Carol Dunkin and her husband Sam: enjoying their gardening
Tasmania’s Derwent Valley offers fertile ground for those looking to lay down new roots.
The Derwent Valley is located 36 kilometres north west from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart, or a relaxing 30-minute drive along the banks of the majestic Derwent River. The river is the major geographic feature of the region and its nine tributaries wind through the fertile valley, creating a picturesque rural setting fi rst settled by Europeans in 1807.
The region covers 4,111 square kilometres and boasts some of Tasmania’s most spectacular wilderness areas, including the iconic Mt Field National Park incorporating Russell Falls, and the inspirational tall trees of the Styx Valley (visit www.riversrun.net.au for further details). The current population of 9,000 is projected to grow by between 3,000 and 5,000 over the next fi ve to seven years as a raft of housing projects mature.
The main regional hub, New Norfolk (Tasmania’s ‘country capital’), is celebrating its bicentennial, making it one of Tasmania’s and indeed Australia’s oldest towns. The built and natural landscape refl ects rich heritage and interesting stories, with many sites and buildings listed on the National Heritage Register.
The Derwent Valley offers fresh air, clean water and a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring is warm, summer is warm to hot and dry, and winter can be cold and frosty with snow on the mountains. It is autumn, however, for which the Derwent Valley is most famous. Introduced English trees aged up to 200 years are plentiful, providing spectacular autumn colours.
Family focus
The Derwent Valley has its own child care centre and family day care service, an abundance of open spaces, scenic walking tracks, parks, BBQ facilities and playgrounds. There is a skate park and an award-winning bike track, with its own traffi c lights and pedestrian crossings, specifi cally designed for youngsters to learn real road safety rules!
Education and industry
There are five Public Primary Schools with associated kindergartens and playgroups, one Public High School at New Norfolk and one District High School at Glenora, 15 minutes west of New Norfolk. Connections between the schools, community and industry are growing. For example, an innovative program called ‘Leading Edge’ aims to create links with industry and provide individualised programs for students beyond Grade 10. There is also one Catholic Primary School at New Norfolk and a comprehensive range of Private Schools in Hobart, with an extensive daily return bus service.
Housing construction, agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, viticulture, retail, hospitality and care are the region’s emerging industries, adding to traditional forestry and newsprint manufacturing, with demand for people with science training and people skills.
Sports and recreation
This is a sport-loving community with venues for swimming, tennis, football, soccer, golf, speed-car racing, horse riding, shooting and bowls to name but a few, all supported by active social clubs. The Derwent River provides the perfect facility for water sports and world-class fishing, and boasts a reputation for producing Olympic rowing champions.
Robert Walker: found nothing in Europe to match the Derwent Valley
Full service
Whether it’s supermarkets or old-fashioned butchers and bakeries that you’re after, the Derwent Valley has it all. There are plenty of shopping options for the fashion conscious, and restaurants and cafes off er everything from takeaway to fine dining and great coff ee (the best in Tassie)! New Norfolk also has major banks, emergency services, a lawyer, laundry, post offi ce, police station, library, online access centre, veterinary clinic and much more.
For medical needs, there is a general practice medical centre, a community health centre (social workers, family health nurse, physiotherapist, etc), a dental clinic, two chemists, two optometrists and an award-winning aged care facility. A vibrant community house provides support through many varied programs and services including adult education, counselling, life skills and a regular community market.
Property
The valley offers a variety of property opportunities including new house and land packages, new one or three bedroom apartments close to all services, and existing rural properties. Residential property investment has been strong since the early nineties and demand for rental accommodation continues, with a next-to-nil vacancy rate. Rental properties often show a return of around six per cent gross, and commercial properties achieve up to 10 per cent.
For further information please refer to:
Derwent Real Estate Ph: (03) 62614222 www.derwentrealestate.com.au Roberts Real Estate Ph: (03) 62611755 http://www.robertsre.com.au/newnorfolk PRD Nationwide Ph: (03) 62612555 www.prdhobart.com.au Prime Real Estate Ph: (03) 62612000 www.primerealestatetasmania.com.
In 2005, the Derwent Valley was awarded a bronze medal at the International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom), which is the world’s only competition for communities that focuses on environmental management and the creation of liveable communities.
For further information please refer to www.derwentvalley.com.au or Derwent Valley Council Ph: (03) 62618500, www.derwentvalley.tas.gov.au.
