From international student to settling in Tasmania

Read how Niall from England found his new home in Tasmania

Niall Doyle only planned to visit Australia for a working holiday. This plan quickly changed when he fell in love with Tasmania and all it offered. Let’s introduce you to Niall and his journey to building a fulfilling life in this little island state.

A working holiday

Originally from Manchester in England, Niall first came to Australia on a working holiday visa.

“I completely fell in love with Australia. I had always wanted to come to Tasmania but I found I was struggling for time. So I decided to stay in Australia longer and visit Tasmania.”

Tasmania’s cooler weather and wild natural landscape particularly appealed to Niall, and he decided to try to extend his time in the state.

“The big drawcard for me was the more natural feel of Tasmania. There aren't many people, but there are so many national parks. Also, being English, the weather down here is a lot more comfortable for me than elsewhere in Australia.”

Once Niall was in Tasmania, he enrolled in a nursing course with TasTAFE, choosing a career path that many people believed he would be suited to.

Niall explains, “I always wanted to help people, and it was my mother who once told me I would be a good nurse. Then, while in Newcastle in New South Wales, I volunteered to help kids with disabilities. Again, someone there told me they thought I would be a good nurse”.

Living and studying in Tasmania

Niall quickly adapted to life in Tasmania and made time to travel extensively around the state.

“I loved meeting and hanging out with all of the other international students plus travelling around Tasmania. Tasmanians are so welcoming!”

Niall found the entire TasTAFE community to be very supportive, and he made friends easily. But there was one person in particular who made Niall’s experience even better.

“The TasTAFE international student supporter, Edgar, was incredible. He was there to help with any issues I had, whether they were academic or occurring outside of school.”

The path to permanent residency

It didn’t take long before Niall realised that he wanted to stay in Tasmania after finishing his course. This meant that he had to consider becoming a permanent resident of Australia.

“The longer I stayed in Tasmania, the more I fell in love and realised that I could settle here. The natural beauty of Tasmania blows me away, and after three years I can still be caught off guard with how beautiful it is.”

After graduating from TasTAFE, Niall quickly found himself a job in Tasmania’s healthcare industry. It was this role that led him to finally becoming a permanent resident of Australia.

Building a life in Tasmania

Niall has built a rewarding life in the island state and now officially calls Tasmania home. He is working as a practice nurse at a general practitioner (GP) surgery in Huonville and has just bought a house with his partner.

“I have recently bought a house here with the partner I met in Tasmania, and I am looking forward to building a family here with her. We live in Lindisfarne at the moment but are soon moving to our house in Rokeby. Our house is right next to the water. It was a good price for an up-and-coming area, which is what drew us to it.”

For now, Niall is enjoying his work at the GP surgery and says that “the job that I am in now is very exciting. I feel like I can go far in this work”.

Advice for other international students

Having built a successful career and life in Tasmania, Niall encourages other international students to consider doing the same.

“Go for it! Whatever reservations you have about being an international student, the experience you will have here and the friends you will make are things you will not ever forget.”