Mona | Postcards From Here and There

Eating and Drinking in Hobart

A highlight of any visit to Hobart is the locally produced food and drink that is on offer in a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Quality is high here and locals take real pride in their locally produced produce and when its this good why wouldn’t you. This post is by no means the definitive guide but does represent some of the places we enjoyed on our two recent visits.

Jackman & McRoss (57 Hampden Road). We rented an Airbnb in Battery Park and this delightful cafe was only a five minute walk away and was ideal for breakfast. It gets busy, especially at weekends, but service is quick and there is some pavement seating if you prefer. There are some excellent choices on the menu.

Machine Laundry Cafe (12 Salamanca Square). Bright, colourful and a great place to stop for coffee and cake as you explore the shops and galleries of Salamanca.

Retro Cafe (31 Salamanca Place).

Located close to the waterfront and serving very nice coffee .

Fish Frenzy (Elizabeth Street Pier). A lovely waterfront location overlooking the harbour, with indoor and outdoor seating, and serving some fantastic seafood at reasonable prices. If fish and chips is your fancy then try the Blue Eye Trevalla, you won’t be disappointed. One of the nicest fish I have ever had.

Syra (8 Salamanca Square). We had a lovely dinner here. The food is Middle Eastern and comes in either small or large plates. We went for the option where the kitchen decides what you eat, which is available for parties of two or more. Takes all stress of choosing and we were not disappointed, everything was delicious. The service was also excellent.

Honey Badger Dessert Cafe (7 Salamanca Square). Despite its name it does serve a small number of savoury dishes but that’s not really what people come here for. For those that dessert is the best part of a meal this is the place for you.

Tom McHugo’s (87 Macquarie Street). What more could you ask for, a pub serving restaurant quality food at reasonable prices. They also have a first class selection of craft beers, the Ocho Seasonal IPA was one of the best beers we had on the whole of our time in Australia. It can get busy so it is best to book ahead if you want to eat here.

MONA. There are a number of options when visiting this fantastic museum. The cafe serves some very tasty sandwiches and snacks and as everywhere in Tasmania the coffee is excellent. If you require something a little more substantial there is The Source Restaurant. There are some pretty good options for drinks here also including The Void Bar ion the depths of the museum.

Preachers (5 Knopwood Street).

If craft beer is your thing then a visit to Preachers, just a short walk from Salamanca Place, is a must. Located in an old victorian house it also has a very large beer garden into which they have integrated an old single decker bus should it get a little chilly or wet. With twelves or so beers on tap there is always a good range of styles and breweries on offer. They also do a nice line in food too.

The Whaler (39 Salamanca Place). There has been some sort of public house here since 1829 and the current incarnation serves some very nice beer indeed. Outdoor seating enables you experience the bustle of Salamanca first hand.

Things to do in Hobart

Hobart is Australia’s second oldest and most southerly city. It really is a super place to visit as it’s small enough to make it walkable for most of the sights and there is a wealth of excellent places for food and drink.

MONA

The Museum of Old and New Art is like no other museum I have ever been to. Located mainly underground it will surprise, amuse and shock you in equal measure. Located 8 miles from the centre of Hobart but if you don’t have a car you can catch the ferry from Brooke Street Pier in the centre of town.

Mount Wellington

You really can’t avoid Mount Wellington as it stands dominant as a backdrop to the city. Standing at an impressive 1271m it can be snow capped even in the summer and even on a hot day in the city it can be cold and windy at the summit. It’s a half hour drive to the top from the centre of Hobart on a road that can be steep and windy in places. Its well worth the effort getting there as the views are spectacular.

Salamanca Place/Square

The sandstone former warehouses close to the waterfront have been transformed into Hobart’s cultural heart. Home to independent retailers, galleries, restaurants, cafes and bars there is something for everyone here and its a great place to spend a few hours. On Saturday mornings the street is transformed into a very popular and successful street market. With over 300 stallholders it has become the place to buy local products.

Battery Point

Battery Point is an area of the city adjacent to Salamanca, It is lovely area, ideal for wandering around in a leisurely manner admiring the beautiful houses most of which date back to Victorian times. Conservation status mean that the area is protected from unwanted development. Stop for coffee at Jackman & McRoss on Hampden Road if you feel like watching the world go by, the food is pretty good here as well.

