When I told people I was going to be spending part of my Christmas holidays in Tasmania, I got mixed reactions. Most thought that if I was going to Australia, that there are better places to go, and other places that should be on my bucket list. This is true, in some respects, there are loads of places in Australia that I’d like to see (I have only seen a small fraction of it so far), and if I get to see it, that’s amazing, but if I don’t I’ll still be happy with what I have seen and done. Tasmania, in my opinion is a very under rated country. It is not the kind of place that many backpackers swarm to – many (from what I see/hear and read) end up going to the popular places along the East Coast (mainly from Sydney to Cairns).
This fact was evidenced greatly by the very few hostels in Hobart itself – there were two main hostels, with bigger capacities for people, and a few smaller ones (above pubs etc). So our trip to Hobart was relatively unplanned.
We had 5 days, with Christmas day being one out for just relaxing and then a planned trip to Freycinent National Park. I had a lovely time in Hobart – its small enough to not need public transport.
We found it cheap to eat and drink out, and it is full of history. A cool little capital, as it is often branded. I have already put some posts up from my time in Tasmania, but there is so much more to explore – I hope that I can return one day.
In the meantime, if you are heading to Hobart, here are some things you can do (this list is by no means exhaustive, I was only in Hobart for a 5 short days)
1. Go to the top of Mount Wellington
2. Hobart town – lots of cute wee independent shops and cafes (Daci and Daci Bakers on Murray Street is amazing!)
3. The waterfront/harbour area – great for seafood (if you are into that)
4. Salamanca markets on a Saturday
5. Walk to Battery Point from Salamanca Place on Kelly’s steps
6. Visit the Tasmanian Devil Wildlife Park
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