Heady Hobart!

With plenty of ‘off-the-beaten-track’ action on tap, Hobart, Tasmania has it all from superb food and wine to some great outdoor action you simply can’t get enough of


By Raul Dias


My sleep-bereft eyes that were threatening to go on strike a few minutes earlier on the plane in from Melbourne were suddenly making no such demands! Well, to be brutally honest they didn’t have a choice. Absolutely nothing prepares you for the spell-binding beauty that one encounters when you step onto the tarmac of Hobart’s tiny airport. With a decidedly autumnal nip in the air and the leaves kitting themselves out in their latest ‘fall’ colours of burnt Sienna mixed with a little ochre, Hobart was putting on a spectacular show for me and I was loving every minute of it. With just 24 hours in Hobart factored into the elaborate Southern Australian itinerary that I had prepared for myself, I was going to make the most of my tryst with this neglected little gem of a place.

As Australia’s second oldest city, charming Hobart is a great introduction to the relaxed Tasmanian way of life that is enhanced by some of the finest cool climate wines, a throbbing art scene and a vibrant personality that make this getaway one of the most engaging smaller cities in the world. Nestled in the hills beneath the mighty Mt Wellington, with the sinuous River Derwent coursing languorously though it, Hobart is the perfect answer for the traveller who demands a little ‘off-the-beaten-track’ action. With an impressive aquamarine-hued waterfront that is dotted with delightful eateries rustling up the staples—fish and chips and platters of some of the freshest oysters you will ever eat, Hobart takes care of all your hedonistic pleasures.

A pleasure top most on my mind that morning was checking into the Islington Hotel that came highly recommended by a rather fussy friend of mine back in Melbourne. Run by a young couple, Amy and Nicholas Parkinson-Bates, the Islington Hotel was built in 1847 and has been carefully restored to showcase its original glory with its fine Regency architecture. Decorated with fine artworks and furnished with antiques, this hotel has just 11 rooms, each decorated differently.

Bags stowed in my comfortable room, I needed comfort of another type—the edible kind! And Hobart sure proved to be a veritable Mecca for the die-hard foodie in me. Home to some of the freshest seafood you will ever have the honour of eating, Fish Frenzy on St Elizabeth Pier is a relaxed mom-n-pop kind of place that turns out a mean seafood chowder that I relished with manic gusto along with a side order of fresh Tasmanian oysters and all washed down with an anti-oxidant rich glass of green tea iced tea. With a belly full of the sea’s bounty, it was time pay obeisance to the sea in another way. Despite my lifelong affliction for fast speed, nothing prepared me for the high-octane action the Wild Things Adventure’s Betsey Island Blast Speed Boat Tour had in store for me. Moored at Watermans Dock in central Hobart, the 11.3-metre Wild Thing has two 300 horsepower motors. The boat can take up to 26 passengers on a thrilling ride around the River Derwent and then on to Betsey Island in Storm Bay. The sheer speed of the boat is enough to give any seasoned ‘Speed Monster’ the heebie-jeebies and I speak from personal experience as I still mourn the loss of my treasured beanie cap that was the only speed casualty (thankfully!) that day.

Being a Saturday, the weekly Salamanca Market at Salamanca Place right next to Watermans Dock was already buzzing with commerce as I navigated my way though the hoards of locals snapping up everything from the unusual lip-smacking chilli beer to the mundane bric-a-brac and other assorted touristy tat. With plenty of live bands setting up shop at the market, the atmosphere was festive and rather reminiscent of an open air concert that was all for free!

Having had a bite of a home made kangaroo pie with gravy and mash at one of the many food stalls at the Salamanca Market, I was ready to work it all off at the nearby Sorell Fruit Farm. Offering their guests a unique hands-on experience of picking fruit on a true-blue Tasmanian fruit orchard, Elaine and Bob Hardy grow everything from apples and cherries to the more exotic and unheard of berry varietals like silvanberries and the scrumptious jostaberries. Basket in hand, I had one singular mission on my mind—to pick as many strawberries that were humanly possible so as to take them back to Amy Parkinson-Bates at the Islington Hotel to whip them into a post-supper strawberry tart that I had heard legends about. Mission accomplished after a back-breaking hour, my aching body was craving sustenance of the drinkable kind.

Back in central Hobart the Lark Distillery proved to be my heaven with the lip smacking variety of libations it had on tap that truly reflect the Tasmanian way of life in every sip. Downing a quick sot of the ultra-potent pepperberry vodka I sauntered down for dinner to Monty’s in Battery Point that is even rumoured to have its very own poltergeist—a naughty girl called Susan. Monty’s is a delightful ‘Contemporary Tasmanian’ restaurant that has earned a strong reputation for its simple, elegant food made from the freshest local produce available. Housed in a restored 1890s cottage, close to the popular Salamanca Place precinct, Monty’s menu is re-invented each month to keep in-tune with Tasmania’s seasons. My roast dinner of rare-breed local Wessex saddleback pig and a serving Coal River Valley venison with a cheese platter was complemented perfectly with the robustness of the local Pinot Noir. A fitting end to my solitary day in a place that deserves all the hyperbole that is bestowed upon it.


P.S. And no, I didn’t encounter any spirit called Susan on my trip to Tasmania, but I did have a rather successful tryst with the spirit of Hobart that haunts me to this very day!

(First published in The Sunday Indian Express Eye)