1. In June Hobart celebrates winter with Dark MOFO, a mid-winter arts and cultural festival hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Held between 13th and 23rd of June, Dark MOFO kicks off its pagan rituals with a winter feast almost every day of the festival, serving award winning food and wine. The highlight would have to be the nude winter Solstice swim on the 21st June this year (2024). In celebration of the return of the light after the longest night of the year, courageous crowds rush into the icy cold waters of the Derwent River – crazy if you ask me…. Even in summer the water is freezing! There are street parades and live music, and art installations a plenty. Note: This year, 2024, the festival is scaled back with limited events, but should be back to a full schedule in 2025. You should check out MONA itself while you are there. View a collection of art that may not be to everyone’s taste. From the infamous wall of vaginas to the pooing machine, your visit will certainly become a conversation starter!
2. In summer, Hobart holds the Taste of Summer festival. After a little hiatus, it is returning this year, bigger and better, to be held between 27th December and 6th January on the Hobart waterfront. Wear your stretchy pants, fill up your plates, raise your glass and celebrate summer!
3. Watch the finish of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The race begins in Sydney on Boxing Day, 26th December. Find yourself a prime position to watch the yachts cross the finish line and join in the celebrations, we will be down there watching this year!
4. Shop at the Salamanca markets. Every Saturday from 8.30am – 3pm the markets operate, and you will find everything from local arts and crafts, food, produce and usually some live entertainment.
5. Up the hill, behind the markets, is the historic and very charming suburb of Battery Point. Wander through the lanes and quaint streets and admire the 19th century cottages with their lovely cottage gardens.
6. Take a cruise with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. They offer a range of daily cruises to Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Tasman Island and Wineglass Bay. Departure points differ depending on which cruise you take. We took a cruise along Tasmania’s east coast and saw seal colonies and dolphins as well as the stunning dramatic coastline. A great day out!
7. Visit the Port Arthur historical site. Located 90 minutes from Hobart, Port Arthur is one of the 11 places that together form the UNESCO Australian Convict sites World Heritage Property. Port Arthur is the best-preserved convict site in Australia. It is also the site of a terrible massacre that occurred in 1996. The mass shooting led to Australia’s anti-gun laws and a moving memorial to the 35 victims was erected on the site.
8. If visiting Port Arthur by car, other sights of interest in the area include; the Tesselated Pavement at Eagle Hawk Neck, The Dog Line (a narrow stretch of land leading to the Tasman Peninsular, once guarded by ferocious dogs and soldiers, to stop any would be convict escapees), Tasman’s Arch, The Blowhole and Devil’s Kitchen. So much to see!
9. Get a fantastic view of Hobart from the top of Mt Wellington. The lookout, just half an hour drive from Hobart, offers panoramic views. Be sure to take a warm jacket! Even in the height of summer it can be freezing up there. There are a number of walks to do in the area as well. In winter the road to the lookout is often closed due to snow.
10. On the way up to Mount Wellington, be sure to drop in at the Cascade Brewery. Australia’s oldest brewery offers a range of beers and alcoholic ciders that you can enjoy in the brewery or in the beautiful gardens. The brewery also offers tours and there is a restaurant on site if you need something to soak up all the beer!
11. Explore a little further afield by hiring a car, there is so much to see within an hour of Hobart. Follow a winery trail, there are so many wineries close to Hobart, it’ll be hard to choose. Some of my favourites include Puddleduck Vineyard, Home Hill Winery and Pooley Wines.
12. Explore the historic town of Richmond, with Australia’s oldest, convict -built, bridge (built in 1825) and a convict gaol. This colonial era town has more than 50 Georgian buildings, a Pooseum (yes, a museum dedicated to animal droppings) and the best bakery and lolly shop to refuel.
13. While out that way, include a stop at the Salmon ponds. It is the oldest trout hatchery in the Southern hemisphere. You will feel like you have stepped back in time as you wander through the 19th century gardens, feed the salmon and trout, spy an elusive platypus and make sure you try a crepe from the onsite creperie.
14. Visit Mount Field National Park, an easy drive north of Hobart. This National Park is Tasmania’s oldest and you will discover diverse flora and fauna, as well as stunning waterfalls, including a 3-tiered waterfall, within easy walking distance from the carpark. It does get very cold here, even in summer, so dress in layers. There are numerous longer walks that you can do if you are feeling energetic, and in winter the park transforms into ski fields.
15. Also about an hours drive north of Hobart, is one of my favourite little towns, Bothwell. It is named after a Scottish town of the same name, as the area was originally settled by Scots. There are nods to the towns Scottish heritage everywhere, including tartan street signs, the river Clyde and cute sandstone cottages.
16. You must spend the night at Ratho Farm while in Bothwell. It is Australia’s oldest golf course and offers 18 holes of golf, accommodation in beautifully renovated, convict-built cottages, a gorgeous homestead, and they even have highland cows! Enjoy a hearty meal in the Atrium with fellow guests and listen to your host read entries from an original diary belonging to Ratho’s first owners. We loved this place so much, we chose to get married there!
17. Heading South from Hobart, there is much to see. Catch the ferry from Kettering over to Bruny Island for the day, or even better stay for a night or two. Bruny is essentially two islands joined together by a narrow stretch of land known as the Neck, where you can view penguins coming ashore in the evenings. Bruny offers stunning walks, yummy food from local producers – make sure you sample some Bruny Island cheese and chocolate, and a scenic lighthouse. Pennicott Wilderness Journeys that I mentioned earlier do a fantastic cruise around Bruny where you get to see the huge sea cliffs, sea stacks and a seal colony.
18. An hour drive southeast of Hobart, is Geeveston. Here you can see some of Tasmania’s tallest trees. The Tahune Airwalk is an elevated walkway through the treetops with a platform over the Huon River. There are also numerous short walks to waterfalls and a lake.
19. Whilst in the area, explore the magical underground world of Hastings Caves. Walk through a dense green forest to reach the entrance of the caves. Once inside, marvel at the labrynth of chambers, richly decorated with beautifully lit stalagmites and stalactites. Once you return to the surface, enjoy a picnic and a dip in the thermal pools. Keep your eye out for some native wildlife including platypus, quolls, pademelons and birds.
20. Do the South Cape Bay walk from Cockle Creek, to reach Australia’s Southernmost place. Stand on the cliffs of South Cape Bay, brace yourself against the wind blowing from the Antarctica, and think …. you are the southernmost person in all Australia!
I have really just scratched the surface of all the things you can do in and around Hobart. Use Hobart as a base and explore further afield. There are some fantastic multi-day walks in Tasmania. The Three Capes Track is one that departs from Hobart. If interested, read about our experience on the Three Capes guided walk here.
Deb Morrow is a wife and mum of two in her 50’s, who works in education. She has a passion for travel and through sharing her travel experiences, tips and recommendations, wants to encourage other women her age to start making time for themselves, grab their besties, and go see the world!
