Best Things to Do in Hobart, Australia

Hobart is Australia’s second-oldest city after Sydney, founded as a convict settlement in 1804. The things to do in Hobart are anchored by MONA — the Museum of Old and New Art, opened in 2011 by eccentric millionaire David Walsh in a subterranean space cut from sandstone cliffs north of the city. MONA is one of the world’s most extraordinary private museums: confrontational, witty, and unapologetically provocative, with works ranging from a machine that produces feces to a female figure that vomits food it has been fed. It has transformed Hobart’s international profile. Salamanca Place, the row of sandstone warehouses from the 1830s along the waterfront, is now the city’s cultural and restaurant hub, with Australia’s best regular market (Saturday Salamanca Market). kunanyi/Mount Wellington, 1,271m and visible from everywhere in the city, is accessible by car or bike (a brutal climb); the summit views across the Derwent estuary and out to the Tasman Peninsula are extraordinary. Port Arthur Historic Site, 90 km south, is the former convict settlement that is Australia’s most important colonial heritage site — the restored ruins of the prison complex and its tragic history as the site of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre make it sobering and fascinating.

Best time to visit

December through March (austral summer) is warmest (15-25°C) and the most active period. The Dark Mofo festival (June) and MONA FOMA (January-February) are the major cultural events; Dark Mofo transforms the city with large-scale art installations during the winter solstice. The Taste of Tasmania (December 28 – January 3) is a large food and wine festival at the waterfront. Tasmania’s skiing season (July-September) is accessible from Hobart at Mount Field and Ben Lomond.

Getting around

Hobart Airport is 20 km from the city, with direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and increasingly from other Australian cities. Within the city, bus services cover most areas; Uber and taxis are available. The MONA Ferry is the most atmospheric way to reach the museum (departing from Brooke Street Pier, 25 minutes upstream). Port Arthur is accessed by car (90 minutes on the Arthur Highway) or organized day tours from Hobart.

What to eat and drink

Tasmania has Australia’s most exciting food and drink scene outside of Melbourne. The whisky industry (Lark Distillery, Sullivans Cove, Archie Rose) has put Tasmania firmly on the global single malt map. Cool-climate wines from the Coal River Valley, Tamar Valley, and Huon Valley are excellent. Local produce: Tasmanian Atlantic salmon, oysters from Freycinet Marine Farm, wasabi (grown in the Huon Valley), leatherwood honey, and heritage apple varieties. For dining, Aloft restaurant (in MONA precinct), Franklin (whole-animal cooking, heritage vegetables), and Garagistes (natural wine bar) represent the top of the local scene.