Hobart

Hobart is Tasmania's capital and Australia's second-oldest capital city, set on the broad Derwent River estuary at the foot of kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Its compact waterfront, Georgian sandstone warehouses and working harbour give the city a distinctive, slow-paced character that feels far removed from mainland Australia.

Founded as a British settlement in 1804, Hobart grew around Sullivans Cove and retains some of Australia's finest colonial-era streetscapes. Salamanca Place's rows of 1830s warehouses and the narrow lanes of Battery Point preserve this convict and maritime past, while the modern Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has reshaped the city's cultural reputation.

Most visitors begin around the waterfront and Salamanca Place, where the Saturday Salamanca Market fills the square with local food, crafts and produce. Nearby, Constitution Dock, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and the Cascade Brewery add variety, and a drive or shuttle to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington offers sweeping views over the river, city and distant ranges.

Hobart is also a working city and a gateway for Antarctic and Southern Ocean research, with a growing food, aquaculture, tourism and education economy. Its calendar is anchored by Dark Mofo in winter and the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in summer, supported by a strong restaurant, whisky and cool-climate wine scene.

For leisure travellers, Hobart combines heritage, nature and a celebrated food culture within easy reach of the city centre; for business visitors, it offers a compact, walkable core, conference venues and direct air links to mainland Australia.