‘It’s all happening in HOBART’

WORDS: Kylie Mitchell-Smith, @travellingsenorita PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

Tasmania has increasingly become popular with travellers as a place to explore and stay awhile. Hobart, the main city is renowned for its cobbled stone streets, artisan markets, nautical buildings, and MONA the Museum of New and Modern Art.

We uncover some of the latest happenings in Hobart like the newly opened Movenpick Hotel, ideally located next to Franklin Square, a short stroll to the Salamanca precinct and the picturesque harbour.

The hotel boasts captivating views across the water to the towering mountain peaks beyond. Contemporary in design, with styled interiors and dark earthy hues.

The Movenpick brand originated in Switzerland and has recently opened in Melbourne and Hobart with plans afoot for a Brisbane launch in the future. All about ice-cream and chocolate, the friendly staff host a chocolate ‘happy hour’ daily in the hotel lobby.

The hotel restaurant Tesoro receives rave reviews and means treasure in Italian, a menu bursting with local flavours includes aged Cape Grim beef, house made pasta and a daily chocology served from wooden treasure chests.

 

That’s the thing about Tasmania, almost everything is grown locally from the nutrient rich soil and freshest of air. There is said to be up to 100 distilleries creating an array of spirits including gin, vodka and of course whisky.

The innovative Endangered Distillery Company collect left over bread from surrounding Hobart eateries to make a tasty vodka and use scraps from their cold press juice company to make a fruity gin.

 

Local favourites like Urban Greek, Preachers, Society Salamanca and new kids Sonny are raising the Hobart food bar. Take a ‘Posh Pit’ ferry ride to Mona, enjoy sunset cocktails at MacQ1, tour the Henry Jones art precinct and grab a coffee at the newly opened ‘Rosie in my midnight dreams’ located at Brooke Street Pier.

MONA has put Tasmania on the global map and is an institution for visitors and locals alike. There is a certain pride to the people of Hobart knowing they are home to one of the most unique gallery spaces in the world.

The creative mind behind MONA, David Walsh is a local legend as the man who put his gambling tax debt into culture and designed an epic space, for the people. All he asks for is a donation to one of his chosen charities or he’ll put $10 on the dogs- tongue in cheek.

Tasmania is all about people to place, the sense of living off the land, they produce almost everything. The pandemic saw Tasmania cut off from the mainland and in typical island style they became more resilient and creative.

Hobart is the perfect place to base yourself if you plan to trek around Tasmania, with a plethora of accommodation options from historical Airbnb’s in Battery Point to modern hotels dotted around the harbour and CBD.

An easy city to walk around, there is always something happening in Hobart, from New Years Eve Sydney to Hobart festivities to Dark MOFO a quirky winter festival that takes over the harbour and beyond.