Hobart

Australia’s most distinctive city, Tasmania’s capital combines heritage charm and cultural diversity in a setting of exceptional beauty. With the River Derwent at its heart and Mount Wellington rising above it, in Hobart the tranquility of a city from a bygone era coexists with the vibrancy of a pocket-sized modern metropolis.

Hobart’s European beginnings are evident everywhere, from quaint settlers’ cottages to the lofty porches of colonial mansions. Once bustling with whalers and entrepreneurs, 19th-century sandstone warehouses now serve as dockside cafes, artist’s studios and restaurants, where you can enjoy excellent cuisine and fine wines.
Discover Tasmania’s history in the nearby Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, be enthralled and even challenged by world leading MONA just a few minutes from the city. Enjoy classical and modern music in atmospheric venues, or go to the theatre in one of Australia’s oldest.

Hobart is a place of fishing boats, fish punts at the docks, an accessible harbour around historic Constitution Dock, coffee under the sun-umbrellas where the famous Salamanca Market is held every Saturday. Or restaurants serving some of the best food in Australia. And so much more … Take a harbour cruise past square-rigged yachts, or drive to the summit of Mount Wellington for a bird’s eye view of the intricate pattern of islands and estuaries that reach out to the Great Southern Ocean beyond – a view truly unique in Australia.
The area surrounding Hobart is rich with a variety of landscapes and experiences. To Hobart’s south east, past the Coal River Valley wineries, is the historic town of Richmond. Here, the gaol serves as a prelude to the Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula. Nearby Port Arthur you will find thrilling cliff walks and cruises that take you beside 300 metre sea cliffs and Tasman Island.

South of Hobart, you can cruise off Bruny Island, beneath some of the world’s highest seacliffs, or drive north to Oatlands, to explore Australia’s largest collection of sandstone buildings. Farther afield through New Norfolk is the pretty town of Hamilton, or for a taste of the high country, visit Bothwell at the southern edge of the Central Plateau. Hobart and its surrounds is the ideal series of day trips if you want to make Hobart your base – for sure that may your first thought, but the wider region will delight you with its sheer variety, colour, and that thing vital to any holiday … the chance to kick back and relax. Our small towns and centres will deliver that.