Tasmania

Hobart, on the Derwent River estuary, is Australia's southernmost capital, with a population around 247,000 and a mild temperate maritime climate (about 615mm of rain a year). Its economy centres on agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, fishing and mining exports through the port, alongside shipbuilding (Incat's catamarans), the Nyrstar zinc smelter and Cascade Brewery -- with tourism now a major and growing part of the picture too.

Beyond Hobart, Launceston is northern Tasmania's commercial centre and the busiest of the state's four deepwater seaports, with a historic wool and viticulture economy; Devonport is Tasmania's busiest freight port, handling over half the island's goods, about 98km north of Launceston; Burnie is the other notable northern town.

The genuinely distinctive thing about moving to Tasmania: it's an island, and every interstate move crosses Bass Strait via the Spirit of Tasmania freight ferry (Geelong to Devonport, about 11 hours, running daily year-round), subject to a freight cut-off and the state's own biosecurity checks on arrival. Book your vehicle and ferry space 4-6 weeks ahead where you can -- it books out tighter over summer.

Rental bonds go through Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), lodged via the online MyBond system (the Rental Deposit Authority) -- capped at 4 weeks' rent.