Hobart - Tasmania Vacation Package

Twelve kilometres north of Hobart's city center, MONA, Museum of Old & New Art, occupies a saucepan-shaped peninsula jutting into the Derwent River. Arrayed across three underground levels, abutting a sheer rock face, the $75-million museum, ancient antiquities are showcased next to contemporary works: sexy, provocative, disturbing and deeply engaging. Don't miss it.

The museum rests on the end of the peninsula cutting a modern shape by the water.

The very impressive architecture of MONA, the Museum of Old & New.

The entrance to the museum with it's more traditional Aboriginal art.

The interior is an art form in itself with walkways connecting the three levels.

Inside one of the galleries where modern sculptures and art are displayed.

Sculptures outside are emphasized by the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mainland as a backdrop.

We visited here two years ago and like many others, we found it a curious mixture of disturbing, challenging, exciting and inspirational. We were determined to learn more about the museum founder and what we discovered was almost as fascinating as the museum itself. 

Just one example. The owner, David Walsh is a gambler. At one stage in the building of MONA there was a shortfall in funding. To attend to this problem, Mr Walsh flew to Melbourne for an evening of gambling and came away with enough cash to solve the cash-flow problem. Definitely a larger than life individual!

The owner David Walsh with his somewhat crazy story about how MONA came to into fruition.

This story by national news organization ABC goes some way to explaining its founder.

"MONA founder David Walsh says guilt over making millions of dollars as a professional gambler was one of the driving forces behind his decision to set up the internationally famous Hobart gallery.

Mr Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art is now a major tourist drawcard on the Hobart waterfront, drawing visitors from all over the world.

But the gambler-turned-art collector says he built the museum to stop himself feeling guilty for making money without making a mark.

And despite recently revealing plans to open a pokies-free casino for "high-rolling" tourists in Hobart, he says gambling is "mostly immoral".

"I think it's mostly immoral, from the point of view of the service provider," he said.

"I think poker machines are an abomination for the most part. I think one of the most insidious things I have ever seen is this connecting child-minding centres to clubs, which then make it hard to separate out the immorality from the community service."

Mr Walsh reveals his thoughts on gambling in his memoir, A Bone of Fact.

"Like the stockmarkets, when somebody wins, somebody loses," he says about gambling.

"Prior to building MONA, I hadn't done anything for the community to benefit from that I could be proud of."

Rather than business sense, the former professional gambler puts his fortune down to luck.

"The luckiest bit was being born in the first place, having the joy of wandering around aimlessly and getting rich, but I made all sorts of bad decisions," he said.

"I dropped out of uni and became a professional gambler.

"How many people who drop out of uni do OK?  Quite a few. How many who drop out to become professional gamblers do OK?  I don't know of too many." 

One of Mr Walsh's only full-time jobs was for the tax office, where he would often go straight from a night at the casino to work.

"It was probably the most fun I ever had. But I suspect I wasn't the greatest tax officer that was ever employed by them. That only lasted three or five months," he said.

"I remember betting $100.. at a hand of blackjack and I remember thinking it was $1 more than I earned in a week, so I think I was being paid $99 a week."

Years on, the art collector now has "a gallery of concrete philosophies", as he describes the museum.

"The response to MONA has been overwhelming, and I didn't expect it to be," he said.

The critical acclaim and popularity do not mean the museum runs at a profit, however.

"It costs something over $10 million a year to run and the income is something like $4 million," Mr Walsh said.

"This is the exact opposite of your standard business plan - I built something and now I'm trying to work out how to make it work, rather than working out how to make it work before it's built.

"There's a myth that I have some deep knowledge. I have some skills, and if you do something for 35 years, you get reasonably good at it, but even in my class at uni, there were people who were a lot more skilled than me and they're probably doing a lot more worthwhile things than me."

Mr Walsh says despite the way he makes his living now, he won't be called "an art wanker".

"There's a call and response for some of the academic art community that isn't about establishing a knowledge base," he said.

"It's about establishing the likelihood of securing tenure, it's about promotion in the system, and quite often it becomes a mechanism for concealing rather than revealing.

Salamanca Place consists of rows of sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses for the port of Hobart Town that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries, craft shops and offices. It was named after the victory in 1812 of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Salamanca in the Spanish province of Salamanca. 

