Hobart, Tasmania

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A concrete tunnel at the extraordinary Museum of Old and New Art

 If we didn't know people in Hobart, I am not sure that we would have made the effort to travel the extra distance.  We would have missed out on a gem.  So thanks to Matt, Melissa, Sophia (8), Ben (5) and Elise (2) for luring us here with promises of fun stuff.  They have only moved here in the last couple of years from Sydney, seeking some more fresh air and some less city hectic-ness.  And it would certainly seem that they have found it.

Hobart is a city of around 240,000 dotted around the many hills and valleys that rise up from the river and the harbour.  Looming behind the city is Mount Wellington at over 1100m, and it's lower slopes are criss-crossed by hiking and biking trails.  Matt and his family live a few kilometres from the city centre below the mountain and with the trails literally at their back door.

Having landed from Melbourne on our very civilised middle of the day flight, we dropped our things at our Airbnb and headed down the winding road to their house for a bbq and some wildlife spotting.  They are currently renting just across from the place they recently bought but are now renovating.  In the backyard we saw pademelons and wallabies as well as a possum.  Pademelons look a lot like mini wallabies, who themselves are very much like mini kangaroos.  And the pademelons love grazing the lawn just after dark.    

Possum

This patterning set provided hours of enjoyment

Felicity went on a pom-pom production frenzy for all her friends

The next morning we took a walk down to check out their new place and share the excitement of gutting a house to renovate.  They are just about to paint the new drywall and hope to move in by mid-winter (i.e. June/July here).  

Walking the trail from our place to the Willson's new home through their nearby forest

Thursday Matt and I managed to get a forest run in before we drove up Mt Wellington.  It was one of those cloudy with sunny breaks days but by the time we reached the summit (after a strategic cafe stop at the midway point) it was just one of those cloudy days.  The kids had a ton of fun scrambling around on the rocks and we got a bit of view on the way back down.  Fish and chips in the harbour was on the menu for dinner and we got to appreciate the old wharf buildings that are now pubs and restaurants.

Out for a run

Natural playground at the summit of Mt Wellington

Apparently the view is behind us

They have constructed this formidable viewing platform so there must be views... just not today

From sky to sea, we checked out the Hinsby beach on Friday which is a lovely rustic spot 10 minutes out of town.  We had them back to our place for an afternoon bbq before a planned stop at the free Friday night music at the Salamanca Arts Centre.  Sadly rain stopped play but again we enjoyed the downtown vibe and the kids got to see a breakdancer and have their own moment with Marilyn(?).

The freedom of the beach

The power of the ocean

Marilyn? With ears?

Saturday morning we gave our hosts a break and soloed MONA.  The Museum of Old and New Art is hard to describe, the brainchild of the wealthy David Walsh who made his fortune as a professional gambler no less.  The museum certainly houses some fascinating and compelling art but it is also an architectural artwork in its own right.  Built largely underground and carved out of the sandstone, it is a maze of bare rock walls and concrete tunnels, complimented by the metalworks, green grass and windswept brightness of the sprawling outdoor spaces.  Sex and death are two of Walsh's preoccupations and there is plenty of both, but there is also a ton for the kids too.  At the end we sent them into the mirror room maze all alone and they came out unscathed despite coming across a picture of a dead woman on one of the walls.  MONA is the kind of place that warrants regular visits and fortunately for Tasmanians it is free.  A definite must see if you make it to Hobart.

Heavy machinery, industrial materials, delicate art

The musical trampoline

The underground

Something to do with the bloated nature of consumerism

Into the light

The outdoor spaces are set on top of a hill and are windswept and open to the elements in stark contrast to the underground world of the indoor museum

Everything is so cool here!

Our time almost up we enjoyed a meal and some live music at the Cascade brewery, a beautiful spot complete with an expanse of gardens for the kids to go wild in (and even scare a couple of grazing wallabies).  Tomorrow I have a final run date with Matt and we have a golf lesson from one of James Newton's former coaches who has relocated to Tasmania (this small world), and hopefully a final playtime with the Willsons before our early morning flight to New Zealand on Monday.

Toby and Ben, the old men listening to the musician

The outdoor grounds of the Cascade brewery

Crystal went hiking and enjoyed some spectacular views up towards Mt Wellington

Golf lesson

Hen handler

Hobart: small, mighty, urban, rural, wild and wonderful. A real treat, thank you Tasmania and Willsons.    

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