Family Trip to Hobart

We all loved staying at renovated Sunday School House in North Hobart, the property was beautifully renovated to keep the historic elements with modern comforts. This is definitely one of our favorite Airbnb accommodations because of its uniqueness, character, and charm. The owner stocked vases full of various flowers from her garden, and EZ loved the other little design details throughout the studio space. Cecilia’s favorite aspect was sitting and climbing on the little chair.

We were happy to explore downtown Hobart and surrounds, using our own two feet and local buses. Coming from the extreme heat in Sydney, we wanted to maximize our time enjoying the cooler weather. We ended up missing several of the highly recommend things to do in Hobart, in part because we would like to return for a long weekend, and also because we wanted to spend most of our trip enjoying the outdoors.  Next time, we might try for a winter trip to see the museums, Salamanca markets, and maybe some snow!

After getting settled, we loaded Cecilia in the stroller and walked down to the Wharf and Salamanca. Unfortunately, we did not consult a map and missed some of the more historic sites and instead saw a lot of car dealerships and antique shops. We also ambled around through Salamanca and the Wharf, ending up in Arthur’s Circus, which was a beautiful start to our tour of Battery Point.

Battery Point is a neighborhood bathed in sunlight with the backdrop of mountains and the houses display an idyllic historic charm, similar to that of Charleston, SC.  There are a few shops, cafes and restaurants dotted among the homes; it would be a lovely place to stay the night if we weren’t so smitten with our school house accommodations.  Arthur’s Circus was a bit disappointing in it’s grandeur, although all the guide books recommended a stop. However, it offered a beautiful back drop for a family photo, and it has a small swingset and play area that provided a break from the backpack for Cecilia.

We also enjoyed hiking in nearby Mt. Wellington, although we opted for a shorter route around Fern Tree, instead of the ~6 hour hike to the summit.  After a nauseating (but thankfully, vomit-free) bus ride to Fern Tree, we walked to Silver Falls, and then back down through the fern glades.  The “waterfall” was epically disappointing, clocking in at maybe a metre, but the fern glades more than made us glad we took the route.  We highly recommend the hike, but suggest to plan ahead and avoid eating at the Fern Tree tavern.  It’s good enough when you’re starving, but certainly not as tasty as the offerings back in Hobart.

One of our favorite meals in Hobart was a Cascade Brewery, Australia’s oldest brewery, established in 1824. We don’t usually seek out breweries, but are so glad we stopped for delicious food, and a beautiful heritage garden.  As with most breweries, they also offer tours for patrons over 18. EZ had the traditional Caesar salad, and I opted for the salt and pepper squid salad. Both dishes were amazing, but the real highlight was dessert, a small glass of their stout served alongside the homemade stout mocha ice cream.

The last big callout for our Hobart stay is the Italian Pantry in North Hobart.  According to a magazine we read at the schoolhouse, they ranked as the best Italian food in Australasia within the past few years. We stopped by for a few things to prepare dinner, and ended up with the best Italian meal we have ever eaten. Since it was Christmas, they had premade Porchetta, a pork roast stuffed with herbs, we also purchased homemade bolognese sauce and fresh spaghetti. Everything was incredibly flavored, and the spaghetti had the perfect texture.

After a lovely few days in Hobart, we packed up the car and headed up the East Coast for more hikes and a farmstay.