STORYTELLER AND TOUR GUIDE Frederick Gygnet is at the trendy MACq01 waterfront hotel in Hobart, Tasmania, giving us a bit of a history lesson about the area. The first known sighting of the island by a European was in 1642, when the Dutch stumbled upon Tasmania. About 130 years later the French wandered in for a look. To hear Cygnet tell the story, it was a major case of quelle surprise!

“Everything was upside down and inside out,” says Cygnet. “Bark fell off the trees instead of leaves. The aboriginal people set forest fires intentionally as an agent of renewal.” One can only imagine what they thought about kangaroos and the duck-billed platypus, a mammal that lays eggs.

The MACq01 Waterfront Hotel in Hobart offers a unique experience, with rooms inspired by Tasmanian history. Combining modern luxury with local heritage, it features stunning harbor views, a top-notch whisky bar, and a design that celebrates the island’s culture. Photo: MACq01 Hotel

Some 250 years later, Tasmania is turning the entire tourism world upside down. What was once an afterthought for foreign visitors intent on seeing barrier reefs or opera houses is now a thriving destination with excellent food and wine, trendy hotels and one of the world’s most unusual (okay, maybe bizarre) museums. Hobart is a free-spirited destination that feels like a smaller version of Portland, Oregon, or a larger version of Tofino, B.C.; a state with a relaxed, outdoor vibe but a growing number of attractions and posh places to stay and eat. As he takes us around the city, Cygnet shows off striking artwork depicting immigrant Irish women, as well as the Henry Jones Art Hotel. Henry Jones and his wife gave a lot of money to charity and greatly supported the arts, he adds. The hotel is in an historic building that once housed Jones’ very successful fruit jam business. It’s also said to be haunted.

South West National Park in Tasmania is a remote paradise of rugged mountains, ancient rainforests, and wild rivers. A haven for adventure seekers, it’s one of the most untouched and breathtaking wilderness areas in the world. Photo: South West National Park, Tasmania/Tourism Australia

Perhaps the most astonishing offering in the Hobart area is MONA, The Museum of Old and New Art, a wild and somewhat wacky spot that you might call the duckbill platypus of the museum world. The museum was built by David Walsh, who made his money by coming up with some unusual gambling schemes that didn’t exactly make him welcome in casinos and racetracks around the world. According to the official MONA website, Walsh “opened a small museum of antiquities to which no one came. He declared it a triumph and decided to expand.” In 2011, 10 years after he opened his less than popular antiquities museum, Walsh threw open the gates to MONA.

This quirky museum, created by Australian businessman and art collector David Walsh and designed by Fender Katsalidis, is carved into the Berriedale Peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania. Photo: MONA

It’s a wondrous bit of architecture that’s mostly underground and features massive, sandstone walls, a spiral staircase and some more than slightly bizarre exhibits. One of the most unusual bits is a “poo machine” that mimics the journey of food from human mouth to the nether regions. There’s also a room with flashing strobe lights and, right around the corner from a painting that says “God Is Your Enemy,” a room filled with classical Christian paintings and the sound of monks chanting. There’s often live music at the museum, and a sleek underground bar.

Sidney Nolan’s Snake, a giant Rainbow Serpent mural made of 1,620 individual paintings in MONA museum. Photo: Photo courtesy of MONA / Leigh Carmichael

Buy an “Eternity Membership,” which provides the buyer with free lifetime admission – along with the right to be cremated and have your remains stashed in the MONA cemetery. Although you can drive, most visitors to the museum arrive via a short ferry ride up the Derwent River from downtown Hobart.

MONA in Tasmania is a provocative, underground museum mixing ancient artifacts with bold contemporary art. Highlights include the “poo machine,” which mimics digestion, and an “Eternity Membership” offering lifetime access and the option to have your ashes stored in its crypt. Photo: MONA

MONA has definitely helped bump Hobart to the front of the tourism line. Some call it the Bilbao effect, a nod to what Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum did for visitation numbers to a previously B-list Spanish city.The downtown is somewhat lacking in glamour, but the gleaming waterfront more than makes up for it with high-end, artsy hotels such as MACq01, which bills itself as a storytelling property and has rooms that are based on Tasmanian character traits, such as “Hearty and Resilient.”

Across the harbour is Salamanca Place, a grouping of renovated, historic warehouses that now are home to hip restaurants, galleries, home décor shops, book stores and more. Think The Rocks neighbourhood in Sydney, but with far less visitors. Just up the hill from Salamanca Place is Battery Point, a delightful area with pretty, pastel cottages, many bedecked with climbing roses.

AN ABORIGINAL EXPERIENCE

A great opportunity for an aboriginal experience that visitors can enjoy and learn from is a tour of a riverfront park area called Takara Limuna, which translates to English as “Sheoak Walk.” It’s an easy, pretty walk that takes you along the Derwent River and past groves of gum trees, some of them showing burnt yellow or bright pink bubblegum bits of bark. The trail honours the stories, history and culture of the local Mumirimina people, who have been living here for tens of thousands of years.

