We recently took a flying trip to Tassie and spent four days in Hobart. Bliss. I think Hobart may be my spiritual home. It’s warm but not humid and it’s got so much freakin cheese it’ll come out of your eyeballs. Not really. That would be horrendous but still there’s a lot of cheese. The rest of the food is also to die for, but you know the cheese is something special. Leaving cheese aside for a moment (as hard as that is) there’s also a ton to see and do around the region. You could easily spend an entire week just exploring Hobart with the fam bam. Whether you are also spending four days in Hobart, or doing a road trip all around Tassie – these are your must sees in Hobart with a toddler in tow.

 

Where To Stay

We stayed at The Graham Apartments in North Hobart and I gotta give a serious shout outs to this place. It may be the most toddler friendly place ever. The owners are lovely and super friendly and there’s even a large playground on the premises for running off that leftover energy after a long plane ride.  They also provide just about everything you might need for loan from reception – portacots, high chairs, even baskets of toys!

 

Richmond

Richmond is a 30 minute drive out of Hobart but it might as well be another world. It’s a gorgeous historic town with charm and character to spare. Richmond Playground is a gorgeous little space overlooking historic Richmond bridge. It even has photo steps so you can get the perfect bridge shot while the kids play!

Must Eat: Richmond Bakery – try their award winning curried scallop pies – they are amazing! Definitely worth taking an awkward photo with 😉

 

Coal River Farm

On your way back from Richmond, pop into Coal River Farm – a working berry farm, chocolatier and cheesery in Cambridge.  There’s berry picking, and a load of farm animals to go and see as well. Definitely look up their super friendly goats. It’s an amazing place for kids to wander and explore.

Must Eat: Did I mention cheese? And chocolate? And berries? They will have to roll you out the door. It’s all good here. Literally.

 

Battery Point

Battery Point is the home of the Salamanca Markets – one of the biggest outdoor markets in the Southern Hemisphere. After you’ve strolled around, take a walk through the cute cobblestoned streets to Nanny Goat Lane. It’s the highest point in Hobart and probably one of the most Instagrammed. On your way back down, head to Princes Park Playground – it’s got a massive mega slide that your kids will adore!

Must Eat: Breakfast at the Machine Laundry Café is an absolute must. Situated just outside Salamanca Square this café fronts onto a giant chess board, that’s perfect for burning off pre-breakfast energy. Extremely child (and dog) friendly. Also their bubacinnos have sprinkles. SPRINKLES.

 

Bonorong Sanctuary

Upon entering Bonorong you will see a massive field filled with kangaroos just waiting to be fed – luckily a free bag of feed is included with each entry ticket. This place is incredible for kids to get up close and personal with some aussie icons. The free tour is informative, and allows punters to pat a wombat and a koala as well as see tassie devils feeding. Best of all, any money goes towards rescue and rehabilition of native animals, so you are supporting a very worthy cause.

Must Eat: There’s no cafe here so all food must be brought in with you. Luckily they have several picnic tables scattered through the ground and BBQ facilities that can be booked ahead of time free of charge.

 

Bruny Island

Once you’ve taken the ferry to Bruny Island, drive a little further to Adventure Bay and have yourself a sweet treat at the Bruny Island Berry Farm. The mixed berries with champagne jelly is to absolutely die for. The grounds of this farm include some classic lawn games like totem tennis to keep the littlies occupied while you indulge.

Take a drive to The Neck and climb the Truganini steps to the lookout and not only will you burn off your ice cream but you will be rewarded with a truly spectacular view.  There’s even some seating so you can recover for the trip back down! At night, the lower down Rookery boardwalk gives you a view of the fairy penguins running back up the beach to roost.

Must Eat: Bruny Island Cheesery is a must must do. Their menu features toasted sandwiches for the kids and cheese boards for the grown ups. Although my 2 year old polished off 3/4 of mine, so maybe order two just in case. It’s the perfect place to round out a perfect Bruny Island day.

 

Mount Wellington

Speaking of spectacular views, I’m not sure you could ever top this one. Mount Wellington is definitely a must see for any visitor to Hobart, and its well set up for toddlers with small viewing huts so they can see everything through glass without freezing in the bracing winds.

Must Eat: Who can eat? You’ll be too busy looking at the view!

 

Museum of Old & New Art (MONA)

Yup I took my toddler to the ‘sex and death museum’ and I would highly recommend taking yours too. It’s not NSFW – there’s some really cool exhibits for little people as well. The staff are excellent at letting you know which exhibits are not appropriate for children, but there’s so much to see that you won’t miss the X rated stuff anyway. Definitely check out the bit.fall (a waterfall formed by Google search terms) and the Cloaca (a fully functioning human digestive system) – the kids will love it. Word to the wise: while grabbing a sheep seat on the MONA ferry is part of the experience, it’s not necessarily pram friendly. You will have to ask the ferry staff to let you off at the disabled stop rather than the regular one.

 

Have you visited Hobart with a toddler or kids in tow? Let me know if there’s anything I missed, because I’m definitely going back!