GIDDAY - AGAIN
Stone the crows! The trans-Tasman bubble is here, and as a travel addict (you don't earn the nickname Lorna the Explorer for nothing) I couldn't be happier.
But just as we've been urged to try new things in New Zealand over the past year, so should we try new things across the ditch. So let's head to Tasmania! I first laid eyes on this jewel three years ago when our cruise ship berthed in Hobart, and immediately I felt at home. I think it's because I was reminded of my hometown Wellington: the glittering harbour, the strands of houses draped over the hills like pearls, and the richness of the arts apparent at every turn of the head. However the annual rainfall is half that of our own capital's, and as a bonus Tasmania officially has the world's cleanest air. There's now non-stop direct flights from Auckland twice a week, so I'm excited to rekindle my Tasmanian romance! Here's what's on my must-see list.
MONA
Not to be confused with the Aussie hit from Neighbours' star Craig McLachlan (though I'll still hum along to that), the Museum of Old and New Art is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere and has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. The subterranean, labyrinthine building is cut into sandstone cliffs in Hobart's northern suburbs, and is best approached by ferry, a 25-minute trip from the city's historic waterfront (with seats shaped like tigers or for homesick Kiwis, sheep).
The windowless building has an intentionally ominous atmosphere, where you descend a seemingly endless flight of stairs before working your way back to the surface in order to view the art (kind of a reversal of New York's Guggenheim). And the collection? It's huge (almost 2000 works), valuable (more than $100 million) and as eclectic as it is controversial (the Virgin Mary painted in elephant dung, for example).
The artworks are in non-chronological order, and without labels. Opt for free headphones and audio commentary (several interpretations available, from brief notes to full interviews with the artists) - or make up your own stories. Either way, this place is incredible. Oh, and it's set within the Moorilla winery (where you can stay the night) - a drop or two of the local vintage might help with the art interpretation. Or try the true blue experience…
DINNER WITH DAVID
David Walsh is the Tasmanian millionaire behind Mona and the surrounding estate - he made his fortune through inventing a gambling system, and owns Mona's entire collection of treasures. With its central themes of sex and death, I'm dying (sorry) to meet the brains behind all this. If you have deep pockets, you can make my dream a reality with this package: talk astrophysics, raid the Moorilla wine cellar for the best vintages, enjoy luxury accommodation, and revel in loads of VIP treats. Be warned if he lays a bet on a tennis game though - this man has a mean serve! Although nothing serves it up quite like…
DARK MOFO
The perfect way to keep your wild side satiated during winter: Tasmania embraces the season like nowhere else in Australia. The Dark Mofo festival, held in conjunction with the aforementioned Mona, features offbeat theatre, classic movies, lights shows, music, and late-night theatre experiences along with winter feasting. Come with an open mind (and a change of clothes!) to take part in the Nude Solstice Swim - the event takes place over one week in mid-June so throw your caution (and your modesty) to the wind. And while on the subject of nature…
UNTAMED TASMANIA
At least a fifth of this island is World Heritage area and being a compact island, it's easy to access its many different environments: alpine ranges, wetlands and grasslands to coastal heaths and vast temperate rainforests.
It's perfect for a flora and fauna lover like me: from marsupials like the red-bellied ademelon (cute, wallaby-like) to the infamous Tasmanian Devil (stocky, stinky, screechy); from ancient trees (a huon pine in Lake Johnston Nature Reserve that's around 2000 years old) to mountain-biking Blue Derby (125km through giant fern forests); and from taking the plunge (Floating Sauna Lake Derby, an Australian first) to wandering through a natural wonderland (the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is packed with more than 6,500 species of exotic and native plants) - this place has something for every nature-loving Kiwi. And once you've worked up an appetite in the great outdoors, head back to Hobart for…
TASMANIA TEMPTATIONS
Hobart has food and wine options to foot it on any world stage - and to suit any occasion! Peacock and Jones for an intimate dinner a deux; Urban Greek or La Sardina Loca for a more relaxed time; Suzie Luck's or Room For A Pony when the littlies are in tow; Dier Makr or Fico when they're not. Everything can be matched with a lovely local drop too.
Whatever your reason for the travelling season - it's easy to uncover the magic of Tassie.
For more Australian holiday inspiration go to Visitaustralia.co.nz