The southern-most and second oldest state capital, Hobart has
retained its links with its maritime past by retaining its Georgian
colonial stone buildings and fishermen's wharves that are lined with
sandstone warehouses.
The Central Business District is located on the western shore, adjacent
to Sullivans Cove, with the inner suburbs spread out along the shores
of the Derwent and climbing up the hills at the foot of Mount
Wellington. The Port of Hobart occupies the whole of the original
Sullivans Cove.
Hobart Botanical Gardens
A city with a population of around 200,000, Hobart is located on the estuary of the Derwent River in the state's south-east. The suburban area covers a significant amount of both the western and eastern sides of the river. Apart from the city, the main commercial centres are Glenorchy (the northern suburbs) and Rosny (the eastern shore). The satellite town Kingston, south of the city, is fast becoming an outlying suburb of Hobart.
Hobart is a busy seaport, notably serving as the home port for Australia's (and France's) Antarctic activities. It supports several other industries (notably including a high-speed catamaran factory and a zinc smelter) as well as a vibrant tourist industry.
Hobart has a mild, temperate, maritime climate with four distinct seasons. Being in the southern hemisphere, summer is December to February.
Hobart is internationally famous among the yachting fraternity as the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day).
The arrival of the yachts is celebrated as part of the Hobart Summer Festival, a food and wine festival beginning just after Christmas and ending in mid January. Hobart is also the finish point of the Targa Tasmania rally car event held annually in April. Australia's first legal casino was the 17-storey Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Sandy Bay, opened in 1973. It is still the tallest building in the city, despite being several kilometres out of the CBD, and a nationally recognised icon.
Salamanca Place
Popular restaurant strips include Elizabeth Street, in North Hobart and Salamanca Place near the waterfront. Several pubs and nightclubs can be found concentrated in the city and waterfront area. Hobart is home to Australia’s oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal. It also has three Village Cinema complexes, one in the city, and two relatively new centres in Glenorchy and Rosny.
How To Get There
Restdown Homestead
By car, from Devonport, follow Bass Highway west. At Somerset, take
Murchison Highway. This highway approaches the region from the north.
From Hobart, take Brooker Highway almost to Bridgewater. At Granton,
take Lyell Highway or approach the region from the south via New
Norfolk, Ouse and Derwent Bridge.
By coach, Tassielink Coaches services all major centres throughout
Tasmania. A bus service operates to and from Strahan from most major
Tasmanian centres, flights can also be charted as an all weather
airstrip is located only 2 km from the town centre.
Best Time To Go
MONA
More than anywhere else in Australia, Tasmania enjoys four seasons, each with its own unique pleasures and appeal so there is no "best time" to visit. It all depends on what you want to see and experience. Summer
Summer (December, January, February) is festival time with Taste of Tasmania in Hobart, and small local fairs across the state. Being below the 40th parallel means Tasmania's summer evenings have long languid twilights. Autumn (March, April, May) is a mellow season with calm, sunny days, and the best time to sample some of the best, fresh Tasmanian produce. Winter (June, July, August) is the time to relax indoors by a log fire, or head out for an invigorating walk and then sit down to a delicious Tasmanian meal. You can join with the locals at the Longest Night Film Festival and Antarctica Mid-Winter Festival in June and be warmed by serenading voices at Hobart s Festival of the Voices, or indulge at the Chocolate Winterfest, in Latrobe (north), in July. Spring (September, October, November) is the season of cool, fresh and green countryside, the sweet scent of gardens in bloom, the bite of fish on a lure. Blooming Tasmania begins with tulip festivals in the north and south and continues through until May.
Tours
Activities
Highlights
