Hobart

Introduction

hobart

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Hobart, the capital of Tasmania and Australia's smallest state capital is a charming harbour city. It is Australia's seond oldest cities, founded in 1803 as a penal colony. Hobart lies at the foot of Mount Wellington and on the banks of the Derwent River. The waterfront areas Macquarie Wharf, Constitution Dock, Salamanca Place and Battery Point are just gorgeous with their Georgian buildings and the looming presence of Mount Wellington in the background. The locals are very relaxed, super friendly and have none of the snobbery of Sydney and Melbourne inhabitants.

Neighbourhoods

• Battery Point is an old village of 19th century cottages.

Sights and Activities

• The Salamanca Market is held every Saturday.
• Battery Point
• Salamanca Arts Centre
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Macquarie Street
• MONA Museum - Free Admission

Events and Festivals

• The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race takes place every year starting on boxing day (26th December). The participants start arriving in Hobart a couple of days later.
• Outdoor Music Festivals are popluar throughout Australia - read about those festivals in and around Hobart: Outdoor Music Festivals in Tasmania

Weather

The climate is extremely variable with high fluctuations in temperature and wind speed during the average week. Summer lasts from December to February and has an average maximum temperature at sea level of 21 °C. Winter lasts from June to August with an average maximum temperature at sea level of 12 °C. Still, it can be around 35 °C on some summer days and below zero during some winternights. Although rain is possible in every month, the wintermonths of June to August tend to be somewhat wetter.

Getting There

By Plane

Hobart International Airport (HBA) is located 20 kilometres east of the city and services flights to and from other airports in Tasmania and the rest of Australia. Although it's called an 'international' airport, it has not served a regular international flight since the early 1990s.

The five main airlines flying to Hobart International Airport are:

• Qantas - (Melbourne, Sydney)
• Jetstar Airways - (Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney)
• Virgin Blue - (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney)
• Tiger Airways Australia - (Melbourne)
• TasAir - (Burnie, Devonport, King Island)

Getting from the airport to the city:
To get to the city centre from the airport, you can drive along the Tasman Highway. The city is on the opposite side of the Derwent River. Alternatively, you can catch a taxi ($40+) or take the Airporter Shuttle Bus, which costs $15 one-way for an adult.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

There are plenty of companies you could choose to hire a car from, including Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. Car hire is often not available to drivers under 25, or if it is, it's more expensive for younger drivers.

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Tasmania

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Australia is on a GSM 900/1800 network, so if you have an unlocked phone that works on those frequencies, you will be able to buy a prepaid SIM-card and stick into your phone when you're in Hobart. You will receive a new Australian phone number with the SIM-card.

To dial out of Australia use the prefix 0011, followed by the calling code of the country you are trying to reach, followed by the area code of the city/town (without the 0!) and finally the phone number.

Within Australia, it is necessary to add an area code to the phone numbers if you are calling from outside the area.
Hobart's area code is 03, which is the same for all of Victoria and Tasmania. If dialing interstate, use one of the following area codes.

02 - New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory (Sydney, Canberra)
07 - Queensland (Brisbane)
08 - Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory (Perth, Adelaide, Darwin)

000 is the emergency telephone number in Australia, but the international GSM mobile emergency telephone number 112 also works on mobile phones.

Post

Australia Post is the government's postal service. A standard letter or postcard sent within Australia will cost $0.55. Internationally, it costs $1.40 to send postcards anywhere in the world. Letters cost $1.45 to send within the Asia Pacific region and $2.10 to anywhere else in the world.^[1]. It is also possible to send things as parcels or by express mail.

Be aware that sending anything that isn't paper will require a customs form to be filled out at the post office. You need your address, recipients address and photo ID such as a passport to complete this formality.

External Links

• Council Website