6 Best Sights in Hobart, Tasmania

About 25 km (16 miles) north of Hobart on the highway toward Launceston, this sanctuary hosts a diverse selection of Australian species—many of which have been rescued—including koalas, wombats, quolls, and the adorable Tasmanian devil. The private dusk tours are highly recommended and provide a rare opportunity to experience Tassie's beautiful nocturnal animals at their most active.

The busy waterfront at Brooke Street Pier is the city's key departure point for harbor and MONA cruises. The translucent building has an excellent cocktail bar and restaurant as well as plenty of tourist information and a trading space for Tasmanian artisans.

Yachts competing in the annual Sydney-to-Hobart race moor at this colorful marina dock from the end of December through the first week of January. Buildings fronting the dock are century-old reminders of Hobart's trading history. Nearby Hunter Street is the original spot where British ships anchored at the time of colonization. There's a multitude of eateries, from fish punts to five star.

Australia's largest privately funded museum is home to a diverse array of exhibits from Tasmanian millionaire David Walsh's private collection. The unusual collection contains more than 400 often provocative pieces, including Sidney Nolan's Snake—an impressive mural made of more than 1,500 individual paintings—and Wim Delvoye's Cloaca Professional, an interesting contraption that transforms food into excrement. Each year, the museum also hosts the Mona Foma Festival, Tasmania's largest contemporary music festival. MONA's two-week winter festival, Dark Mofo, celebrates the dark through large-scale public art, food, music, and light. Sometimes compared with Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, MONA has an eclectic mix of antiquities and contemporary art. The unusual building itself is set into cliffs on the Berriedale peninsula, and visitors to the museum use touch-screen devices to learn about the exhibits as they wander around. There is often music on the lawns with large-scale public art throughout the site. To reach MONA, it's a 15-minute drive, or you can take the MONA-ROMA minibus from the Hobart waterfront or airport. There is also the MONA fast catamaran from the Hobart waterfront.

Many of the sandstone warehouses once used by whalers and traders from ships docking at Salamanca Place have been converted into delightful craft shops, art galleries, and restaurants. At the boisterous Saturday market, which attracts all elements of Tasmanian society, from hippies to the well-heeled, dealers in Tasmanian arts and crafts, fresh produce, clothing, rare books, and much more display their wares between 8:30 and 3. Keep an eye open for items made from beautiful Tasmanian timber, particularly Huon pine.

Housed in a series of colonial-era buildings overlooking Constitution Dock, this art and artifact gallery is a good starting point for uncovering Tasmania's rich history. With one of Australia's largest and most diverse collections it's a great place in Hobart to learn about the island's Aboriginal culture, European history, and unique wildlife. There are free guided tours Wednesday to Sunday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm and a great café and gift shop.