Stay home. This planet cannot afford elitist ego-travel. Every unit of Fossil Fuel we burn today, will further diminish the lives of our precious progeny.
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@Miss Anne Thrope We went to visit our daughter who lives in Sydney and did a "side trip" to Hobart, so it was more family travel than elitist ego travel.
But I get your point.
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@Miss Anne Thrope
We were already in Sydney for a conference, so it was hardly elistist ego-travel for us to visit Tasmania. It was a wonderful and not overly expensive side trip. As for Fossil Fuel consumption, the distance from Sydney to Hobart is less than half that of our flights back to Utah from our current home in Pennsylvania. Then again, your nom de plume suggests that we shouldn't take your criticism too seriously.
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@Miss Anne Thrope
Miss Anne, what qualifies as travel that is not elitist/ego-driven in your view?
By the way, how many miles a year do you drive living out west? I live in the big city, so does my low carbon footprint allow me to travel once in a while?
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No one can go to Tasmania and not eat the Oysters. The world’s best!
We had just finished a week in Hobart when this article appeared. I’d highly recommend restaurants Dier Makr and Fico, mentioned in a previous NYT story—deliciously inventive cuisine, though not cheap. Hobart is a fine place to start a Tasmanian libations tasting tour, at the Moorilla winery at MONA, and the Lark gin and whiskey distillery downtown. Near the latter is the wonderful Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and across the street from that is the Hope & Anchor pub, Australia’s oldest, still operating, and practically a museum piece in itself.
I could go in and on—our week was jam-packed—Mt Wellington and the Coal Valley wine region are barely 30 minutes outside Hobart (in opposite directions).
We’re now exploring the north coast, with no end in sight to Tassie’s wonders.
Will be spending two weeks in Hobart this winter. Sounds very exciting. We appreciate all the the info and recommendations and will incorporate in our travel plans. Thanx for this timely info.
I had the privilege to spent 3 mos in Australia way back 14 years. Ago. I flew from Sydney and spent about a wk in Hobart (used it as home base). This was great place sp Salamanca Village. Even back then they had such a wide range of Bistros, Coffee Houses.
The people were very friendly, after spending so much time there, the people treated me like I had lived there all my life.
Afterwards continued my discovery throughout the entire Eastern Seaboard to Launceston and took the Ferry to Melbourne.
Most beautiful night skies.....Milky Way and many starts.
So many interesting small towns like Swansea
My last place was visiting Stanley look it up on Google Map.
If you ever go to Australia, please find the time to get to Tassie
Click on the link to Cascade, the quintessential lager of Tasmania, and it takes you to the Cascade Brewery in Portland, Oregon. Portland is more than 8,000 miles from Hobart.
I visited Hobart about 15 years ago. It was wonderful. The highlight for me was a visit to the Botanical Gardens, which are spectacular.
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Important correction: Cascade in the South, Boags in the North.
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Oh my goodness, so many link! They make this article very hard to read.
@Rwilson But one of the links is incorrect. The link to Cascade is a link to an Oregon brewery NOT the Tasmanian brewery - worlds apart.
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"Tasmania is experiencing a surge of weekenders and property buyers, driven by a newfound interest in its pristine nature"
Soon to be gone with the hordes of weekenders and property buyers arriving there.
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you left out 'map of Tasmania' - which given the roughly triangular shape - is sometimes used to refer to 'down there' by us down under
at least before the Brazilian became de riguer ...
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If it's getting trendy, I'm afraid the writing is on the wall. I visited Tasmania 10 yers ago when some of my family was working in Melbourne and I got to visit. We took the car ferry from Melbourne to Devonport and drove a zig zag down to Hobart. The island is so varied; plan time for more than 36 hours in the capital! Rain forest and mountains in the west, agriculture and great wine in the east, un-built-up coasts and beaches France and California (or even NSW) would kill for, records of its dark history if you only read up and look, and standing on the southern shore thinking "next stop Antarctica". Go before it's too late. Somewhat closer to home for Americans, at the opposite end of the Atlantic, Victoria, BC, also reachable by ferry, reminded me a lot of Hobart.
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As a transplanted Canadian that has lived here for 20 years I can truely say that Hobart has just about anything I could want. The commuter traffic is horrid it takes a whole ten minutes to get into the centre from the outer suburbs.
