Hobart is now less than four hours away, thanks to Air New Zealand’s new direct service from Auckland. Departing two to three times weekly, the non-stop flight places visitors right on the doorstep of Australia’s second-oldest city. This storied history takes centre stage today in Hobart’s 19th-century architecture, including at the handsome sandstone warehouses along Salamanca Place. If you’re here on a Saturday, you’ll see this historic precinct come alive with hundreds of vendors at one of Australia’s longest-running markets.
But Hobart isn’t trapped in the past, thanks to a vibrant community of artists, chefs, distillers and restauranteurs. Tasmania’s famously fresh seafood and produce is transformed into refined expressions of place and season, while island whisky is racking up accolades on the world stage. The city’s cultural attractions are just as innovative; the subterranean Mona (aka the Museum of Old and New Art) looms large with its subversive, immersive and often experimental exhibits. One thing doesn’t change, though: Hobart’s natural beauty. Framed by the rugged kunanyi / Mount Wellington and the slate-grey River Derwent, you can explore on foot, by water, or from the saddle of a bike. Hobart is an ideal long-weekend getaway—but you’ll soon discover that’s not nearly enough time to discover everything the city has to offer.
Air New Zealand’s non-stop flight service from Auckland to Hobart currently departs on Sundays and Thursdays.
MEET THE LOCALS
Tasmania has a bit of a wild reputation—and we’re not just talking about the people. The island state is home to some legendary Australian wildlife, including wallabies, wombats, quolls, platypuses, echidnas and Tasmanian devils.
Between April and November, humpback and southern right whales cruise along the east coast; and from September, the cute-and cuddly factor is dialled up a notch as springtime babies start to explore beyond their marsupial pouches, particularly at dawn and dusk.
However, many of the island’s animals are nocturnal and elusive. If you don’t spot them in the wild, a visit to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary will take you into their realm. Just 30 minutes north of Hobart, the sanctuary plays a critical role in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and visitor education—and guarantees you’ll see the locals.
On a 30-minute guided tour (free with entry), you’ll have the chance to meet some of the sanctuary’s most popular residents—wombats, echidnas and Tasmanian devils— and to hand-feed free-roaming Forester kangaroos. Other experiences range from short, small-group animal encounters with tawny frogmouths, wombats, ringtail possums or echidnas; up to three hour private feeding sessions. And the show doesn’t stop at sunset: book a night tour and interact with the sanctuary’s residents on an intimate after-dark encounter.
REVEL IN CREATIVITY
Tasmania is a year-round destination, but it’s during the cooler months that the island truly comes into its own. It’s the season of hunting with truffle dogs, when oysters and scallops are at their most succulent, and when Tasmanian pinot noir and whisky taste best (or, at least we think so). Longer nights lend themselves to blazing log fires, slow-cooked feasts, and some of the weirdest and most wonderful festivals of the year.
At Dark Mofo, Mona’s midwinter solstice celebration (8–22 June), Hobart is transformed by large-scale public art, fire, food and music. Signature events include the Winter Feast on Hobart’s waterfront, the nude sunrise solstice swim, and the burning of the Ogoh-Ogoh – a massive effigy filled with festivalgoers’ fears.
The Festival of Voices (30 June–9 July) brightens up the nights with its workshops, concerts and singalongs.
The Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest (14–15 July) is the time to gather amongst the apple orchards southeast of Hobart for music, cider and bonfires.
And for the ultimate winter warm-up, Hobart’s Tasmanian Whisky Week (7–13 August) celebrates the island’s peaty golden spirits, with tastings, meet-the-maker events and dinners with whisky pairings.
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF MARIA
There’s a reason visitors to Maria Island National Park (pronounced “Ma-rye-ah”) talk about it with hushed reverence. This isolated, car-free isle—accessed via ferry from Triabunna, just over an hour from Hobart—is renowned for its plentiful wildlife, geological wonders and rich convict history.
On the open grasslands here, wombats wander among wallabies, Cape Barren geese and Forester kangaroos; while after dark, you may be lucky enough to spot (or at least hear) a Tasmanian devil.
The island’s geologically significant sites include the Painted Cliffs, with its swirls of pink and gold sandstone; and the Fossil Cliffs, a miracle of millions of compressed shells.
A paradise for walkers and cyclists, you can catch the Maria Island Encounter ferry across and go on a Tasmanian E-Bike Adventure, and even spend the night at the convict built penitentiary at Darlington, another of Tasmania’s UNESCO convict sites, dating back to 1830. If one night isn’t enough, the award winning four-day Maria Island Walk pairs the island’s rich history and abundant wildlife with comfortable accommodation and fine Tasmanian food and wine.
DETOUR TO TURRAKANA / TASMAN PENINSULA
A tick over an hour southeast of Hobart, outdoor enthusiasts flock to Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula – a rugged and beautiful slice of Tasmanian wilderness, much of which is protected by Tasman National Park. Visitors can xplore deep sea caves and waterfalls on a Tasman Island Cruise, or tramp along the tops of the 300m-high sea cliffs on the 48km Three Capes Track. Add in a couple of distillery visits and an encounter with Tasmanian devils at the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo, and your time here can easily stretch beyond just a day-trip.
Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula is also home to two of Tasmania’s five UNESCO World heritage-listed convict sites: the captivating Port Arthur Historic Site and the nearby Coal Mines Historic Site. Separated from the rest of Tasmania by the narrow isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck – once guarded by dogs to prevent convicts from escaping – and flanked by the southern hemisphere’s tallest sea cliffs, the peninsula was the perfect prison.
Thousands of convicts served their sentences here in the early 1880s: a visit to these ruins is always a haunting experience.