Hobart

Party hub

Why Hobart

• MONA — world-class contemporary and ancient art museum in a subterranean riverside building
• Salamanca Market every Saturday — one of Australia's best weekly markets
• Kunanyi/Mount Wellington — free hike or drive with views over the city and Derwent estuary

Hobart is Australia's second oldest and most southernmost capital city, and it has spent the past decade quietly becoming one of the country's most interesting destinations for travellers with an eye for culture, food, and the outdoors. The city sits at the base of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, which looms 1,271 metres over the dockside precinct and provides one of the more dramatic city backdrops anywhere in the country. What makes Hobart compelling for backpackers is its density — everything worthwhile is close together. Salamanca Place, the historic sandstone waterfront precinct, hosts a renowned Saturday market and some of Australia's best restaurants. MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) is a short ferry ride upstream and is genuinely one of the world's most distinctive art museums. The nightlife is small but surprisingly lively, with a kooky alternative edge unusual for a city of 240,000. Working Holiday Visa holders will find the best farm and orchard work on the surrounding Huon Valley, particularly apple picking in autumn (March–May).