Many people have asked me - where is Kiribati ? Well, it's a small Pacific island nation about 2000km south of Hawaii with about 130,000 inhabitants who live predominantly on three main islands. Being a low-lying archipelago, Kiribati is facing a real existential threat in the form of rising sea levels caused my climate change. These are causing severe problems with coastal erosion and salination. Despite the best efforts of the local populace to build walls to hold back the ocean, plans are being to eventually relocate some of the inhabitant to Fiji or other parts of the Pacific.

However, Kiribatans like Kaibeia have been coming to Tasmania for different reasons - to work on local oyster farms on Tasmania's east coast. Kaibeia and his colleagues were recruited under the Pacific Islander Labour Mobility scheme ( PALM ), which has brought workers from 7 different Pacific nations to work on farms in Australia, with many hundreds working on different farms around Tasmania.

Kiribati has similarities with many of the other Pacific Islands, with their culture of sharing and collectivism, as well as their love of singing, but Kaibeia also talks about cutting toddy, a kind of sap from the bark of a palm tree used to make a delicious sweet local drink.

Ingrid hails from the tiny island nation of Saint Lucia, a lush Caribbean island known for its volcanic peaks, vibrant Creole culture, and status as the only country named after a woman. With a population of around 180,000, Saint Lucia blends African, French, and British influences, and though its official language is English, many speak Saint Lucian Creole.

Ingrid trained as a physician in Cuba on a Saint Lucian government scholarship, worked in pediatrics, and later took on various public health roles across the Caribbean. She made a big move to study Master’s degree in Adelaide, where she met herpartner—but it was the appeal of small-city life that drew her to Hobart for her Ph.D.

Now based at the Menzies Institute, she’s deep into health economics research and has found a second home in Tasmania—one that, surprisingly, shares much with her island roots.

Belarus is a land-locked nation centred between Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states. Despite becoming independent from the former USSR in 1991, It has maintained strong ties with Russia, not only through cultural and political connections, but through personal and family connections between individuals. Similar to its large neighbour, it has been shaped by the trauma of war and hardship following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Tania grew up initially in a small village in eastern Belarus, with family close by, and later moved closer to the city. When she was still at school in 2007, her sister moved to Tasmania, and Tania thought that one day she would move there too, and so her choice of study at university was influenced by this.

Her first attempt to migrate was unsuccessful, but she came to visit as a tourist and feel in love with the state and was determined to find another way, and in 2018 she returned with her husband , to study a Masters of Accounting. This time things worked out much better, and her and her husband are now happily settled in Tasmania with an 11-year old son, David.

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. It's an archipelago of green and mountainous small islands situated in the North Sea, between Scotland, Iceland and Norway and home to just 54,000 inhabitants.

Lena spent the first 20 years of her life in the small town of Klaksvik, in the eastern part of the Faroes, surrounded by family in a close-knit community. She grew up also in a time when the world was far less connected than it is today, and TV didn't arrive on the islands until 1981. Therefore her early life was filled mostly with memories of activities in the outdoors.

When she was 20, she made the big step to move to England to take up a position as an au pair, and although she did return to the Faroes for time, she never moved back permanently. She would meet her husband in the UK and over 20 years ago they moved to Perth looking for a change, and in 2020 Lena moved to Tasmania to be near her daughter, and felt straight away at home being close to the see and surrounded by natural scenery that reminded her of the Faroes.

Although she has spent most of her life outside of the Faroe Islands now, she still retains some small Faroese traditions at Christmas and birthdays and still speaks the Faroese language with family abroad.

Jersey is one of several self-governing islands that make up part of the United Kingdom. Although it it a possession of the UK, it actually lies closer to France, and French culture is evident on Jersey, including in its local, but now little-spoken language, Jersiais. Like other British islands, its an offshore tax haven, meaning that the majority of islanders work in the finance industry or related areas.

This wasn't the path that Taye chose though. She was born on Jersey, but her family moved to Australia when she was 3, and then returned when she was 13 on what was originally a short-term stay but ended up lasting 15 years.

