00:00This is Australia.
00:02And here, a little to the south, is its island part called Tasmania.
00:07It's a giant island with beautiful and rich nature, great weather, and delicious food.
00:12But for some reason, very few people live here.
00:16Something makes people leave this place.
00:18Something prevents people from moving here.
00:20And this something is...
00:22Let's find out!
00:25So, the population of Tasmania is over half a million people.
00:29That's not a lot.
00:30In fact, Tasmania is Australia's smallest state by population.
00:35But it's the 26th largest island in the world.
00:38Its area is about the size of Ireland or Switzerland.
00:41In other states, the area is much smaller.
00:44And there are quite a lot of people.
00:46For example, over 8 million residents live in New South Wales,
00:51more than 7 million in Victoria, and over 5 million in Queensland.
00:55Also, mainland Australia is much more likely to endure fires and scorching sun.
01:01Tasmania has a fairly cool climate and amazing nature.
01:05So, what's the reason?
01:07Why do so few people live here?
01:10Let's visit the south-eastern part of Tasmania, where the Tasman Peninsula is located.
01:16If you look at the map, you'll see that there's the Tasman Sea, connected to the boundless Pacific Ocean.
01:22So, it looks like the Port Arthur we're going to visit is on the edge of the world.
01:27In the past, there was Tasmania's official prison here that opened in 1830.
01:32Prisoners served their sentences and worked at a logging station.
01:36It was hard work, and many could not survive it.
01:39It's scary to imagine what happened inside the walls of this prison, and how many people stayed there forever.
01:47But think for yourself, the Tasman Peninsula is on the edge of the world.
01:52There's almost nothing here, except wild nature.
01:55Prisoners arrived there on ships and spent long hours doing hard work.
02:00There was no air conditioning, or a soft bed.
02:03There was no hope of getting out of there.
02:05Some guards treated them cruelly.
02:07They were starving.
02:08Some got bitten by venomous snakes.
02:11There was nowhere to escape.
02:13The prison closed in 1877, but even today, it still inspires horror among tourists.
02:20Not only because of its appearance and history, but also because of the strange phenomena that occur there.
02:28According to rumors and legends, the spirits of prisoners roamed the territory of Port Arthur.
02:33And on Monday morning, you can hear bells ring in an old ruined church building.
02:39But the thing is, the bells haven't been there for a long time.
02:43Of course, those are all rumors, and there are no confirmed facts.
02:47But you might feel uncomfortable in this place because of its sinister past and creepy atmosphere.
02:53Port Arthur is one of the most mysterious places in Tasmania.
02:57But there's something worse.
03:00Welcome to Franklin House.
03:01It's a large estate with gardens and a huge building.
03:06There's a chance that as soon as you cross the threshold of this house, you will want to leave immediately.
03:11There are a lot of antiques here, but there's also something elusive and sinister in the air.
03:18This house was built by a former convict.
03:21Four years after the construction, he leased the mansion to a school teacher who turned it into an academy for boys.
03:27It's not known what happened in the walls of this building in the past, but today, according to rumors, mysterious phenomena take place here.
03:37Objects move by themselves, eerie noises come from empty rooms, and shadows of human figures are spotted in halls.
03:44Plus, according to a non-profit company that researches mysterious phenomena, there's an increased level of electromagnetic activity in this house.
03:54What does it mean, nature, weather, or phantoms?
04:00Choose for yourself what to believe in.
04:03Okay, there are two creepy places in Tasmania, but the reason why people leave this place is different.
04:08We're getting closer and closer to it.
04:12Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, and there's an old prison here, where people still run tours.
04:18Tourists come here to tickle their nerves, because the most terrible sentences were carried out here.
04:23There are rumors about strange smells, flickering shadows, and a creepy atmosphere that make this place scary.
04:32Yes, if you're a tourist and come here for fun, you will get an interesting experience.
04:36But if you're a local and live nearby, then maybe it might bother you.
04:41But of course, an abandoned old prison wouldn't discourage people from living on a giant, picturesque island.
04:47There's a bigger reason.
04:48There's a city in Tasmania called Richmond.
04:53According to local legends, once upon a time, George Grover lived here.
04:58He was a security guard who kept order during the construction of the Richmond Bridge, which was built by convicts.
05:05George Grover was an evil man who treated prisoners cruelly.
05:09One day, the prisoners decided to take revenge on him and pushed him off the bridge.
05:14Since then, rumors have been circulating that the spirit of George Grover is walking under the bridge with his big black and white dog, which is called Grover's Dog.
05:24Tourists and locals reported they had seen this evil security guard at night.
05:29He didn't harm them, but gave a severe fright.
05:33Many terrible events related to escaped prisoners also took place on the island.
05:37So judging by the history of Tasmania, there's been a lot of pain and misery here.
05:42Perhaps this affects the overall energy of the island.
05:46But is this the reason why so few people come to live here?
05:50Now, we'll finally learn the most terrifying explanation.
05:53Are you ready?
05:55Please get away from the screens if you're faint of heart.
05:59There's almost no internet connection in some parts of the island.
06:02Boo!
06:04The signal is very weak and unreliable, which makes it impossible for people to work remotely and watch our videos.
06:10Besides, Tasmania is separated from Australia by the Bass Strait, which creates logistical difficulties for trade and traveling.
06:19Today in 2025, would you agree to live on a huge island with bad internet?
06:25You will also have to pay more and wait longer for the delivery of any goods.
06:30One of the main sources of income is tourism.
06:32In addition, rental prices are rising here, especially in central cities.
06:38Because of logistical difficulties, prices for food and necessities are rising here.
06:43One of the biggest problems is waiting lists in public hospitals in Tasmania.
06:48People who need modern medical care have to wait a long time for their turn, or they got to spend tons of money to get to the mainland.
06:56Tasmania is getting old.
06:58More and more young people are leaving this place.
07:01There are no major corporate headquarters on the island.
07:04There are no large enterprises here like in Sydney and Melbourne, which means there are few career opportunities.
07:11Low salaries and unemployment are forcing young people to move to the mainland.
07:16The falling standard of living creates serious demographic problems.
07:21On the one hand, this is bad.
07:23The fewer people there are, the more difficult it is to raise the economy, to run agriculture, and somehow improve this region.
07:30But on the other hand, it's good for nature.
07:33About 24% of Tasmania's land area is a World Heritage Site.
07:38This territory is one of the last in the world to have cool rainforests.
07:43It's also home to one of the richest archaeological sites in Australia.
07:47Scientists found evidence that people lived here at least 20,000 years ago.
07:53Of course, these factors are not as creepy as the stories about haunted houses, but they can scare you away from moving to Tasmania.
08:01The idea that you live almost on the edge of the world, surrounded by the endless waters of the ocean, can be scary.
08:07You can meet unique animals that don't live anywhere else in the world and see incredible trees.
08:14For example, the centurion tree, which is eucalyptus, is one of the tallest and oldest trees in the world.
08:21Its height is about 330 feet, and its age is about 400 years.
08:27The nature of Tasmania is incredibly beautiful.
08:31There's so much peace and calm here.
08:33In a sense, it's a paradise.
08:35But let's be honest.
08:36Would you agree to live here considering all the nuances?
08:40Let's hope that people will find ways to improve the economy and raise the standard of living
08:45so young people won't leave this region.
08:48That's it for today.
08:49So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
08:54Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side.
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