After traveling for 46 hours, our last flight to Australia finally landed in Hobart. At 11 p.m., our heads hit the pillows in our hotel; we crashed, which was a perfect way to quickly clear away any jetlag! We slept like babies but could barely wait to see what Tasmania had to offer.
Macq01 Hotel
A hotel in Hobart located right on the water on an old industrial pier, Macq01 does an excellent job of bringing the history of Tasmania to life. At the core of the hotel is a focus on storytelling, and each room is dedicated to a historic figure from Tasmania’s past. Our room was dedicated to Edward Abbott, the country’s first foodie and author of the first Tasmanian cookbook – how fitting! The room is modern in design, with a few organic elements to add warmth and comfort. The bar and restaurant are popular with locals, so you don’t have to look far to get a feel for the city’s energy. Views of the harbor and city are a nice bonus. This is a perfect home base for exploring the area.
The next morning, we hit the ground running. We only had one full day to see Hobart, and just like our whirlwind tour of Edinburgh a few years ago, we planned ahead and knew we wouldn’t waste any time!
Breakfast at Room for a Pony
The morning started with a long walk up the hill to a quirky restaurant called Room for a Pony. Our first attempt at navigating the strange names given to Australian coffee – what do you say when you want a plain black coffee?! (More on that later), and a unique and hearty meal of roasted pumpkin and potato with scrambled eggs and hollandaise sauce (not something I would have dreamed up on my own, but surprisingly delicious!), and we were ready to tackle the city!
We meandered our way back downhill toward the harbor and enjoyed the interesting Victorian-era architecture blended in with a few 1960s-style utilitarian concrete structures. One benefit of our long flights is that we had plenty of time to remember everything we had forgotten to pack, and we had a shopping list of things that needed to be acquired. Luckily, we spotted a familiar-looking red bullseye logo and went to Target to shop. This also allowed us to see the less touristy parts of the city; it was a beautiful sunny Saturday, so the locals were out and about.
Salamanca Market, Hobart
Hobart plays host to Salamanca Market every Saturday, a large outdoor street fair full of local artisan stalls and food trucks. This is an excellent opportunity to buy gifts for friends at home, taste local flavors, and even do some whiskey and gin tasting at the McHenry booth! October is springtime here, and the colorful blooms around the market create a festive, cheerful vibe.
The Highlight of the Day: Whiskey and Beer Tasting!
Our one day in Hobart also happened to be my birthday! So, to celebrate, I booked a half-day guided tour with Drink Tasmania to taste some of the newly popular local whiskeys and craft beers. We were not disappointed. The tour began at the Lark Cellar Door, where the shelves were heavy with both local whiskeys and a healthy collection of Scotch whiskeys. Lark is the distiller that can be thanked for reviving the distilling industry in Tasmania after working to revise some of the old temperance laws in Tasmania. This new era of distilling is still quite young, and Lark was the first to begin distilling whiskey in the mid-1990s.
We opted to begin with the Belgrove Rye, one of the more unique whiskeys coming out of Tasmania today. Living in Maryland, the original home of rye whiskeys, we felt an obligation to try this one first, and I’m a bit dismayed to report that Belgrove is making ryes far better than the rye I’ve tasted in Maryland lately (cough, cough, Sagamore). From there, we hopped in the tour guide’s van and drove out of the city to a non-descript industrial park, which also happens to be home to one of the best whiskeys in the World!
Sullivans Cove Single Malt Whiskey was voted best in the world in 2014. That well-earned accolade has helped put Tasmanian distilling operations on the map. Surprisingly, the operation at Sullivans Cove is quite humble, which always makes for the best distillery tours. On this tour, we had the rare opportunity to dive deeper into the filtering process. Collectors note that Sullivans Cove hopes to release a small batch of unfiltered whiskey, which will make a nice addition to any whiskey-drinker’s bar!
Just down the road from Sullivans Cove is a tiny storage unit that serves as the headquarters for the Last Rites brewery, a very small operation pumping out beers with huge personality. My favorite was the bright and citrusy “Pay Your Dews,” which was actually brewed with Mountain Dew!
Our tour ended at the Hobart Brewing Company located just next to our hotel. The head brewer here hails from Colorado so the atmosphere and flavors of the beers felt familiar. This is a great spot to while away in the afternoon and enjoy the great weather in the beer garden.
Jetlag sets in
I wish I could say dinner was at a special local restaurant with more unique local ingredients. But, sadly, after walking over 7 miles during the day, I was afraid I would fall asleep in my dinner. So, we split a simple plate of fish and chips while sipping on Moo Brew, another local beer, and called it a night.
The biggest lesson learned during my time here is that Hobart and its surroundings have so much to offer; one day is not enough, and we most definitely need to plan a return trip! We missed out on many local experiences and, with a little more time in the area, I would have liked to add:
- A visit to Port Arthur to learn about Tasmania’s history as a convict colony
- Wine tasting around Hobart and its surrounding countryside
- More whiskey tasting! I would have liked to spend more quality time getting to know the distilleries at McHenry and Lark
- At least a half day to explore MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
- Hands-on cooking and tasting at Agrarian Kitchen
- Cheese tasting at the Pyengana Dairy
- A bit further out, but I would have loved to venture out to the Tasmanian West Coast Wilderness Railway for a unique steam train ride. The route has such steep hills the train needs a third, toothed rail (San Francisco streetcar style) to make the climb
If Hobart and Tasmania are not on your radar, they should be. This is typically a destination for a second or third trip to Australia, but I found it to be an easy and approachable introduction to Australia as a whole.
