In February, we planned an impromptu trip to Tasmania - the southernmost state in Australia. We flew out of Sydney at 7am on a Friday and arrived in Tassie at 9am. We then went straight to our hotel, the Grand Mecure, in Hobart and dropped our stuff off. Thankfully, our room was ready early! I totally recommend this hotel as it wasn't too expensive, is central to everything and has really nice staff. Take note though, Hobart doesn't have super luxurious accommodations unless you want to spend an arm and a leg, so this place is what I'd call "quaint".
We grabbed a quick bite at a "must do" in Hobart - Jackman and McRoss cafe. They have amazing coffee, pastries and brekkie. Ryan had this phenomenal puff pastry, egg and salmon deliciousness. We then strolled over to the harbor to take the ferry to the MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), a privately owned museum that is probably one of the best that we've ever seen.
Ryan in front of the ferry dock for the MONA.
This was called the Cloaca, by artist William Delvoye. I'll let you read the wiki, but all I can say is that it stunk to high heaven!
Ryan and I took a break from the 4 stories underground and went up to the winery to have a glass of pinot and a snack. They also have a brewery on the island that does tours and a winery tour. We highly recommend any of the "moo brews" and the pinot noir. Delish!!
Bottom line, go and see the MONA. It's a once in a lifetime experience. Four stories underground, privately owned and one of the most provocative collections in the world. We almost spent the whole day here, and would highly recommend doing the same!
After the MONA, we went back to our hotel, had a drink and played pool on a snooker table. It was tough and Ryan of course kicked my butt. We then had a late dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant on Salamanca Place called Maldini. We had an 8:30 reservation and were a little concerned that we'd be the last people there, but the whole strip was hopping. We had an amazing dinner of whole fish (my fav) and steak. Both were yummy and accompanied by more Tassie Pinot. Full and tired, we retreated back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.
After the MONA, we went back to our hotel, had a drink and played pool on a snooker table. It was tough and Ryan of course kicked my butt. We then had a late dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant on Salamanca Place called Maldini. We had an 8:30 reservation and were a little concerned that we'd be the last people there, but the whole strip was hopping. We had an amazing dinner of whole fish (my fav) and steak. Both were yummy and accompanied by more Tassie Pinot. Full and tired, we retreated back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.
On Saturday morning, we visited the Salamanca Markets which are on from about 8am-2pm. There are local artisans, food stalls, musicians and the like. If you can make the time, it's a fun place to visit to grab souvenirs - we got a little cheese board made of Tasmanian wood.
After the markets, we rented a car and drove 1 hour south east to the historical Port Arthur site. It was a very pretty drive, and we stopped here and there along the way.
It was cold and a little rainy so the Northface came in handy!
Ryan thought Port Arthur was so-so. I guess he's not so much of a history buff;).
Here's our TINY rental.
This is a pic of one of the beaches we drove by. It was seriously one of the most phenomenal views I've ever seen and the picture does not do it justice. The water was crystal clear and blue and floated over miles of white sand.
Interestingly, there were snakelike patterns all over the sand and you had to watch where you stepped because some of the areas were almost like quicksand!
Me by the beach
Graffiti art in Hobart
When we got back to Hobart, we went to two place. First, The New Sydney Hotel. It was an amazing bar with paraphernalia from all over the world. There were Hawaii and Massachusetts license plates on the wall, currencies from around the world, etc! When we walked in, there was a huge group of locals sitting in a circle, each with their various instruments, jamming. Like nothing I've ever seen outside of Hawaii.
We then went to dinner at a restaurant called Ethos - a tapas style place. It was adorable, the food and wine was delish, and we had a blast. After dinner, we posed with street art. HA!
I think this is a mouse????
To cap off the night, we visited a bunch of bars in Salamanca Place and were wowed by all of the live music. Hobart on the weekend is a really vibrant and bustling place!
To cap off the night, we visited a bunch of bars in Salamanca Place and were wowed by all of the live music. Hobart on the weekend is a really vibrant and bustling place!
On Sunday we drove up to Wineglass Bay, about 3 hours north of Hobart. Here we are at Honeymoon Bay enjoying a bottle of Tasmania Pinot Noir from Spring Vale Wines. We loved this place - pinot, sparkling and the most amazing chard!
The baby mussels all over the rocks.
Posing in Honeymoon Bay.
Chilling.
Ryan decided to go for a swim!!
Walking back to our hotel, the Freycinet Lodge, we encountered a wild wallaby. My very first...ADORABLE!!
We had dinner at the hotel and this was the view from the restaurant.
Here I am!
While we were walking home from dinner, we were greeted by about 10 possums. Slightly scary but so cool!
On Monday, we hiked to Wineglass Bay. The day was unfortunately a bit overcast and rainy, but it was still an awesome view and hike. Like Ryan's hat???
Surfing a rock wave!
When we finally made it to the beach, it was raining and cold, but that didn't stop the wild wallabies from making friends on the beach.
I petted this guy!!
Here we are the end of the hike. We sorta did it backwards and hit up the lookout last.
All in all, Tasmania was a really great experience and we recommend it to anyone that can make a weekend trip away from Sydney.
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