A Weekend in Hobart

Hobart, one of Australia's oldest settlements, nestled under Mount Wellington and the capital of the island state of Tasmania.  We flew from Canberra to celebrate a family birthday there.  The dinner at Ethos Restaurant was excellent and a good time was had by all.  It was great to catch up with family we hadn't seen for nearly 12 months.

While in Hobart we took the opportunity to visit the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) which was donated to the people of Tasmania by philanthropist David Walsh.  The MONA should be on the list for everyone who visits Hobart.  We had no trouble spending over 4 hours wandering through the many galleries.  The artworks are diverse with exhibits from ancient Egypt through to the 21st century.  The works are extremely well presented and there is a mix of interactive, visual, sound and multimedia to delight the senses.  The entry fee (for non-Tasmanians) is money well spent and the cafe is worth a visit for lunch.  The MONA has recently catapulted Hobart into the Top 10 of Best Cities in the World to Visit.  We can relive our experience there through a link which records what we have seen (and missed).  Technology at its best!

The next day we had a few hours to spend before our lunchtime flight back to Canberra so we drove through the rainforest to the top of Mount Wellington to see the spectacular views.  The top of the mountain was in the clouds and at 4C it was cold and damp.  There is a good information and viewing platform at the summit and several paths to wander.