Hobart: First Impressions

Hobart has to be one of Australia’s most under rated cities. Its like an after thought when you had enough of Sydney and Melbourne. But once you’ve been to Hobart, you’d have wondered why you didn’t come here earlier. The city was founded in 1804 as a British penal colony on the island of Tasmania. Originally known as Hobart Town, and sometimes shortened to Hobarton. The town grew rapidly as a port for the whaling and sealing trades, becoming a major hub for Antarctic exploration, By this time the ‘Town’ was dropped as Hobart had become a city. Throughout the 19th century, Hobart developed as an important administrative and commercial center, with the construction of significant Georgian and Victorian buildings. The city faced challenges in the 20th century, including the devastating 1967 bushfires and the 1975 Tasman Bridge disaster. However, Hobart has since reinvented itself as a cultural and tourist destination, known for its picturesque harbor, historic architecture, and proximity to natural attractions.

There are no direct flights from Singapore to Hobart, so we had to make a stop in Melbourne to connect to a domestic flight. Otherwise, there is a ferry service, “Spirit of Tasmania”, that sails the Bass Strait between Melbourne on the Australian mainland and Davenport on Tasmania. The trip takes roughly 10 hours and the ferry takes both passengers and vehicles.

Hobart is a good gateway into Tasmania with its small town charm, complete with Victorian era buildings and a relaxed pace of life. One of the most popular things to do here is to visit the Salamanca Market located at Salamanca Place. This weekend market is only open on Saturdays so make sure to plan your visit to include the weekend if you want to experience the market.

The Port of Hobart, or the Harbour is just beside Salamanca Place and is a good place to visit once you are done with the market. It covers a large area with many piers hosting wharfs, shops. restaurants and hotels. It also hosts the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. This year’s race will take place on 26th December from Sydney Harbour.

Overlooking Hobart is the imposing Mount Wellington or kunanyi in the local aboriginal language. At 1,271m high, the summit can be seen from Hobart on a clear day, and often receives snow in the winter months.

If you are planning to drive to the summit of Mt Wellington, it would be good to update yourself on the road’s condition before setting off. Called the Pinnacle Road, it’s sometimes closed to traffic due to snow or ice on the road. There’s also an Explorer Bus service that goes to the summit if you aren’t driving.

As I mentioned before, Hobart is a foodie’s paradise and there’s a wide variety of fresh seafood and farm produce. Surf and turf as they call it, ranging from straight from the sea Tasmanian oysters, crabs, lobsters to fish and chips, grilled steaks and garden fresh salads. One of the places to enjoy your food is at the Cascades Brewery.

Although we spent a short time in Hobart, it has definitely left a deep impression with its historical roots and small town charm. Its so easy to lose track of time in this city with its relaxed pace of life and natural surroundings.