Natalia from Costa Rica : A story of faith, resilience and community

Natalia from Costa Rica : A story of faith, resilience and community

From 177 Nations of Tasmania by Mark Thomson

February 18, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 126

About this episode

Natalia shares her journey from Costa Rica to Tasmania, highlighting her challenges and the support of her community.

Costa Rica is one of the smaller countries of Central America, both in population and in size. It's also historically been much more stable and secure than many of its neighbours and its efforts to preserve and protect its natural environment has made it a biodiversity hot spot. As a result, Costa Ricans haven't emigrated at the same rate as some other peoples in Latin America. Hence, it is a bit of a surprise to find a Costa Rican living in Burnie, in northwest Tasmania. Natalia grew up near the capital of San Jose, and had always imagined that she would travel. However, the way it happened was totally unexpected. When she was 19, she started learning English from a young Australian man. A connection developed quickly and it was not long before she was on her first ever plane journey to start a new life in Hobart. Her first 18 months in Tasmania were incredibly challenging. An unexpected pregnancy, little English and no driver's license, it was not surprising that she felt isolated and homesick. Discovering a supportive community of Latin Americans in northwest Tasmania, she convinced her husband they should move there, but it was then tragedy struck, with the sudden loss of her…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Thomson

Guest: Natalia

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Costa Rica, Burnie, Hobart, San Jose, northwest Tasmania

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