Hobart is a delightful city combining historical buildings with the development of a modern city, nestled under the shadow of Mt Wellington on a magnificent harbor. The deepwater harbor on the broad estuary of the Derwent River soon became a thriving seaport and by 1842 Hobart was proclaimed a city. The harbor is still the heart of Hobart and the port is always busy. The old warehouse buildings now house many superb restaurants, shops and businesses.
Many of Hobart’s beautiful early colonial sandstone buildings were erected by the sweat and toil of the unfortunate convicts who formed the majority of the early settlement in 1804. A trip past Eaglehawk Neck down the Tasman Peninsula to the convict ruins at Port Arthur one of Australia’s early penal colonies.
Progressive Hobart is home to Australia’s first casino. There is a wide range of superb accommodation, excellent shops and many fine restaurants.
The rugged southwest cape area is still virgin territory for divers. The entrance to Port Davey is challenging - just to get there is an effort and needs careful planning. The Maatsuyker Islands to the south of SouthWest National Park have superb diving also with masses of schooling fish but they too are difficult to reach. The islands are totally unprotected from the Southern Ocean. Three thousand kilometers south lies King George V Land in Antarctica.