Once the stomping ground for sailors, whalers and workmen, Salamanca Place in Hobart is now home to a vibrant cultural scene. Pop into warehouse art galleries, theatres, cafés and bars, and pick up boutique jewellery and one-off fashion pieces. Visit on a Saturday and mingle with locals and tourists at the bustling Salamanca Market, or pull up a seat in one of the stylish cafés – the perfect post from which to people-watch.

The converted sandstone warehouses line the market square.

The art center hosts a variety of galleries, a theater and workshops.

Inside one of the galleries at Salamanca Place.

Queen Mary visited the bustling market and did a spot of shopping on her visit to Hobart.

The Salamanca market is well known for its variety of fine arts and crafts and is the perfect place to pick up some quality souvenirs.

It's also a popular after dark meeting place for both visitors and locals where many a yarn (story) is shared over a glass of wine or beer.

Step back in history as you explore one of Hobart’s oldest suburbs. From Salamanca Place, climb Kelly’s Steps and wander along Battery Point’s quaint and quiet streets, past Georgian cottages and grand colonial mansions, soaking up the village atmosphere. 

Discover more about local history at Narryna Heritage Museum or the Military Museum of Tasmania. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants along the route at which to enjoy a reviving coffee or meal. Looping back you may wish to explore Sullivan’s Cove, the protected anchorage for the local fishing fleet, yachts competing in the annual Sydney to Hobart race and Antarctic supply vessels.

The oldest suburb, Battery point, is now a mix of modern and traditional buildings making for a very interesting architectural walking tour.

Stop off at the Jackman & McRoss cafe a Hobart institution located in the historic Battery Point where bread, pastries and cakes are baked on the premises.

The historic Kelly steps leading to the Battery Point historic village center which connects the historic suburb to Salamanca Place.

Fusiliers Cottage built around 1840 by Angus McLeod of the Royal Scottish Fusiliers regiment is full of history.

Step back into the 19th century at Narryna Herritage Museum where Narryna House and Garden offer a delightful retreat from the modern world.

Wellington Park and the majestic summit of Kunanyi / Mt Wellington at it's center, contain a wealth of wilderness right on Hobart's doorstep. Only in Tasmania would you find so much wilderness and natural beauty so close to the city - 40,000 acres of it just a 20-minute drive away.

From the city side, majestic kunanyi / Mount Wellington is the star - dominating the scene, feeding the waterways that flow down to the harbour and supplying some of the freshest drinking water in the world. Beside Mt Wellington are the mountains of Sleeping Beauty, Collins Cap and Cathedral Rock.

The extraordinary scale of Mt Wellington/Kunyani as seen from the beach.

View of the city and harbor from the summit.

The diversity of plant and animal life reflects the many micro-climates that exist in the park's perimeter. A total of 500 native plant species live here, including many endemic Tasmanian plants. A diverse range of fauna also call the park home, including dozens of bird species and a long list of ground animals including potoroos, pademelons, bettongs, bandicoots, possums, platypus and echidna.

There are many ways to enjoy the beautiful natural features of the park, including walking tracks that lead into the park from the city and suburbs. Walks range from easy strolls to tough climbs through cool forests and past springs, cascades, waterfalls and the soaring dolerite columns of the Organ Pipes. The cliffs here are also perfect for rock climbing and abseiling.

One of numerous walking tracks through the lush forest where plant, animal and bird life can be seen.

There are hikes and climbs for all abilities, for the very daring abseiling the "Organ Pipes' rock formation is a must.

It's easy to see how this fascinating rock formation was given its name, the 'Organ Pipes'. 

The historic Pipeline Track is a well-known longer walk, as is the Wellington Range for horse riders and mountain bikers. Historic huts are dotted throughout the park for rest stops and picnics along the way.

The 13-mile drive to the summit passes through temperate rainforest to sub-alpine flora and glacial rock formations, and ends with panoramic views of Hobart, Bruny Island, the D'Entrecasteux Channel and into the South West Wilderness.

Refuel for the rest of the hike to the summit at the Springs with a coffee from the container cafe "Lost Freight'.

The pipeline track is the longer climb suitable for horse riding, mountain biking and serious hikers alike.

The summit features a landscape of sub-alpine flora and lichen-encrusted boulders and is regularly snow-capped during the colder months. Below the summit at the Springs, visitors will find picnic facilities, refreshments, and access to walking tracks and more beautiful scenery.

There are also plenty of easily accessible parks and reserves nearby, including Fern Tree Park and Waterworks Reserve.

View of the summit with the bay below.

The organ pipes provide an amazing backdrop for scenic photos.