The southernmost city in Australia’s southernmost state. Next stop, Antarctica. With the tranquil Derwent at its front and wilderness at its back, Hobart revels in its surrounds. Steve Cordony, interior stylist and Belle magazine’s style director-at-large describes the Tasmanian capital as “Lake Como, surrounded by the River Derwent”. “The rolling hills are so picturesque, and the calm beauty of the landscape is like a painting,” he marvels. But Hobart’s charms go beyond appearances.

Call it “the Mona effect”, credit it to our growing appreciation of the boutique and local-leaning – Hobart is having a moment.

But the city still holds onto what defined it before mainland urbanites descended. It remains in a dining scene where sustainability is assumed and not affectation; in inner-city cottages untouched since convict times; in hamlets just outside the big smoke dripping in country charm. For Steve, this blend of heritage, scenery and food has proven intoxicating.

Follow in Steve’s footsteps for a jam-packed weekend making the most of everything Hobart has to offer.

Afternoon

No Tasmanian country drive is complete without a bout of antiquing, and here New Norfolk excels. Visit Miss Arthur for aesthetically pleasing home goods; Flywheel for bespoke stationery; and The Drill Hall Emporium for curated antiques, where Steve managed to snap up some botanical prints for his home in regional NSW.

Stop by bookstore-meets-café Black Swan to browse design tomes and order a coffee for the return drive and then head back towards Hobart’s eastern fringes and park up to wander the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. “The incredible variety of trees and shrubs, all in park-like grounds overlooking the River Derwent, was pure magic.” Steve says.

Fit in one last snack before your flight with an aperitivo session at Sonny. From the team behind Hobart’s beloved pocket-sized Italian bistro Templo comes this pocket-sized Elizabeth Street wine bar, where a record crackles perennially on the stereo and specials are scrawled on a blackboard. The oysters are “beyond”, Steve offers, as was the handmade pasta with sea urchin.

From here, the Tasman Bridge carries you towards the airport and away – but, like Steve, it’s unlikely to be your last glimpse of Hobart.

By Krysia Bonkowski