WHAT TO DO IN HOBART x x

I thought I’d do a quick post about my recent trip to Hobart.

Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and sits nestled between the river Derwent and the beautiful Mount Wellington. It is the oldest capital city after Sydney and has definitely held on to it’s old-world heritage charm. I was really surprised at everything that was on offer there and I left feeling like I should return (soon) for a few extra nights to explore a little more! Be warned: do not go to Hobart if you are on a diet…you DO NOT want to miss out on the amazing food and wine on offer!

Where we stayed:

Henry Jones Art Hotel – the Henry Jones was an awesome place to stay and centrally located. It is built in one of Hobart’s oldest waterfront warehouses and hence has all of the beautiful beams and character to go with it. There are only 56 rooms in the hotel which are all spacious and a little bit quirky. The service was spot on and we felt we were looked after really well. We didn’t get a chance to eat in the restaurant as we had already booked dinner for our two nights but it has a very good reputation and I’m sure we’ll go back there next time!

Where we ate:

Aloft – we had a recommendation to eat at the Glasshouse restaurant so when we arrived we went to find it but they were fully booked for both evenings (although you can eat at the bar – see below). In the same building upstairs, there is Aloft restaurant both of which are artfully created in the Brooke Street Pier on the waterfront (it actually feels like you are on a boat). This was also fully booked but had some ‘walk-in tables’ available for the following evening (tip: book if you want to go to either of these restaurants!). The menu reads very minimal and organic and encapsulates all of the things I love: blue-eye curry, shiitake mushroom dumplings, tofu, fig leaf and turmeric wafer…….and so on. I LOVE this kind of menu because it’s always a surprise when you are presented with your dishes. We had a tasting menu and were honestly blown away with the imagination and all-round tastiness of the food. Highly recommend eating here!

Glasshouse – in the same building as Aloft is the Glasshouse restaurant. Here, you can also find a minimal menu but with more of a japanese spin. We didn’t eat here but we had a drink at the bar where many other people were eating and feasting on the amazing fresh oysters. Going by the reputation and the difficulty in getting a reservation I can imagine the dining here is top notch and had a lovely ‘buzz’ going on….this is definitely on my list for next time!

Peacock and Jones – this is such a gorgeous restaurant and wine bar and located right next door to the hotel! We had dinner here and were really impressed with the food, ambience and service. Again the menu is very minimal and changes in accordance with what is growing at the time (or caught for the day!). Really delicious food, amazing wine list and a great cheese board! YUM!

Franklin – we had lunch here on our last day! Because I had just ran a 12km trail run in the mountains I felt like I could indulge and this was the perfect place for it! I can imagine this is a Hobart ‘hot spot’ in the evening with its trendy decor, and menu which is also very minimal….it kind of leaves you wandering what on earth you’ll be presented with but I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed! The food here was awesome and they also sell local organic wine (which of course I sampled) and thought it was a really nice touch to the whole ‘organic’ vibe it has to offer. REALLY GOOD!

What we saw:

MONA – Museum of Old and New Art: Now this is something you HAVE to see if you are visiting Hobart. I am really into my Art but I think even for the Art novice this museum will leave you feeling intrigued, disgusted, enthralled, excited and stunned all at the same time… I felt all of these emotions and more which is why I think the collection is a must-see. It really provokes thought and imagination and even though the museums focus is on death and sex it really doesn’t include any salacious or vulgar themes.

I still can’t believe it’s a private collection….and within that collection is the ‘death gallery’ where the mummy of Paurisis is on show….I found this the most fascinating as I had a weird obsession with ancient Egypt as a kid! Amongst the mummies, coffins and sarcophagus fragments you can also find an amazing collection of contemporary art. I have to say the ‘fat car’ was probably my favourite…probably because of the message it sends…..it really portrays the ‘epidemic’ of 21st century consumer indulgence rather well and left me pondering this for quite some time.

The setting for the museum is in the Berriedale Winery and therefore has amazing food and wine on offer. They have the acclaimed Source restaurant (which we didn’t manage to eat at unfortunately) a wine bar serving amazing wine from the vineyard and beer brewed on site along with fresh, local food: think cheese, antipasto, rosemary focaccia, ocean trout etc. There is also a cafe and bar in the museum if you need something to settle your stomach on the way round!

Overall the staff were really attentive and it was probably the most hassle-free museum i’ve been to……no crammed rooms or queuing (except for the death gallery, but that was worth it and only allows two people in at a time!). They have an awesome interactive navigator called the ‘O’ that they give you on an iPhone which records your journey around the museum and then e-mails you your tour so that you can read up all about the things you saw in the comfort of your own home!

MONA was definitely the highlight of my trip and I would highly recommend a visit if you are staying in Tasmania 🙂

Fitness??

On our final day we got up early(ish – for a holiday at least) and went to the pipeline track in Mount Wellington for a trail run. The distance of the run is 10km there and back but because of our check-out we did 12km in total. This was an awesome trail run and has left me wanting to do more trail running back in Sydney….I’ll keep you posted with that one! The mountain is so beautiful and after our run we drove to the summit to check out the amazing look out…definitely worth it!

Overall

Really impressed with Hobart and the amount on offer there, as I said don’t go while you are dieting as you will definitely want to sample all of the amazing food on offer! The scenery is stunning and has left me yearning to return and explore more of the beautiful island!

Have you been to Hobart?? I’d love to hear of your experiences and if you have any insider tips that I missed out on!

If you follow me on Instagram you will see that this week I started my 2 week cleanse……much needed after this little break!!

Enjoy x x