The comments on the colonial sins raise issues that the Tasmanian public have very little understanding of. The near eradication of an ancient people needs to be answered with a sense of contrition. Respect needs to be shown to people that have lived through two ice ages only to suffer under broken promises and smallpox blankets.
There is little industries, the tallest flowering plant in the world, some of the most welcoming people. There is a distinct lack of hustle.
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Spent a delicious week there. It's got a dense rainforest just minutes from a glacier. Fresh deep-sea fish should be eaten right at the wharf. The dark and sometimes awful history is belied by today's population of warm, friendly folk. A small but good university is there - my reason for going, and a small but surprisingly well-stocked university library. I was invited, not just permitted, to use.
And above all, clear, brisk air, and lora and fauna to walk among. I think "extremely walkable" is a way of warning that the hills are steep and start right by the port: streets above were fun but hard after some Aussie wine and fish delicacies. Taxis are worth itrying if you are not so very "extremely walkable."
Hobart has terrific Aussie and NZ air connecters. Swimming in the Derwentsk takes bravery or beers - cold, deep, fast-flowing - and filled with huge living "thingees" Break up the flights: a night or 2 in Oahu on the way in and Fiji on the way back. Go soon, while there is a there there, to paraphrase G. Stein on Oakland, CA.
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@drbobsolomon I've lived here for 20 years and didn't know we even had a glacier. Are you sure it's Hobart you're thinking of?
@drbobsolomon Very poetic, but there are no glaciers in Tasmania. I think you may have your locations mixed up.
The link to the Cascade Brewery points to the Cascade brewery near Portland, Oregon, USA. This is probably more relevant for this article: https://www.cascadebreweryco.com.au/
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“Extremely walkable”?
Some of us are reluctant to treat this as good news.
"Tasmania is experiencing a surge of weekenders and property buyers, driven by a newfound interest in its pristine nature, unhurried way of life..."
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We loved Tasmania after being lucky enough to spend a week there during a trip to Australia. Hobart is delightful and driving anywhere is pretty if not beautiful. There are towns along the roads which were built by convict labor and worth a look. There are likely more sheep than people and places to see wombats, Tasmanian devils, etc. I hope it becomes popular but not overrun. I would love to return, but that kind of air travel is a one-time trip for me.
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This could any-trendy-where. I'm sure there's more to Tasmania that the artfully artlessness - or is it the artlessly artfulness - expected by the people who can afford to fly there from halfway around the world, as depicted in this article.
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@greg Some of us are only a hop skip and a jump away.
I visited Tasmania with some friends and had a an excellent bicycle guided tour beginning in Hobart. I experienced much natural beauty and friendly people. And as noted in the article Tasmanian history as a prison camp (segregated for male and female internees) casts a shadow. The colonial regime also committed genocide on the aboriginal natives wiping out the entire population.
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@Mark Aldridge Regarding your last sentence: this is not true. Some were removed to the Bass Strait islands and interbred with settlers there. Also, introduced diseases to which they had no immunity such as influenza were the major cause of the devastation of their population. Others were killed by settlers acting of their own volition. It was never the policy of the "colonial regime" to seek to wipe them out.
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@GRW Even a quick glance at the Wikipedia entry for the Black War would show you to be gravely misinformed. Can I also recommend The Black War by Nicholas Clements as an excellent source of more accurate information.
If you go to Tasmania, travel outside Hobart for more fantastic scenery and wildlife. I was there in October and took a day tour to Bruny Island, an island off an island, off an island. Huge ocean waves (waterproof jackets provided), fur seals resting along the rocky shore, curious dolphins swimming alongside, rock cliffs like nothing I’ve ever seen.
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My wife and I spent four days in Hobart last year and visited all of the places listed in this story. One thing you left off is that Hobart is also the hometown of film star Errol Flynn. Amazingly there is no monument to him, save a star in the sidewalk outside the theater he used to attend as a boy. Your descriptions of the attractions and art scene are spot on, and another thing that makes the city so tourist-friendly is the "red bus" that loops all of the major attractions regularly. You can get around this city very easily, and yes, the food is outstanding, especially the breakfasts!!!
If you go in the winter (our summers) be sure to pack warm weather gear. You are close to the South Pole.
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It's a shock to read about Hobart without even a mention of the genocide of the Tasmanians.
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@Gary yeah I thought that too. Tasmanians don't talk about it, but I expected more from the NYT.
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@Michelle
This was a "Day Trip" (or three), exploring a wonderful place I will never get to visit.
