ehh, I ought to warn you that house affordability is becoming quite difficult to achieve here in Australia currently, just so you know.

I've lived in Tasmania my whole life and while I don't go out much, it is quite nice here. Just don't go to the Hobart Waterfront at night, a couple of my cousins have been physically assaulted by the immature folk who hang out there (one nearly lost his eye ). The weather here is great though, rarely any extremes in temperature and no natural disasters like flooding or earthquakes or cyclones/tornadoes/hurricanes/etc, but bushfires are still a sobering reality when the air gets too dry.

for some weird reason people keep reporting seeing the tassie tiger.

the tassie devil could be extinct sometime, due to the facial tumors they are suffering at the moment.

Hello Bightme,

I live in Queensland, Australia. I've never been to Tasmania but have heard it is beautiful and the people very friendly and laid-back.

Australia is improving all the time with it's help for people with Asperger's.

I have 3 sons - 2 diagnosed with Asperger's.

Centrelink (our Social Security) recognises Asperger's as a disability and we receive extra financial support.

Also, the cost of attending a Psychologist is heavily subsidised by Medicare.

Helen

I'm from Australia. Don't live in Murray Bridge though; we don't get a lot of help for aspies here.

Some Aussies think of Tasmanians being somewhat backwards or behind the times and they have all these inbreeding jokes made at their expense, but I think that's just interstate rivalry.

I've known a few Tazzies and they've all been really nice, cool people.

I'm unaware of any Autism/AS-related communites based in Tasmania, but I haven't looked at all for any.

Hah, I actually didn't know that Centrelink (in QLD anyway) recognised it as a 'disability' and gave support for it. Over the years I've refused to have anything to do with Centrelink because of all the grief they've given the NT members of my family already, but perhaps I ought to look into it.

And yes, the jokes are interstate rivalry. I believe it also happens between Western Australia and the rest of the mainland too. You could almost call us Tazzies the weird little kids of the Aussie family.

When I got diagnosed the sent me for a Job Capacity Assessment to see if I should be on disability. The assessor basically told me that the government is getting as many people off disability as they can and that they aren't really accepting any new applications for it. I was told to keep doing what I'm doing, if I'm not dead, it must be working.

I'm in Tassie, on the north coast, town called Penguin.

I'm a transplant from the mainland (lived in Sydney and WA), only been here a year. Hobart seemed fine to me, I've only spent a few days there. Houses are pricey. Nice looking town, easy to get around in. No IKEA though!

I'm still stumbling my way through things, I think it takes a year or two before you feel like you live somewhere, like a local.