Mawson’s Hut

Mawsons Huts are actually to be found at Cape Denison in Antarctica but Hobart has created a fascinating museum in the form of a replica hut. If you are interested in Antarctic exploration or in the human ability to survive in extraordinary conditions this is for you. We spent a good hour in here and were really glad we went.

Take a Walking Tour

Hobart Free Walking Tours have two tours. The first is a cultural and historic tour which runs daily from St David’s Park and lasts for two hours. The second is a ghost tour departing from Salamanca Square. Historic Hobart also offers a number of different tours but you do have to pay a fee.

Take a Trip to Port Arthur

Port Arthur Heritage Site is the best preserved penal colony in Australia and is only a 90 minute drive from Hobart. You can either self drive or join a tour from the city. From 1833 for twenty years the most hardened criminals were sentenced to time at Port Arthur and it is of great significance as it is so well preserved. Entrance is 40AD and this is valid over two consecutive days if you have a couple of days in the area and when to take your time visiting all the buildings and exhibits.

Sample the Food and Drink

You really are spoilt for choice in Hobart as there are so many good quality cafes, bars and restaurants. If you are self catering in the city there is Salamanca Fresh on Salamanca Place, a superb supermarket selling some of the best of what Tasmania has to offer. I have written a more detailed post on eating and drink in Hobart here.

Take a Bruny Island Cruise

Bruny Island Cruises have a three hour boat trip from Adventure Bay on the island which features the dramatic coastline and wildlife of the area. You can travel by bus from Hobart in which case it becomes a full day tour. Bookings can be made online or at their office on Franklin Wharf from where the day tour departs at 7.45 daily.

5 Reasons to Visit Tasmania

Tasmania is the smallest of Australia’s six states and lies some 260 miles south of Melbourne, separated by the waters of the Bass Strait. The state capital is Hobart which is served by an excellent, modern airport from where you can get flights to the main east coast cities. You can also fly into Launceston but it is a much smaller airport with only sixteen arrivals a day, mainly from Melbourne and Sydney. You can also travel to Tassie by ferry from Melbourne. There are seven crossings a day with an average sailing time of around ten hours. Ferries arrive at the port of Devonport on the islands northern coast.

Tasmania is often not on the list of many travellers to Australia and this is a real shame as it has so much to offer. We spent two weeks travelling around and were warmly welcomed everywhere we went. With an average summer temperature of 21 degrees it can be very pleasant, especially for those that don’t like the higher summer temperatures of the mainland. It does get a reasonable rainfall, especially in the western part of the state, and so is much greener than you might expect. The locals will tell you that if you don’t like the weather just wait fifteen minutes and it will change so there is something for everyone!

The Tasman Peninsula

The Tasman Peninsula is south of Hobart and is perhaps best known for the penal colony of Port Arthur which was established here in 1833. The settlement here is now an historic site and attracts a quarter of a million visitors each year. The peninsula is a spectacular area with dramatic sea cliffs, secluded beaches and some of the best walking and hiking on the island. The Three Capes Track is a four day walking experience which begins by taking a boat from Port Arthur to Denmans Cove where the 48km walk officially begins. If you enjoy the outdoors the Tasman Peninsula is for you.

Mona in Hobart

Food, Wine and Beer.

Tasmanians are rightly proud of their home produced food and drink. Standards are very high here, quality ingredients and very talented chefs make for some first class dining experiences. Cool climate wine making on the island produces some world class sparkling wines and pinot noirs, many of which are only available here in Tasmania. There is a thriving craft brewery industry here making an impressive, and very drinkable, range of beers and ciders.

Cradle Mountain National Park

Cradle Mountain is an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of the Tasmanian Central Highlands wilderness. There are numerous walking trails including the 65km Overland Track which takes walkers from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. The track is very popular and prebooking needs to be made as the number of walkers is limited by the park authorities. If walkings not your thing there are numerous other outdoor activities available including canyoning, wildlife spotting and horse riding.

Strahan and The Gordon River

Strahan is a delightful small town on Tasmania’s west coast. From here you can take a cruise up the Gordon River which was declared a Wilderness World Heritage Area in 1982. The cruise ships use electric motors when on the river so that you can appreciate the true quiet that exists in the rainforest areas adjacent to the water. You can also visit Sarah Island, located in Macquarie Harbour, a former penal colony which housed the worst of the worst convicts.