Plan Your Hobart and Southern Tasmania Escape This Off Season

Winter in Hobart isn’t all red lights and nudie dips (although it is that, too). There’s plenty happening in the southern capital and beyond – from crafting your own signature fragrance and uncovering Hobart’s female convict history, to toasting s’mores by the fire. Add a stay at a secluded retreat or a festival to your itinerary, and your winter escape is sorted. 

Here’s where to stay, eat and spend your time around Hobart and southern Tasmania this Off Season.

STAY

Aquila Eco Retreat

Set among the picturesque vineyards of the Coal River Valley, Aquila Eco Retreat offers a luxurious off-grid experience designed for adults only. Choose between eco pods or a decadent glamping set-up, each with sweeping views from a private deck. Book two nights during the Off Season to experience a hot-cold therapy ritual designed to support vascular health, energy and mood through a sequence of heat, cold and deep rest. The thoughtfully designed spaces invite you to slow down – think clawfoot baths, quiet surrounds and long, restorative mornings.

MACq 01 Hotel

On Hobart’s waterfront, Macq 01 Hotel has always led with a story. Every room, hallway and detail ties back to a character from Tasmania’s past, many of whom you’ll discover during your stay this Off Season. Spend three nights in a waterfront room overlooking the River Derwent and Kunanyi / Mount Wellington, with daily breakfast, two character cocktails at one of the on-site bars, and a winter storytelling tour included. An expert concierge can also help curate your time in Hobart, while a travel journal serves as a keepsake to take home.

The Boat House

A short drive south of Hobart, The Boat House is a cosy retreat set on 200 acres of wilderness, with wildlife and the water’s edge at your doorstep. A wood fire, expansive ensuite and rooms with bush or water views make it an ideal stop on a Tassie trip. Perfect for a romantic weekend away, the private deck features a hot tub overlooking the water. This Off Season, stays also include a bottle of Tasmanian pinot, welcome goodies and a relaxed midday checkout.

EAT AND DRINK

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms

Just outside Hobart, a disused 1891 railway tunnel has been reimagined into a haven for mushroom growing. Tunnel Hill Mushrooms grows gourmet varieties including oyster, turkey tail, lion’s mane and shiitake in cool controlled conditions. During a three-hour Off Season workshop, guests learn how to harvest and prepare mushrooms for cooking while sampling dishes made on the venue’s one-of-a-kind “train barbeque”. For a little extra, you can also explore growing mushrooms at home and leave with your own grow log.

The Agrarian Kitchen

Lunch on the kiosk lawns at The Agrarian Kitchen is one of the best ways to experience the more casual side of this award-winning restaurant. Around 95 per cent of the produce is sourced from the on-site garden, shaping a menu of elevated kiosk fare including soups, gourmet sandwiches and hearty pies. Firepits will be lit this Off Season, inviting guests to make their own gourmet s’mores using house-made spiced biscuits, honey-laced marshmallows and local Federation Artisan Chocolate. 

Callington Mill

Created especially for the Off Season, the Serendipity Experience at Callington Mill Distillery offers a deep dive into whisky history as you sample a curated selection of five cask-strength expressions. Guided by experts, guests can blend their own signature single malt to take home. While there, explore the historic grounds, tour the state-of-the-art distillery and linger over a curated food menu.

DO

Liminus’s Winter Scent Lab

You might find the founder of Liminus, Hilary Schofield, walking the streets of Hobart in search of inspiration and botanicals for the winter scent lab workshop. Hosted inside Hadley’s Orient Bar, this intimate Off Season experience guides guests through the process of creating a small-batch natural perfume using local ingredients – many foraged by Schofield herself. Over 90 minutes, you’ll explore the art of fragrance and customise your own cosy winter blend to take home.

Cascade Female Factory’s Condemned

Beneath Kunanyi / Mount Wellington, the Cascade Female Factory Historic Site preserves some of Tasmania’s most confronting colonial history. Thousands of women and children were once incarcerated on-site, and the Off Season experience Condemned invites visitors into an immersive trial and verdict experience. You’ll hear the stories of four female convicts executed on-site, and get to examine evidence, testimony and historical accounts before deciding for yourself whether they were guilty or victims of their time.

WHAT’S ON

Dark Mofo

For two weeks, Dark Mofo takes over Hobart and beyond with performances, installations, live music and signature events including the Winter Feast and Nude Solstice Swim. Highlights include a 48,000-tonne floating gallery, events in a deconsecrated church, and Australian-exclusive shows. The festival culminates in the Ogoh-ogoh, a mass procession to the Regatta Grounds, where a towering totem is burned along with the fears of festivalgoers.

Beaker Street Festival

Beaker Street Festival takes science out of the lab and into the spotlight across two weeks in August. Blending music, art and science, the program includes roving scientist sessions, field trips, debates and late-night events, alongside polar plunges, live music and thought-provoking discussions. Keep an eye out for Dutch sound designer Willem van Erven Dorens, who will transform dark energy into a live spatial-audio experience.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Tourism Tasmania.