MargfromTassie
Reviews
"Perfect size friendly town by the sea"
The greater Devonport area has about 25,000 people. A few years ago I relocated from Melbourne to the Devonport area. I love this town - it is the perfect size, large enough to have a variety of shops and clubs of all kinds but not too big to get lost in or too busy traffic-wise. The people, like most in Tassie, are friendly and the shopkeepers are happy to chat and have a joke. No one seems stressed out or grumpy.The town is surrounded by water with Bass Strait to the north, the Mersey River to the east and the Don River on the western boundary. On both sides of the Mersey, there are lovely walking tracks - the one commencing on Victoria Parade north of the main shopping centre and continuing for several klms around the coast to the large forested Don Reserve area over on the west is fantastic. There is a good choice of schools and my two teenagers enjoyed their final 2 years of school at the excellent Don College, a state school - and got into uni. The area also has many facilities for senior citizens and the elderly.The climate in Devonport is great - neither as cold in winter nor as hot in summer as Hobart or Launceston. From Devonport, there are lots of interesting places to visit, from Sheffield, Barrington,Cradle Mountain, Penguin, Burnie, Ulverstone, Wynyard in the west - about an hour or less away, or Launceston and the villages of the Tamar Valley to the east, again about an hour away. Qantas flights from East Devonport airport take you to Melbourne in just over an hour, or you can sleep the night away on the Spirit, arriving in Melbourne early the next morning. There always seems to be something on in Devonport - live plays or concerts, shows or exhibitions. Everything is easily accessible by car, but the public transport is a bit scarce. Nevertheless, for the non driver, there are plenty of houses or units that are within walking distance of the two key shopping areas, and they are half the cost of where I was living before in Melbourne. We have chosen to have an acreage lifestyle about 15 minutes away from Devonport on the coast in Port Sorell, which has its own small village. I feel very relaxed living in this part of Tassie, and it feels "genuine" and "safe" after the urban buzz and edginess and increasingly "driven" and status conscious nature of Melbourne. Whenever I fly into Devonport after spending time away on the mainland, I love looking down on the lovely green vistas surrounding this great town and I'm so glad to be home. I've now met many people who've come from all areas of Australia and are very happy that they have relocated to the north west of Tasmania.
Great for
- Many !
Not great for
- Before 5pm - parking anywhere near the main shpping centres is not free, except for the large supermarkets.
- Devonport streets are neat but could have a few more trees.
Who lives here?
- Professionals
- Singles
- Families with kids
- Retirees
- Tourists
- Students
- Country Lovers
- Beach Lovers
...Every seems grumpy. The local are constantly complaining about the paid parking everywhere, the amount of unemployed drunk and drug addicts. Most people skip Devonport once arriving and head straight out of town. The council needs to get its priorities sorted. As to friendly people, ha, I have lived here for a year and still do not know my neighbors due to the fact they are rude. The only good thing is cheap private primary school, but once they get to high school move as they are full of drugs.
Hi people of Tasmania.I am looking to relocate from Northern NSW to Sheffield.I have been there and enjoyed the murals and outstanding natural beauty and I was hoping to get some feedback about the town.
Thanks in advance.
Linda.
Hi lindap8 Sheffield is a great place. The only thing I can say that is not all positive is that facilities are limited due to the small population and it does get cold in the wintertime. Check the weather forecast pages and see if you could manage the weather there. I live on the coast in East Devonport which is about an 18 minute drive from Sheffiled. Not so cold in the winter time, cooler in the summer and lovely place also.
Hi, we are thinking of relocating to Penguin. I have 2 primary school aged kids and 1 pre- schooler. Can you tell me a little more about this town please?
Penguin is a nice little place with basic shopping facilities and is only a few minutes drive from Burnie. Very hilly though. You could get on Google Maps and give yourself a bit of a tour around the place. Climate is pretty good as it is all along the north west coast.
Hi, Im thinking of buying a place in Devonport as a investment for now and once it paid off we will move to Devonport to live. I love the cold weather all day everyday and I want to know how safe is it to start a family in Devonport? I can see John complaining about drugs, alcohol, unemployment and paid parking. Is that true?
Cannot agree with you more. your comments have hit the button right on the head. I had occasion to stay in East Devonport recently and booked in to the Argosy Motor Inn for affordable accommodation. I came away very impressed with the courtesy of the staff and the tidyness and neatness of this great Motel. I drove the three or four minutes over to Devonport "city" and found the locals to be equally as courteous and friendly. Yes, Burnie is only thirty minutes away to the east, and similarly Launceston fifty five to sixty minutes in the other direction. The recently placed statue at the entrance to the harbour, "Neptune"?, together with the lovely new surf club "complex" on the beach front are both a credit to the city council town planners. Well done, guys.