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How to spend the ultimate weekend away in Tasmania

From the best restaurants to where to stay, we've got you sorted.
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With an increase in domestic travel, now is the time to tick Tasmania off your travel bucket list.

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WATCH: Tour through Tassie’s Woolmers Estate Rose Garden with Graham

Take the stress out of planning your trip to the little island at the bottom of Australia. Follow our nifty guide on where to dine, stay and spend your holiday in Tassie.

Day tours

Eat the wild

Departing from Hobart, chef Josh Phillips will drive, cook and guide you around Tasmania’s Coal River Valley wine region. In his Eat the Wild tours, you’ll get a behind the scenes look at cellar doors and meet the winemakers. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a wine tour without having to worry about driving. Plus, each seasonal dish Josh makes pairs beautifully with the glass in your hand.

Eat the wild

Tasmanian Air Tours

Sure we love a good walking tour, but why not give your feet a rest and get a picturesque look from above instead? Switch the Uber for a scenic helicopter flight to lunch and a wine tasting at Frogmore Creek Cellar Door and Restaurant. While in the air, one of the expert pilots from Tasmanian Air Tours will give you a guided tour of the city, and you’re more than welcome to ask any burning questions.

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Tasmanian Air Tours

Wild Wellness Fire and Ice Walk

Unwind and discover kunanyi / Mt Wellington while learning about the mountain’s history from Walk on kunanyi’s Andy Crawford. Once you reach North West Bay River, Tassie’s own Iceman, Piet Blokker, will lead you in the Wim Hof Method breathing technique (which he learnt from the man himself). Then comes the main event, plunging into a six-degree swimming hole. It’s certainly icy to start off with, but like a cold shower, once your body warms up to the water, you’ll feel invigorated and rejuvenated, if I say so myself.

Where to eat

Faro bar + restaurant, Mona

Faro bar + restaurant, Mona
(Credit: Eunice Oh) (Credit: Eunice Oh)

Mona would have come on your radar while planning a trip to the apple isle. Visiting the museum is a given, but did you know that once the doors close you can stay back after dark for dinner as well?

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Faro, is not your ordinary tapas restaurant, it’s truly an experience. There’s live music, an interactive performance throughout your meal, and don’t be shocked when your waiter whips out a violin and joins the stage. But better yet, you can also view exclusive and immersive artworks by James Turrell ordered straight off the menu. What a treat!

Beside Myself, 2017, James Turrell
Beside Myself, 2017, James Turrell (Credit: Eunice Oh) (Credit: Eunice Oh)

Agrarian kitchen

Just 30 minutes from Hobart, in the small town of New Norfolk, lies the cooking school and zero waste restaurant, Agrarian Kitchen. Highlights from the dine-in set menu include stretched-to-order burrata with fermented lemon and wood-fired sourdough bread ice cream.

Beyond the dining hall, is a one acre walled kitchen garden, tended by a team of gardeners who work endlessly to harvest and grow the impressive produce used in the kitchen. Now that’s paddock to plate!

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Agrarian kitchen
(Credit: Eunice Oh) (Credit: Eunice Oh)

Institut Polaire

Switch out the Tassie Tuxedo (slang term for black puffer jacket used by Hobartians) for something in a lighter shade. Once you step into Institut Polaire, you’ll understand why the unofficial dress code is white. The space is decked out in Arctic shades of grey and marble tables, embracing Tasmania’s long held status as the gateway to Antarctica. Serving up its own Domaine Simha wine and Süd Polaire gin, be sure to try the Chardonnay alongside the menu of locally sourced dishes by head chef Gabi Mercado.

Peppina

Housed in Hobart’s brand-new boutique hotel The Tasman, run by Chef Massimo Mele. Named after his grandmother, Giuseppina, Peppina focuses on local produce and serves a mean tiramisu just like nonna used to make.

Peppina
(Credit: Remi Chauvin) (Credit: Remi Chauvin)
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Mary Mary

For small plates and a quick sip, be sure to check out Mary Mary in The Tasman as well. Beyond local bottles, the bar is all about infusing fresh Tasmanian produce into their small plates and seasonal cocktails too!

Mary Mary
(Credit: Eunice Oh) (Credit: Eunice Oh)

Where to stay

The Tasman

Opened in December 2021, The Tasman, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, is the hottest hotel in town. It effortlessly blends together three very different builds: 1840s heritage, 1940s Art Deco and a contemporary Pavilion.

With distinct features that set each of the 152 rooms apart, they do all have one thing in common – unique nods to Tasmania. Whether it’s the Grown Alchemist bathroom amenities made with Tasmanian pepper, a fireplace to warm up your feet or artwork from Aboriginal artists like Reuben Oates – every element has been carefully selected to create one cohesive hotel.

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The Tasman

Tassie tipples

Small Island Wines

Small Island, Pinot Noir, $49.99, Dan Murphy’s

After one sip, you’ll fall in love with the pinot noir from Small Island Wines, a micro-batch Tasmanian wine company. SHOP NOW

https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_86348/small-island-pinot-noir?isFromSearch=true
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Frogmore Creek

Frogmore Creek Vintage Sparkling Cuvee, $39.99, Dan Murphy’s

If you’re kicking yourself for not picking up a bottle while at the cellar door, you can order the Cuvee online. SHOP NOW

Roslyn 1823

As on of Australia’s oldest cellar doors and Tasmania’s only vineyard run on permaculture principles, Roslyn 1823 produces some exceptional wines including a luscious iced riesling.

Clemens hill vineyard

Tasmanian sparkling anyone? This wine goes beautifully with a cheeseboard. It’s 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay sourced from Clemens hill’s Tashinga vineyard.

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Clemens hill vineyard
(Credit: Eunice Oh) (Credit: Eunice Oh)

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