Making the most of Hobart Tasmania
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Hobart Cruise Terminal is a 15 minutes walk from the city centre. Ships berth at the newly refurbished Macquarie Wharf No2. The working terminal offers quality services and amenities, including seating, visitor information and shops for local crafts and gifts, duty-free precious stones and currency exchange.
Take a printable map with you.
Hobart combines the facilities of a thriving city with easy access to varied natural beauty just minutes away. On the Derwent River’s west bank, it keeps the relaxed small-town character of a city of 160 000 people. One of the world’s most beautiful capitals, it sits below Mount Wellington and has a deep-water port comparable with Sydney harbour.
Colonel David Collins founded Hobart in1804, making it Australia’s second-oldest city. Its origins were in the island’s first settlement at Risdon Cove, eight kilometers upriver, founded in 1803 but abandoned after five months for Hobart’s present site. Ridson Cove survives much as it did 190 years ago and is a distinctive visitor attraction.
The city has many handsome examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture. Salamanca Place includes warehouse terraces from the whaling era of the 1830’s, while nearby Battery Point, the city’s original sea mens quarters, and Maquarie and Davey Street contain more than 60 National Trust-classified buildings.
Getting around
Hobart is highly walkable. Tourist information provides a free booklet of city and Mt Wellington walks, while travellers with physical disabilities can obtain the useful Hobart CBD Mobility Map from the visitor information centre. The centre can book a range of tours around Hobart, to mount Wellington and elsewhere.
Red Decker offers 20 stops covering Hobart’s leading sights and attractions. Hop on and off, remain aboard for the 90 minute City Loop Tour, or combine both, with informative commentary.
Nearby places
Port Arthur, Tasmania’s leading attraction, is a former penal colony 60 miles south-east of Hobart.
Wellington Park: Metro buses leave Franklin Square in central Hobart for Fern Tree, and several tour operators run Mountain excursions.
Food and shopping
A grid of one-way streets surrounds Elizabeth St Mall in the compact, easily navigated centre. Elizabeth St has visitor information, banks and the main post office; the principal shopping area lies west of the Mall.
Salamanca Place is a historic waterfront quarter of Georgian sandstone warehouses, now used by galleries, cafes and boutiques. Its Saturday Salamanca Market is a must-see for local crafts and food.
Money
The Australian Dollar is used.
Staying connected
Free internet is available at the Service Tasmania & Parks and Wildlife office on Macquarie St. Numerous internet cafes operate in the city centre, and many coffee shops provide free wireless access with a purchase.
Opening Hours and
Most shops and services open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and on Sundays until 4PM.
In rural areas, roadhouses supply travellers’ essentials and are usually open 24 hours a day on major highways. Tourist offices, including those well off the beaten track, often open daily or across the week plus weekend mornings; city information centres are more likely to follow standard retail hours.
Museums, galleries and staffed historic monuments commonly open every day, although those in rural communities can have irregular hours.