Theresa Sainty, a local aboriginal woman who sometimes does guided tours of Takara Limuna and is kind enough to be showing us around, points out various plants and explains how aboriginal people used them. “You can imagine families here in ancient days doing what families do to stay alive,” she tells us. “Imagine all the teaching that took place.” Sainty explains that people came to the river when seafood was plentiful and moved inland when it wasn’t. “I don’t like to say they were nomadic,” she says, suggesting it implies laziness to some people. “They lived here seasonally.”

Theresa Sainty, a local aboriginal woman and tour guide

We get to the final spot on the trail and find a fire pit with a round metal grate around it, cut in such a way that embers and flames will illuminate a stingray-shaped constellation that’s important to aboriginal people in the area. Sainty points out the group of stones that city workers laid out in the shape of the stingray constellation nearby.

NATURE ON YOUR DOORSTEP

From Hobart, it’s relatively easy to get a taste of the surrounding countryside. It’s a 2.5-hour drive from Hobart to Freycinet National Park. The road winds through and over small hills (one steep one is called Break Me Neck Hill) and past long, lonely beaches, including Kelvedon Beach. Freycinet is perhaps Tasmania’s most popular nature spot for visitors, a glorious area of mountains and deep, turquoise bays.

Sunrise at Sleepy Bay is a magical sight, with golden light bathing the clear waters and rugged cliffs, creating a serene and breathtaking moment. Photo: Tourism Australia.

The most famous place in the region is Wineglass Bay, with the kind of water you’d expect in the Greek Isles and a white sand beach that would make Hawaiians envious. It is also backed by rugged mountains that stretch on for miles. The park features wonderful hiking opportunities – I was pretty happy with my hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout, which winds up a moderately steep hill with some 800 steps and reveals a tremendous vista – and several great beaches, including Richardson Beach, Friendly Beaches and Honeymoon Bay.

Framed by rugged pink granite peaks, Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park offers incredible views from the lookout and is a haven for hiking, kayaking, and wildlife spotting. PHOTO: Freycinet National Park/Tourism Australia

As well as notable food, Tasmania is increasingly becoming known for good wines. It’s a cool climate, so you won’t find the kind of big, blousy reds you get from South Australia. Instead, look for fruity Pinot Noirs and crisp, French-style Chardonnays, as well as sparkling wines.

Devil’s Corner Winery offers stunning views from its lookout tower, paired with cool-climate wines like Pinot Noir and a backdrop of the Hazards mountains.

Devil’s Corner is a lovely winery in the Freycinet Region that overlooks a pretty lagoon. There’s good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Shiraz. They make two kinds of sparkling wine; one more like a Prosecco and the other more like Champagne, with lovely, yeasty notes.

Fine wine, astonishing scenery, and a city that’s very much on the upswing. Visit Tasmania before the rest of the world catches on.

ESSENTIALS

STAY

Freycinet Lodge offers eco-friendly cabins with stunning views of Great Oyster Bay, direct access to beaches, and easy access to iconic hikes like the Wineglass Bay lookout. PHOTO: Courtesy of RACT Destinations

The Tasman Hotel is a Marriott Luxury Collection property a block from the Hobart waterfront. Ask for one of the rooms in the historic wing, which once housed Tasmanian government offices. The Mary Mary bar is a gem. At Freycinet National Park, Saffire Freycinet is a member of the Luxury Lodges of Australia group. They offer 20 suites with wonderful views of the Hazards Mountains, which tower over Coles Bay. Edge of the Bay features 14 ocean view suites and six modestly decorated, secluded cottages with full kitchens, two bedrooms and a patio with a barbeque. In addition to fine storytelling, the MACq01 in Hobart has a fine bar with hundreds of types of whisky and fine harbour views. macq01.com.au

EAT

Peppina Restaurant’s Chef’s Table offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes dining experience, where guests enjoy locally-sourced dishes while interacting with the chef.

Peppina is a modern, Italian place at The Tasman Hotel in Hobart. It’s got a modern, bright design that feels like a chic bistro in California and excellent food, including scallops topped with almonds and chili oil. Great pasta, too. Also in Hobart, Frank serves up fine, roasted vegetables, a tasty lamb and beef mole, and other dishes. In Freycinet National Park, The Bay Restaurant at Freycinet Lodge has lovely views of Coles Bay and a fine patio. The emphasis is on seasonal Australian cuisine, particularly seafood.

DO

Photo: Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys offers a variety of boat tours that can take you out on the harbour to see pretty, hillside homes, dramatic cliffs, and the Iron Pot Island Lighthouse. Feeling brave? Hobart hosts an annual nude winter solstice swim every June. “Hidden Hobart” and other city tours can be arranged by The MACq01 Hotel. Tours are free for hotel guests and just $20 AUD for the general public.

CURRENCY
Prices for meals and other necessities aren’t low in Australia. But, at press time, the Canadian loonie is a little ahead of the Aussie dollar. Restaurant prices include taxes, so you’re not adding 10 – 15 per cent. Most Australian workers expect minimal tips; maybe a few dollars, so you’re saving on tipping as well. You’ll probably find prices in Tasmania to be quite similar to Canadian cities. discovertasmania.com.au