Revisiting Hobart, Tasmania (2025) - Part 1 of 2

Tasmania's Tall Ship, The Lady Nelson.

The last time my partner and I visited Hobart, Tasmania was March of 2020, around about the time half the country was on fire, and just before the pandemic shut the world down.

While we still had a great time then, this time we're in Hobart at the tail end of Winter. The weather is still cool but the sun's been out for the most part so far.

Customs House Hotel

This trip we were here for six days. Last time it was a one day stop as part of a cruise. Our accommodation is at Customs House Hotel, right along the waterfront, and conveniently located for the various ferry's and other ports.

Our room on the first floor is pretty standard hotel fare but relatively large, with a particularly large bathroom. From the window we can see a nice view of the side of Tasmania's Parliament House and garden.

Our Room, Customs House Hotel.

Included in the price is complementary breakfast each morning in the hotel restaurant, which has been very welcome. Always great not to have to worry about breakfast on any holiday.

The staff have been friendly and particularly helpful with requests.

While Customs House Hotel is definitely a great place to stay, it's the convenient location, for anyone who doesn't want to hire a car, that is its biggest value. Almost everything is within walking distance, even bus stops and ferrys, for anything further away.

Salamanca Markets

Salamanca Markets.

Every Saturday in Hobart, at 8:30am, is the Salamanca Place Markets, just across from Parliament house. It's very likely one of the largest 'pop up' style market I've ever been to with more than 200 stalls, also supported by shops and galleries in the Salamanca Arts Centre building that runs along the same street.

Stalls are a mix of artists, market garden, produce, food stalls, and more general gifts with plenty of unique, quirky items on offer. There was definitely plenty to see and foods to taste (that we went back for  to buy).

It's a great atmosphere, with the whole thing winding up around 3pm. 

MONA - Museum of Old and New Art

If art and especially viewing art in unique, contemporary spaces is your thing then a visit to MONA is well worth making a day of. We were able to catch the dedicated ferry from the port across from our hotel directly to the Museum, 25 minutes away.

The museum itself is built into a hill so it feels very much like you're underground, except you're underground, in a hill. You get more of a feel for this once you realise that easy access tunnel from the ferry dock takes you directly to the bottom most level of the gallery in the hill.

One of the Artworks on the top of the hill at MONA.

This tunnel is there for anyone who would find climbing the 99 steps to the upper level of the gallery challenging. These steps are billed as part of the 'experience', and aren't as challenging as it sounds if you don't have any issues climbing stairs. The climb is certainly worth it to experience all the out door views from the top of the hill and to interact with one particular audio art piece that has a second component from inside the gallery.

Umbrella Tables on the main lawn near
the outdoor cafe and playground.

The grounds also boast several different cafes and bars both inside and outside the gallery, a playground for the kids. 

As far as the art on display goes, it leans more towards the new than the old. At least, as far as I could tell there was more contemporary art than 'old' art.

While there was definitely both spectacular and though provoking artworks on display - some that you're unlikely to come across in any other museum, I felt it was a bit of a misfire to channel first time visitors directly through into a very adult exhibition right  off the elevator.

Not that I found any of that first exhibition to be particularly confronting but it's not the most uplifting of exhibition subject matter. Contemporary artists can be a depressing bunch, with their exploration of the human condition, that isn't always the better qualities.

Still a great experience overall. We spent the best part of a day there, and had lunch from the outdoor cafe, sitting at one of the umbrella tables on the main lawn in front of the main stage (where I imagine you can watch special event performances from time to time).

One of the more spectacular artworks at MONA.

That was our first two days in Hobart. In part two you'll be able to read about our adventures on  Hobart's Hop On/Hop Off bus tour and more.