Hobart, Whiskey and nostalgia

Tasmania is our second to last place we needed to tick off the “been to Australia and saw…” list.

We spent 4 days in Hobart, and only an hours direct flight from Melbourne.  Such a beautiful little city, and unfortunately the cliché is true – it is very much like New Zealand.

Not necessarily in the ways I anticipated, so for the first day I was driving around saying “really …like NZ?”, but what becomes evident very shortly is the population difference – small little villages dot the cost line around to Port Jackson, and it is a region that seems to rely significantly on tourism – kinda like NZ.

There is a lot to see and do in Hobart, and a three night/four-day weekend is just the ticket to see the best that Hobart has to offer.

Must Do’s:

• Check out the various whiskey distilleries and their associated tasting rooms – most of the whiskey is young, but its promising.  My favourite was Nant, although I then found out you could also visit it in Melbourne, so that kind of took the “only in Tasmania” shine off of it.

• With out a doubt, you need to go to MONA – Museum of Old and New Art.  This place is seriously INSANE!!! Privately owned, the museum is a collection of things predominately relating to sex, death and defecation … with a winery attached.  Fine food, interesting artifacts and reasonably priced, this is something you just have to see once in your life time.  Word of warning, you do need to book, and I suggest taking the ferry … its way cooler mode of transport.  The “Posh Pit” while more expensive is worth it for the great view, the slightly Hard Rock/90’s hair rock decor, and the nibbles/wine/beer.

• Port Jackson is a historical site that has a grim history from the early settlers penal colony, to the massacre that occurred in the late 1990’s.  Wonderful drive to the site, incredible historic site and well set up for tourism.  Honestly, not just for those weird few of us that like to see historic correctional facilities and forts!