Around 240km south of the Aussie mainland, across Bass Strait, there’s a gorgeous island that requires the attention of the world. Historically relevant for its Aboriginal heritage and British colonisation, and home to the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tassie Devil, Tasmania also boasts an incredible food and wine scene with local produce making a very short trip from farm to table.
On this island is Australia’s most southerly city, Hobart. Framed by imposing Mt. Wellington (Kunanyi) behind and the Derwent River in front, fringed by wilderness, a hot spot for Aurora hunters, and spitting distance to Antarctica (if you can spit 4,400-odd k’s), Hobart is as picturesque a town as you could ever hope to see.
We spent a week hubbing in Hobart, staying in an awesome Airbnb in the heritage-listed area of Battery Point. Settled in the 1800s as a maritime village, renowned for its colonial architecture, winding streets, and historical ambience, Battery Point is a mere 10-minute walk to the city centre and even less to Salamanca Place and the waterfront. Sublime renovated old-world cottages in abundance, funky cafes, boujee art shops, and artisan bakeries (where I’m calling it, found the BEST almond croissant in the world!), rustic brickworks, and quaint tea houses, along with a Kombi-inspired smoothie house. Do not stay anywhere else when you go to Hobart!
The Hobart waterfront is lined with colonial Georgian warehouses, has towering Mt. Wellington as an impressive backdrop, and authentic, working fishing boats chugging to and fro. The perfect place for fish and chips. We dined al fresco, even though it was around 10 degrees (feels like 5), and were enthusiastically joined by the local seagulls. I’m not sure what the seabirds in Tassie are on, but they are the size of pterodactyls! I wasn’t so much worried about them pinching my chips, but I did have concerns that they could neck my slab of battered fish in one go!
There are so many delightful places to visit in Tassie: Port Arthur, Cradle Mountain, Mt Wellington, Launceston, Bruny Island, Freycinet, Richmond, the hits keep coming! I kept asking the fam where all the dodgy bits were but never found them.
In keeping with our obsession for historic places of incarceration and because it looked pretty in pictures, we day-tripped to Richmond. Around 24 km northeast of Hobart in the Coal River Valley wine region, Richmond is heavy with history and heritage architecture, with more than 50 buildings dating from the 1820s. An ancient stone bridge, churches, courthouses, a gaol, and for the tombstone tourists, a super interesting cemetery can be explored on the Richmond Heritage Walk. Caffeine up at any number of twee cafes on the main street, and put The Tasmanian Lavender Shop on your hit list. The Lavender Whiskey…perfection!
We explored Bruny Island with Viator as we were loath to deal with taking a hire car on the ferry and were so glad we did! We were Tassie touring in the off-season, so there was no wait to get onto the ferry, but our driver said that in peak season, the wait can be up to two hours! The weather on Bruny Island was sassy! Gale-force winds that almost blew us off the Neck and sleeting rain that made Cape Bruny Lighthouse treacherous. But the upside was we weren’t racing multiple tourist buses to beat each other to the delights of Bruny. Getting shucked on oysters, chowing on cheese platters, devouring delicious local produce, and a Bruny Island Hot Spiced Cider by the open log fire at the charming Bruny Hotel…bliss!
Our day in Freycinet was breathtaking. The walk through the national park to the bay was through coastal woodland, punctuated with impressive (and highly photogenic) granite boulders, the lookout a teaser of things to come. Destination Wine Glass Bay, with crystal clear waters and curvy white beach, did not disappoint. What was disappointing was that we only had one day to explore this piece of paradise. Homeward bound, we took a wrong turn and instead of the shorter coastal route, found ourselves on the Lake Leaky Highway, bordered by some incredible forest reserves and miraculously, snow – first time our then 22-year-old son had ever seen snow. It was a hot moment!
Back in Hobart, we legged it to Salamanca for a delicious mulled wine by the fire at any number of magnificent sandstone pubs on the drag. What we did in one week in Hobart was just a taster plate, and with so much more to explore, you are back on the bucket list, Tassie!
