Hobart Travel Guide
A recap from our trip to Tasmania and all the great places to eat/shop/visit
I’ve just returned from a 5-day trip to Tasmania, my first time to the beautiful island state at the bottom of Australia. Ivy and I flew down on Friday and spent the weekend exploring the city as tourists, and then my photographer friend, Amelia Rushforth, joined us for the next few days to shoot autumnal scenes for our next book on seasonal rituals and activities. It was such a fun little weekend getaway and a successful work trip all in one. (I’ll share more about the book soon! I’m really excited about it — even more so now that we’ve just photographed so many beautiful scenes and sweet families.)
Hobart is such a cute city! Like seriously beautiful. Tucked between the towering presence of kunanyi/Mount Wellington and the deep blue of the River Derwent, there is beauty in every direction. The city’s hillside streets are lined with heritage homes and leafy trees (so pretty in Autumn), with views over red rooftops and down to the water below. There are beautiful, historic neighbourhoods with narrow lanes and old cottages, and despite the city’s small size, it has an impressive offering of cafes, restaurants, wine bars, galleries and thoughtfully curated shops.
I received so many wonderful recommendations for places to visit (great restaurants and super cute shops!) and thought I would share some of our favourites below, including a day trip up to New Norfolk, which was a highlight…
EAT
Pigeon Whole Bakery — yummy pastries and great coffee in the centre of town.
Jackman and McRoss Bakery in Battery Point — a local institution offering bread, pastries and savoury pies. I ordered the scallop pie and it did not disappoint!
Lēoht in Battery Point — possibly our favourite meal in Hobart. We went for lunch on a sunny day followed by a pretty stroll around the neighbourhood. So delicious!
Pitzi pasta bar in the centre of Hobart — we had dinner here one night and LOVED it. Such a cute scene too.
Farm Gate Market — a city street in the centre of Hobart converts to a bustling farmers market with lots on offer. We went early and got pastries and coffee and punnets of berries!
Bar Wa Izakaya — a bustling Japanese restaurant/bar serving ramen for lunch. So yum!
Room For A Pony — we had dinner here one night and all agreed it was the best pizza we’ve eaten in a long time. The pizza bases are organic sourdough and spelt, the toppings are all so yum and they are wood fired in the oven to perfection.
Pigeon Hole Cafe — not to be confused with the Pigeon Whole Bakery (above), this cute little cafe serves delicious breakfast and coffees.
Lucinda Wine Bar — we stopped in here for a glass of wine on our last day before heading to the airport to fly home. It’s a charming little spot to sit in the centre of town with candles on tables and a cute vibe.
Hill Street Grocer — such a good grocery store for food staples.
Ogee — a super cute little restaurant that was highly recommended by a few friends. We didn’t make it in because they were closed when we were able to go, but I’m keeping it on the list for next time.
Berta — again, we didn’t make it here, but we heard good things and it looked cute when we peeked inside.
SHOP
Salamanca Markets — every Saturday morning, more than 300 stalls fill Salamanca Place and it’s such a great way to spend the morning strolling, shopping, sipping coffee, etc.
Fullers Book Shop — a great book store in the centre of town (we went twice!).
Alma Supply Store — the most beautiful homewares/gifts/clothing/useful things shop owned by friends of ours who moved down from Bangalow a few years ago. I wanted to buy everything. It’s worth a visit just for the inspiration — located in a gorgeous old bank building on a bustling corner in the city.
Lyrebird Children’s Store — a Steiner shop run by the loveliest Karin, filled to the brim with beautiful toys, decorations, crafts, etc.
Habeo — a cute shop in Battery Point with a selection of gifts and children’s toys and clothing.
State Bookstore — another great book store, this one located just down the street from where we stayed in north Hobart with an indie cinema next door.
STAY
Gatekeeper’s Lodge — we stayed here for the first three nights and loved it. It’s a charming old home in Lenah Valley, north Hobart. Ivy and I lit the fire each evening and cosied up on the sofa to watch Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. The bedrooms were cosy, and the back garden was soooo pretty.
Little Elizabeth — we moved just down the street to this cute Airbnb for our final two nights. Little Elizabeth is the new sister Airbnb to Little Arthur, just around the corner. Both properties are beautiful, the hosts were super lovely and we were very happy with the location and amenities.
DAY TRIP TO NEW NORFOLK
We drove up to New Norfolk, which was about 45 minutes north by car and worth the trek. We also stopped into the Mona Museum on our drive back down, which was conveniently on the way. Here’s a list of places to visit in New Norfolk…
Drill Hall Emporium — a really beautiful and supremely curated antiques store. I was wishing I had a moving truck instead of a suitcase to take back home with me. :)
Miss Arthur — next door to Drill Hall, this is a shop of dreams!! Omg, I wanted one of everything in there.
Black Swan Bookstore/cafe — a book shop and cafe in one with the most wonderfully curated selection of books. We spent 20 minutes just browsing and felt so inspired!
Flywheel Stationer — a stationery supply store and letterpress studio that is really a feast to the eyes and will make you want to send more letters!
The Agrarian Kitchen — we tried to get a reservation for lunch here and couldn’t get a booking, but eating from the kiosk and sitting outside was actually such a lovely experience and I’d recommend it just as much!
Willow Court Antiques — we actually forgot to go in here (darn!), but this was on our list of places to visit in New Norfolk and I’m bummed we didn’t make it in.
It was so fun to have an excuse to wear our wool jumpers and beanies! Hobart truly embraced the season with crisp air, leafy streets and golden parks that felt properly autumnal. I’ve been telling Michael just how much I loved the city, and I’m already dreaming of a return trip — maybe a family holiday, or even a longer stay in Tasmania so we can slow down and explore more of this beautiful part of the world.
Please feel free to share any Tasmania tips below in the comments.
Courtney xx