Hobart

Hobart Tas 7000 (Pop 210 000)
Pic: Aaroncrick

Hobart, Tasmania’s attractive capital and Australia’s 2^nd oldest city, is located on the Derwent River in the state’s SE region.  Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, it later became a thriving port for whalers, sealers & ship building. Today Hobart is Tasmania’s financial and administrative centre and home port for Antarctic research operations. Main industries include tourism, heavy metal industries, furniture manufacturing, textile printing & food industries. In recent years Tasmania has become a popular retreat for artists and those seeking an alternative lifestyle. King of the Derwent (Jan) (yacht race), Royal Hobart Regatta (Feb), Ten Days on the Island (Mar-Apr), Targa Tasmania (Apr-May), Antarctic Tasmania Midwinter Festival (June), Hobart Summer Festival & Taste of Tasmania (Dec-Jan), Sydney to Hobart & Melbourne to Hobart yacht races (Dec).

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Central Hobart: Constitution & Victoria Docks, Federation Concert Hall, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Parliament House, Battery Point, St David’s Park, Anglesea Barracks, Government House, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Salamanca Place. North Hobart: Cornelian Bay, Tasmanian Transport Museum, Cadbury Chocolate Factory. South Hobart: Wrest Point Casino (Australia’s first legal casino), Sandy Bay Beach, Mt Wellington (1,270 m), Mt Nelson Signal Station. Eastern Hobart: Bellerive, Rokeby, Storm Bay Beaches.

Nearby:
Richmond (26 km north) small charming Georgian colonial village steeped in history with Australia’s oldest bridge, convict-built Richmond Bridge (1823) and Old Richmond Gaol (1825). D’Entrecasteaux Channel (36 km south) spectacular coastal and Hartz Mountain scenery, boutique fruit & salmon farms, wineries and quirky little villages. Derwent Valley (36 km n-w) includes National Trust classified New Norfolk, Oast House hop museum, Mount Field NP (Tasmania’s first), Salmon Ponds and breathtaking rural scenery reminiscent of England. Tasman Peninsula (94 km s-e) spectacular coastal scenery, historic Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck rock formations.  Huon Valley (38 km s-w) Forested mountains, thermal pool, apple orchards & a dolomite cave at Hastings.

Visitor Information Centre: Cnr Davey & Elizabeth Sts. Tel (03) 6230 8233.

Airport:
Hobart International Airport (HBA), Strachan St (off Tasman Hwy), Cambridge. Tel (03) 6216 1600. (18 km east).

Hospital:
Royal Hobart Hospital, 48 Liverpool St, Hobart. Tel (03) 6222 8308. (28 km south).