The view from MONA
The view from MONA

We had a house sitting job organised over the Christmas/New Year period, which couldn’t have worked out better for us. We joined aussiehousesitters.com to find the job, which seems like a great option for folks travelling who want to spend a little time somewhere and don’t mind looking after pets and watering the gardens. We had a few things planned for our time in Hobart, though many things in town were closed due to the holiday season (Tasmania can be a bit “country town” with its business hours). The city is usually packed at this time of year due to the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to a Covid outbreak in Sydney. We went into the CBD day after Christmas for some Boxing Day bargains and to check out the Salamanca Markets – on every Saturday. We perused the stalls and got some delicious food while checking out the waterfront.

Luckily, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) had just re-opened on Boxing Day after shutting it’s doors earlier in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The museum is the creation of professional gambler and art collector David Walsh who hails from Hobart. We booked tickets to go on the 28th (which we also got lucky with as tickets were basically sold out every day we were in Hobart).

The view from MONA
The view from MONA

We had a house sitting job organised over the Christmas/New Year period, which couldn’t have worked out better for us. We joined aussiehousesitters.com to find the job, which seems like a great option for folks travelling who want to spend a little time somewhere and don’t mind looking after pets and watering the gardens. We had a few things planned for our time in Hobart, though many things in town were closed due to the holiday season (Tasmania can be a bit “country town” with its business hours). The city is usually packed at this time of year due to the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to a Covid outbreak in Sydney. We went into the CBD day after Christmas for some Boxing Day bargains and to check out the Salamanca Markets – on every Saturday. We perused the stalls and got some delicious food while checking out the waterfront.

MONA installation: Cloaca
MONA installation: Cloaca

Luckily, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) had just re-opened on Boxing Day after shutting it’s doors earlier in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The museum is the creation of professional gambler and art collector David Walsh who hails from Hobart. We booked tickets to go on the 28th (which we also got lucky with as tickets were basically sold out every day we were in Hobart). We caught a bus to the Brooke Street Pier where we boarded the MONA ferry ($15 per adult for a round trip). We spent the day walking through the beautifully curated exhibitions witnessing the boundaries of art being tested the whole way. MONA is incredible to say the least.

Salamanca Markets
Salamanca Markets

We caught a bus to the Brooke Street Pier where we boarded the MONA ferry ($15 per adult for a round trip). We spent the day walking through the beautifully curated exhibitions witnessing the boundaries of art being tested the whole way. MONA is incredible to say the least.

We waited for a clear day to head up to Mount Wellington, which we had a nice view of from the house we were staying at. It didn’t disappoint with some impressive views of Hobart from above 1200 metres. We went for a luxury drive to South Arm and then to Coal Valley Farm where we looked at some of the most expensive cheese and chocolate we’ve ever seen. We also enjoyed the battery point sculpture walk which leads around the scenic shoreline of the city showcasing some interesting art installations. The rest of our time in Hobart we pretty much spent eating. We had amazing ramen at Bar Wa, a great vegan lunch at Veg Bar and enjoyed a bit of Hobart’s night life, having a couple drinks at In The Hanging Garden. We also went to a movie at the lovely State Cinema, we saw The Dry as Mia had recently finished reading it. We’ll definitely be back to Hobart at some point, one of our favourite Australian cities for sure.

View of Hobart from Mt Wellington
View of Hobart from Mt Wellington

We waited for a clear day to head up to Mount Wellington, which we had a nice view of from the house we were staying at. It didn’t disappoint with some impressive views of Hobart from above 1200 metres. We went for a luxury drive to South Arm and then to Coal Valley Farm where we looked at some of the most expensive cheese and chocolate we’ve ever seen. We also enjoyed the battery point sculpture walk which leads around the scenic shoreline of the city showcasing some interesting art installations. The rest of our time in Hobart we pretty much spent eating. We had amazing ramen at Bar Wa, a great vegan lunch at Veg Bar and enjoyed a bit of Hobart’s night life, having a couple drinks at In The Hanging Garden. We also went to a movie at the lovely State Cinema, we saw The Dry as Mia had recently finished reading it. We’ll definitely be back to Hobart at some point, one of our favourite Australian cities for sure.

View of Hobart from Mt Wellington
View of Hobart from Mt Wellington
In The Hanging Garden bar
In The Hanging Garden bar
One of the sculptures at Battery Point
One of the sculptures at Battery Point
Salamanca Markets
Salamanca Markets
In The Hanging Garden bar
In The Hanging Garden bar
One of the sculptures at Battery Point
One of the sculptures at Battery Point
Enjoying some Van Diemens ice cream
Enjoying some Van Diemens ice cream
MONA installation: Cloaca
MONA installation: Cloaca
A weird room with computers and static at MONA
A weird room with computers and static at MONA
Enjoying some Van Diemens ice cream
Enjoying some Van Diemens ice cream
A weird room with computers and static at MONA
A weird room with computers and static at MONA