Romantic Hobart

Hobart is the ideal short break getaway. A compact city with a range of attractions right on its doorstep, Hobart comes into its own in summer. This is the season for strolling around the waterfront, as the sun glints on the Derwent and the shadows changing on Mount Wellington.

Listen to the breeze in the masts of the many boats moored dockside and relax at a sidewalk café. Combine all this fresh air with the freshest seafood from one of the quayside fish punts.

>> Destination Hobart, Weekends For Two

Tasmania is a place to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. It is also a place for rekindling romance. Hobart is just made for couples.

No-one weekending in Hobart should miss Salamanca Market. Home to the freshest foods – think sweet meadow honey, boutique cordials (elderflower is a personal favourite), fruit and vegetables in abundance – and fine craft and handmade goods of all kinds, the market is as popular with locals as visitors.

Browse, shop, then stop for a coffee at a nearby café and watch the world go by.

Tasmania is an island of bounty, so it is fitting that food and wine should be a cause for celebration. Premier among the food and wine festivals is the waterfront favourite, the Taste of Tasmania, held in Hobart from late December to early January each year. This waterfront showcase of the fresh produce and wine, that the southerly state does so well, also features entertainment. It is the perfect way to spend a few leisurely hours of indulgence.

The Taste coincides with the conclusion of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, a true spectacle as the ocean racing yachts crowd the docks and weary sailors celebrate landfall.

Hobart, like Sydney, revels in its waterfront status but is far more subdued, less showy, than the Harbour City. Gain a different perspective on the city from a water taxi – the lights of Hobart by night are certainly conducive to romance. The taxi is a popular service between the eastern shore and the city, but is flexible enough to travel anywhere on the Derwent.

Romance and wine are long-time partners. Southern Tasmania is blessed with many vineyards and cellar doors just a short drive from Hobart.

Probably the closest vineyard is Moorilla Estate on the outskirts of Hobart, established in the late 1950s by wine pioneer Claudio Alcorso. It was the first vineyard to plant pinot noir grapes in a major way. These are now the island’s most successful red wine grape.

Moorilla will also be home to Australia’s newest art gallery when the Museum of Old and New Art, financed by a private benefactor, opens in 2009.

And on the subject of art, The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart is opening the Tasmanian Aboriginal Gallery. A significant element of the new exhibition will be the building of a full size bark canoe by Aboriginal community members. According to the gallery, a project such as this has not been attempted in more than 170 years.

Back to the simple pleasures – and if more earthy tastes appeal, Moorilla’s brewery, Moo Brew, makes boutique beers. It is also well worth visiting the Cascade Brewery, Hobart’s main brewery. Cascade and Launceston-based J Boag & Sons make two of Australia’s best-selling premium beers.

Cascade, which also makes apple ciders and fruit juices, offers tours, or visit the Lark Distillery in Hobart for single malt whiskeys and a range of liqueurs.

And when it comes to food, Hobart’s highlights include Prosser’s Seafood Restaurant, Gondwana, Lebrina, Marque IV, Moorilla Estate and just out of the city, Meadowbank Estate.

What better way to celebrate a great short break than with fine food and wine.