Barbados is a former British island colony, but , on the surface at least, that's about its only similarity with Tasmania. For many it's a dream holiday paradise of luxuriant sandy beaches and lush tropical vegetation. Who would exchange such a place for the capricious climes of Tasmania ? In Donna's case, her purpose was to do further study abroad, and she was looking for a smaller place, yet with decent infrastructure, that would be an easier transition for her young son than the fast-paced big city life of Sydney or Melbourne.
Although the plan was to just stay for 2 years to study her Masters of Psychology, Donna is still her 18 years' later and has even found a small number of other Caribbean islanders in Tasmania.
As well as the distance from home and the colder climate, one unexpected challenge was skin care in the much drier climate of Tasmania. As a result of this, Donna learnt to make her own soaps and now has a small side business making skin care products for people with darker skin ( On Instagram as bajanaussie246 ).