An enjoyable read. Not meant to be anything else. Some look to find darkness in every corner.
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My money standards probably need an upgrade, but Hobart doesn't strike me as cheap.
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We stopped off in Hobart (after 2 glorious weeks in NZ and en route to Melbourne) specifically to go to MONA, which did not disappoint. Fortunately, we were there for the Salamanca market. One thing we did not on this list was take a long taxi ride to the Bonorong animal sanctuary. This is a worthy place to support with your visit... and you can cuddle kangaroos. Why would anyone go to Australia and risk coming home without cuddling a kangaroo??? https://www.bonorong.com.au/
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@Elizabeth - not just the roos but we got to see wombats (my personal favorites) and Tasmanian devils. We had rented a car to drive around Tasmania, so it was around a 30 - 40 min. drive to Bonorong. I have a photo of my husband being "swarmed" by some friendly roos as he was feeding them the approved feed you can purchase.
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@Elizabeth Yes, Bonorong is a fantastic experience, and the work being done there to protect the Tasmanian Devils (among other critters) from extinction is important. Do visit and support their efforts!
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Too bad.
One can already hear the death knell in the form of those construction derricks.
Goodbye old Hobart.
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Tasmania is magical. If I were to go anywhere in Australia, it would be Tas. The Overland Treck runs N-S of the island, takes 6 days, and was one of the best experiences of my life. I've also heard good things about the Three Capes Walk, although it's expensive & you have to be boated in. P.S. I get that there's more to Hobart than the MOFO, but how can you write an article about Hobart/ Tasmania & not feature it? Also, can you interview the guy? That would be insanely interesting.
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I was in Australia this past May and asked Sydney residents where I should go before finishing my trip in Melbourne: Brisbane, Canberra, or Hobart. They all said Hobart. Absolutely loved my time there. MONA is wonderful. Unfortunately left the day Dark MOFO started.
One thing the article left out is the growing whiskey culture in Tasmania (they're gunning to be the next Scotland...seriously). Anyone who goes MUST go on the Lark Distillery tour and they have a wonderful shop/tavern right in the heart of Downtown Hobart.
The Hobartians were some of the nicest people I've ever met on my travels. I can't recommend Hobart enough.
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Thank you for this article! My husband and I had the opportunity to visit Hobart with our three young girls a year ago and absolutely loved it. We were in Sydney for a month for my husband's work and spent a long weekend in Hobart that stole our hearts! We loved Sydney, loved New Zealand, loved Fiji, but Hobart was special. The food was incredible, the was town so charming, the museum was extraordinary, and the people were incredibly kind, especially to these foreigners with small children. Don't even get me started on the fun we had driving out of Hobart into the Tasmania wine country! Tasmania, and Hobart especially, is on our "must get back to" list.
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Here's to Qantas testing 21+ hour direct flights to Hobart from NY requiring a 36 hours to recover upon landing.
A report further into the natural sights and delights of Tasmania would be nice - but 36 hours would't do it.
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The local Pinot Noir is an absolute must!
Honestly, the best I have ever tasted outside Burgundy, period.
PS:
Now retired, I wrote about wine during 25 years in Montreal, Québec. Can.
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No trip to Hobart is complete without a visit to the Customs House. It is the traditional first stop for sailors after completing the Sydney-Hobart or Melbourne-Hobart race, and during that time it is open 24-hours.
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Lovely small city with an unhurried vibe. My wife and I visited for Christmas one year only to find that everything was closed from the 24th on, including restaurants. We ate Christmas dinner, including frozen pea and carrot medley, thanks to the graces of a welcoming church group serving the homeless on the pedestrian mall. With good spirits and lively conversation, it ended up being the highlight of the trip!
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Not only is the food great, but there is no tipping the restaurant staff, as they are paid a living wage and have government administered health care. Rick Steves promotes travel as a way for Americans to see alternate systems !
As to MONA, I found the building to be artful, the contents not so much.
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@Darold Petty
That's a lie. They make about $16A - $11US - per hour. Living wage is about $20-25A.
In NYC FOH staff make anywhere from $20-$50 per hour in grats - average - plus wage and benefits. If you abolished tipping here the overwhelming majority of people wouldn't be able to afford to eat out except for fast food. That's the same for every major city in NA.
That's also why service is so good here and so lousy in places where there's no tipping. There's zero incentive to provide great service because you make the same amount regardless of how much or how little effort you put into it. And minimum wage guarantees minimum effort.