Car Rental > Tasmania > Hobart Road Trip

Tasmania, despite its reputation for being a tiny state with little to offer tourists, has a distinct amount of talents to boast about. From world famous writers, Danish princesses and one of the world’s best small orchestras, Tasmania is an Australian force to be reckoned with.

Hobart upon settlement was entirely a convict town, with massive amounts of prisoners brought in from England in the 1800’s, mainly to keep the French military off the island. This would be the main reason a traveler will still not find too much French culture in Tasmania.

Colonial Hobart is a trip back to the 19^th century, both enchanting and educational. Little brick houses file up flower lined streets, grand old buildings tower in earnest over small lane ways.

 

 

The trees are green, the people are friendly and the traffic is laughable. It’s just as nature intended a city to be. Battery Point (above, right) is a fine example of how Hobart has modernised in nature, but kept its sense of English charm.

For a fantastic view of the surrounding areas, go up to the top of Mount Wellington. Beware, it’s seriously cold up there, but well worth the visit if you can brave the winds.

Another great view can be found at the very top of Shot Tower, on the banks of the Derwent River. While this view won’t have you braving any cold winds, you will have a lot of stairs to climb to get to the apex. There are plenty of rest stops along the way, so you don’t have to do the whole lot in one go.

Another good reason to check out this tourist spot is the actual purpose of the tower. It’s called Shot Tower because the shot pellets for old guns used to be made here. Pellet makers would drop molten lead from the top in freefall, and catch it in water basins at the bottom. By the time the lead droplets had reached the bas of the tower, they were in perfectly formed lead spheres, which then cooled and hardened in the water, to become bullets. Pretty cool stuff, really.

Most visitors fly into Hobart, Tasmania's capital city in the far south of the island. Once there, hiring a car is the easiest way to get around this sleepy state.

By Leah Bradicich