A home for all seasons
Carol Dunkin and her husband Sam: enjoying their gardening
Tasmania’s Derwent Valley offers fertile ground for those looking to lay down new roots.
The Derwent Valley is located 36 kilometres north west from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart, or a relaxing 30-minute drive along the banks of the majestic Derwent River. The river is the major geographic feature of the region and its nine tributaries wind through the fertile valley, creating a picturesque rural setting fi rst settled by Europeans in 1807.
The region covers 4,111 square kilometres and boasts some of Tasmania’s most spectacular wilderness areas, including the iconic Mt Field National Park incorporating Russell Falls, and the inspirational tall trees of the Styx Valley (visit www.riversrun.net.au for further details). The current population of 9,000 is projected to grow by between 3,000 and 5,000 over the next fi ve to seven years as a raft of housing projects mature.
The main regional hub, New Norfolk (Tasmania’s ‘country capital’), is celebrating its bicentennial, making it one of Tasmania’s and indeed Australia’s oldest towns. The built and natural landscape refl ects rich heritage and interesting stories, with many sites and buildings listed on the National Heritage Register.
The Derwent Valley offers fresh air, clean water and a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring is warm, summer is warm to hot and dry, and winter can be cold and frosty with snow on the mountains. It is autumn, however, for which the Derwent Valley is most famous. Introduced English trees aged up to 200 years are plentiful, providing spectacular autumn colours.
Family focus
The Derwent Valley has its own child care centre and family day care service, an abundance of open spaces, scenic walking tracks, parks, BBQ facilities and playgrounds. There is a skate park and an award-winning bike track, with its own traffi c lights and pedestrian crossings, specifi cally designed for youngsters to learn real road safety rules!
Education and industry
There are five Public Primary Schools with associated kindergartens and playgroups, one Public High School at New Norfolk and one District High School at Glenora, 15 minutes west of New Norfolk. Connections between the schools, community and industry are growing. For example, an innovative program called ‘Leading Edge’ aims to create links with industry and provide individualised programs for students beyond Grade 10. There is also one Catholic Primary School at New Norfolk and a comprehensive range of Private Schools in Hobart, with an extensive daily return bus service.
Housing construction, agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, viticulture, retail, hospitality and care are the region’s emerging industries, adding to traditional forestry and newsprint manufacturing, with demand for people with science training and people skills.
Sports and recreation
This is a sport-loving community with venues for swimming, tennis, football, soccer, golf, speed-car racing, horse riding, shooting and bowls to name but a few, all supported by active social clubs. The Derwent River provides the perfect facility for water sports and world-class fishing, and boasts a reputation for producing Olympic rowing champions.
Robert Walker: found nothing in Europe to match the Derwent Valley
Full service
Whether it’s supermarkets or old-fashioned butchers and bakeries that you’re after, the Derwent Valley has it all. There are plenty of shopping options for the fashion conscious, and restaurants and cafes off er everything from takeaway to fine dining and great coff ee (the best in Tassie)! New Norfolk also has major banks, emergency services, a lawyer, laundry, post offi ce, police station, library, online access centre, veterinary clinic and much more.
For medical needs, there is a general practice medical centre, a community health centre (social workers, family health nurse, physiotherapist, etc), a dental clinic, two chemists, two optometrists and an award-winning aged care facility. A vibrant community house provides support through many varied programs and services including adult education, counselling, life skills and a regular community market.
Property
The valley offers a variety of property opportunities including new house and land packages, new one or three bedroom apartments close to all services, and existing rural properties. Residential property investment has been strong since the early nineties and demand for rental accommodation continues, with a next-to-nil vacancy rate. Rental properties often show a return of around six per cent gross, and commercial properties achieve up to 10 per cent.
For further information please refer to:
Derwent Real Estate Ph: (03) 62614222 www.derwentrealestate.com.au
Roberts Real Estate Ph: (03) 62611755 http://www.robertsre.com.au/newnorfolk
PRD Nationwide Ph: (03) 62612555 www.prdhobart.com.au
Prime Real Estate Ph: (03) 62612000 www.primerealestatetasmania.com.
In 2005, the Derwent Valley was awarded a bronze medal at the International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom), which is the world’s only competition for communities that focuses on environmental management and the creation of liveable communities.
For further information please refer to www.derwentvalley.com.au or Derwent Valley Council Ph: (03) 62618500, www.derwentvalley.tas.gov.au.