Exploring Tasmania’s raw natural landscapes, gastronomy, art, and burgeoning architecture scene will always demand more time, a slower pace, a deeper breath, and reflection. But we know that most travellers to our part of the world may only have a few spare days to visit, a week at most.

For this amount of time, we’ve put together a handful of local experiences that will give visitors a taste of the island where Cumulus was founded. This is the first article of a three part series.

Despite being the cosmopolitan hub of the island, Hobart is a small city that lends itself to a good walk, allowing a recent arrival to become accustomed to the rhythm and colours of Tasmania.

On first light on a clear day, take a 30-minute drive up Mt Wellington to catch the sunrise pouring
over the River Derwent followed up with one of the many bushwalks nearby to work up an appetite. Hobart offers a plethora of breakfast and brunch options, but Bear With Me — a South Asian-inspired café serving everything from scrambled eggs to Bao Buns and Halloumi fries — is a favourite of ours. On a weekend, the Salamanca (Saturday) and Farm Gate (Sunday) markets are an ideal stop for fresh produce, food, and locally made products.

MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, is a must see for both the boundary-pushing artworks
and architecture. After hitching a ride back to Hobart on MONA’s ferry, cross the to Post Street Social for a cocktail before heading to the nearby cobbled streets of Salamanca, one of the city’s numerous heritage precincts.

After a day or so, it’s time to look south towards the Huon Valley, a region that starts 30 minutes west of Hobart and ends at Tasmania’s (and Australia’s) southernmost tip. Lush rolling hills, natural springs, small towns, and boutique farms selling fresh produce on roadside stalls.

A daytrip can encompass the thermal spring pools of Hastings Caves Reserve, an insight into the handcrafted traditional timber boats of Franklin’s Wooden Boat Centre, a stop at historic Cygnet, a kayak along the extremity of Recherche Bay, or a short ferry ride to the unique environment of Bruny Island.

On the way to or from Huon, walk through the doors of Willie Smith’s Apple Shed — a family-owned establishment that is part microbrewery, part cellar door, and part museum that gives a glimpse into Huon’s rich apple farming heritage.