Rather than following a career in finance, Taye became a beauty and massage therapist, a career which brought her to Tasmania for a 6-month stint working at Cradle Mountain. She later returned to work at the newly-opened Saffire Resort at Coles Bay, met her husband there, and has remained in Tasmania ever since.

In this episode we discuss some similarities and differences between the two island communities of Jersey and Tasmania, and how the memories of the German occupation in WW2 impacted both the Jersey community and her family's story.

The song that you hear excerpts from in this episode is called "I'ile de Jerri" from Jersey , sung in the Jersiais dialect

Belize is a small and unique country in Central America - it's the only English-speaking nation, has the 2nd largest coral reef, and possesses an unusual and unique racial mix in its population.

Willoh was born in a small village by the Caribbean coast of Belize, and was something of a novelty as the only white child in the village at the time. Her hippy parents had ended up in Belize in very unusual circumstances, essentially as a consequence of an adventurous sailing trip across the Gulf of Mexico gone wrong.

Needless to say then, Willoh didn't have the most conventional upbringing in Belize, where she lived until 13, when she moved with her mum to South Australia. However, she would return to Belize fairly regularly over the years, and in fact, at the time of our interview had just returned from there.

In adulthood, Willoh has forged a career as an artist, and has previously worked at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art ( MONA).

Despite having lived many years in Australia now, she's still maintains many connections with her country of birth.

Guatemala is the largest country in Central America by both population and area. Like many other countries in the region, it has experienced its fair share of conflict and instability over the year and it's a society marked by income inequality and the problems that brings. As a result of this, many Guatemalans look for a better life abroad, and most seek the so-called "American Dream". Very few though end up in Australia.

Julio certainly didn't come from poorer side if Guatemalan society, but he also bought into the American dream after going to study economic at college in Utah and spending some time in California.

In the meantime he struck up an online friendship with an Australian girl, Paige. At a certain point the relationship got serious and they had the dilemma as to where to settle more permanently. The first choice was a middle ground in the Bay Area in California, but an ugly twist of fate on the Mexico-California border broke this dream.

Although they tried living in Guatemala for a while, it wasn't a sustainable option and finally they made the move to Sydney, which Julio immediately fell in love with and thought he would be there for life.

But, like many others, Sydney's housing prices proved an insurmountable barrier, and while looking outside Sydney, the idea of moving to Tasmania came up. A visit to the state convinced them and they bought a house and moved to Blackman's Bay in 2025.

Guatemala is also a country of great natural beauty, famous for its many volcanoes and Julio recalls fondly family hikes - something that has made Tasmania feel more like home. In this episode, he contrasts the differences between Guatemala and Australia, but also the very different feeling he has had as an outsider in the USA compared with Australia.

Zambia is a largeish country in central southern African, perhaps best known for sharing the iconic landmark of Victoria Falls with it's southern neighbour, Zimbabwe. Although it's not a country that comes up on our radar much in Tasmania, according to the 2021 Census, there were over one hundred Zambians living in Tasmania. Not many perhaps, but also not insignificant.

Renella has lived in Tasmania since 2003, and around the same time, much of her close family also moved here, but all have now left for other parts of the country or world.

She grew up in small town in the south of Zambia amongst family from her mum's Zambian family, and her Dad's Malaysian Chinese family and inherited traditions from both, including both cuisines. Renella has fond memories of her childhood and the range outdoor activities available, and part of what made her love Tasmania was this similar outdoor lifestyle that she had known in Zambia.

Renella moved to Sydney when she was 18 to study Accounting, as she could live with an aunt there. After graduating, at the recommendation of her sister, she moved to Hobart, and later other members of the family came to join her. She had not planned to stay long term, but a chance meeting at a party lead to an important relationship.

Although her main job is as an account, since being in Tasmania, Renella has also rediscovered her love of food in operating a couple of small food businesses.

The song featured in this episode is called "Mao", By Amayenge, a popular music group from Choma in the 1970s. The music style is called calindula, a style distinctive to Zambia