Moving to Tasmania in a pandemic: how one couple is making it happen

The couple decided last year to move their business, That Bath Bomb Shop, and move to Tasmania to be closer to family.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated their plans.

Ashlee said it has been a stressful experience but they understand the need for extra precautions.

"Moving to a different suburb is stressful enough let alone moving to a different state and having COVID involved as well," she said.

She said it will take about six weeks for everyone to get to Tasmania and complete their quarantine.

"I'm flying down two weeks before my wife, the other owner of the business, so that I can quarantine myself for two weeks at home," she said.

"Then my wife flies two weeks later and then our staff member comes down two weeks later so it is about a six week mission to get everyone down."

She said moving their 'fur babies' down with them has been a challenge too.

The move will also be the first time the couple take their business into a shop front.

Previously they have operated completely online but during their pandemic sales have boomed.

"I suppose during the COVID period everyone is at home, they are having more baths, they are a bit more bored," Ashlee said.

"We thought why not take the gamble and open up a shop."

Finding a bricks and mortar location for their shop added an extra layer to an already complicated move.

Ashlee said they spent lots of time on video calls with real estate agents trying to find the right place for their business.

"If it was not a pandemic we could have just flown down for a couple of days and looked at places ourselves but ... obviously we couldn't just fly down quickly and have a look," she said.

"So that entailed more communication with real estate agents, Skype calls, Facetime calls [trying to] view properties."

Ashlee and Lisa will be allowed into Tasmania from Queensland because they hold a commercial and residential lease.

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