things to do in hobart, tasmania

Many Americans I know who visit Australia tend to skip over Tasmania. It is a shame because there are plenty of wonderful things about this island south of the continent. For this post, I will focus on Hobart, which is the Tassie capital.

So, what does Hobie have to offer?

One of the many wines
you can taste at
Gasworks Cellar Door.

I enjoyed this Pinot Noir.

1.  Wines. Generally, Tasmania has a cool climate so they produce a lot of Pinot Noirs. (Don't worry, they also have Rieslings, Chardonnays, Gewurztraminers, etc.) If wine tasting is your thing, there are a lot of wine regions within Tasmania. But, if you are spending time only in the capital, you are in luck. Gasworks Cellar Door offers visitors a place to taste wines from all over the island. The tasting room also has a lot of educational information about Tasmanian terroir. 

A single malt from
Lark Distillery.

2.  Whisky. There are quite a few distilleries in Tassie, but if you are based in Hobart, Lark Distillery is a place you must visit. They make very good single malts. And if, like me, you happen to be fighting a cold when you visit, they also make very tasty (and potent) hot toddies.

I should also note that the whisky gods have voted Sullivans Cove, a distillery near Hobie, the 2014 best single malt whisky in the world.

3.  Food. Because Hobie is by the water, the seafood is very fresh. There are plenty of fish and chips, freshly shucked oysters, and grilled fish sold along the pier and in the Salamanca neighborhood. Many food lovers also enjoy the Saturday Salamanca Square Farmer's Market.

4.  Hiking. The Queen's Domain is a huge park with lots of hiking trails, a botanical garden, tennis and aquatic centers, and nice views of the water and Hobie town. The trails are well maintained and many folks not only hike but also run and bike in the park. It is definitely a great place to explore for a few days. Another hiking option is an urban walk through the Salamanca neighborhood, Princes Park, the Kelly Steps, and the historical village center of Battery Point.

5.  Art.  Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is in the center of town. But, just outside Hobie is the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), which is a museum located in a winery. That means you can enter the museum and go straight to the wine bar. Seriously, the bar is the first thing you see. MONA's exhibits are eclectic (ancient artifacts and modern installations are displayed together) and sometimes border on weird (there is a painting using actual elephant dung!). But, it is well worth the trip just to see the grounds -- it's right by the water and, in addition to the bar inside the museum, there is also a restaurant and a separate wine tasting room in a building adjacent to the museum. 

A cool art installation at MONA where you can read headlines of 

current events word for word via this waterfall.

Of course, if you want to see other wineries and distilleries, more hiking trails, the settlement for the prisoners of the motherland (i.e. Australia's "motherland" aka Great Britain), and Tasmanian devils, you have to head out of Hobie (travel times will vary).

Just a quick note about the weather: because Hobie is farther south than Sydney, the weather is a lot cooler even in the Summer. So, dress in layers.

If you've visited Hobie, what did it offer you?