The best of Tasmania forges together rustic historical buildings and new-world charm.
Moss
39 & 25 Salamanca Pl, Hobart; 1300 772 270; mosshotel.com.au
Old-world Hobart meets new-world charm at Moss.
THE LOCATION This deftly restored boutique hotel occupies adjoining sandstone warehouses dating to the mid-1800s, overlooking Hobart’s heartbeat, Salamanca Place.
THE PLACE There’s no better base to experience the quaintly cool charm of Tasmania’s capital than from this small but perfectly formed hotel. The 41 rooms evoke the state’s natural wonders, with wood, stone and plant-covered walls throughout. The Moss 39 address is open now, with a second property a few doors away, Moss 25, to open by Christmas.
THE EXPERIENCE Each room has a slightly different layout, from heritage “Bower” rooms to more spacious “Grove” rooms. They all share an intimate, low-lit, stylish DNA with luxurious green-tiled bathrooms. This is the first hotel venture from the Behrakis family, who own the Salamanca Fresh gourmet supermarket downstairs, so expect interesting goods in the minibar. Rod Black, former manager of Pumphouse Point and The Henry Jones Art Hotel, leads the warm, relaxed service team.
DON’T MISS Moss doesn’t have a restaurant on site, so you’ll be inspired to explore the city’s thriving food and wine scene. Our pick? The hot-right-now wine bars Lucinda and Sonny’s.
FROM $280 a night. - Michael Harry
Seven
2 Bridge Rd, Launceston; (03) 6331 4153; stillwater.com.au
There’s no workday grind relaxing at Seven, a beautifully renovated 1830s flour mill.
LOCATION Part of a growing trend towards restaurants with rooms, Seven opened in March above Launceston’s most high-profile restaurant, Stillwater, with views over the Tamar River.
THE PLACE A heritage restoration which brings modern design to the bones of an 1830s flour mill. There are seven rooms, each with its own character, and all with river views. Designers Cumulus Studio, which also transformed Pumphouse Point, have created a calming sanctuary with deep, dark tones and respect for the original interior.
THE EXPERIENCE Seven tells the story of Tasmania’s past and its creative present, from the bar to the bespoke furniture from local designer Simon Ancher. While the draw is to dine at Stillwater, there’s a danger you could forgo that for a night in. A well-stocked minibar-come-pantry, built by Ancher in blackwood, carries the best of Tassie, from left-field wine to craft spirits and premixed cocktails.
DON’T MISS A morning walk along the Tamar builds an appetite for the appropriately hearty breakfast fare.
FROM $450 a night, including breakfast. - Max Brearley
Maylands Lodge
40 Swanston St, New Town, Hobart; (03) 6169 2777; maylandslodge.com.au
Maylands Lodge in Hobart.
THE LOCATION Tucked on a half-hectare block among fruit trees, vegetable patches, water fountains and manicured gardens in Hobart’s leafy northern suburbs, the lodge is just a seven-minute drive from the CBD and the harbour.
THE PLACE A significant heritage property built in 1887 by renowned colonial architect Henry Hunter, it became a home for neglected girls and a Salvation Army HQ, before falling into disrepair. It’s now been restored to its former glory, after an 18-month refurbishment.
THE EXPERIENCE While grand Huon pine staircases lead you to balconies and sitting rooms gazing out upon Hobart and Mount Wellington, staying at Maylands Lodge doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a museum.
Modern suites and rooms with thick carpet and huge flat-screen TVs – and a cosy bar (which uses an honesty system) where guests mingle beside an open fire – lend the property an intimacy you mightn’t expect from Hobart’s grandest 19th-century mansion.
DON’T MISS Dinners are served between Thursday and Sunday in the lodge’s restaurant – using ingredients grown outside in the gardens.
FROM $245 per night. - Craig Tansley
Novo Luxury Apartment
93 Main Rd, Penguin; 0408 450 116; novoluxuryapartment.com.au
Watch the waves crash on Penguin Beach.Credit: Aaron Jones Photography
THE LOCATION The quirky former timber and mining town of Penguin is on the north-west coast of Tasmania, a 30-minute drive from Devonport Airport.
THE PLACE The apartment is on the first floor of a 1912 bakery, where traces of the past still exist. Exposed brick walls, industrial tiles, pine floors and pressed-metal ceilings blend seamlessly with mod cons and designer and vintage furniture, in colours of sea, sand and sky. It has three double bedrooms and two bathrooms and sleeps up to eight.
THE EXPERIENCE You’ll forget you’re on the main drag of Penguin; this 300-square-metre apartment seems to hover over the sea. With all that accommodation plus a huge modern kitchen and outdoor deck, the space is large enough to celebrate life’s milestones with friends, and intimate enough for those who’d rather moor themselves to a couch. Watch the waves crash on Penguin Beach and freight trains trundle past on the historic railway that skirts the shore.
DON’T MISS Seeing the penguins during breeding season (September-April) at Lillico Beach, a 15-minute drive east.
FROM $450 a night; two-night minimum stay. - Gabriella Coslovich
TO READ WHILE YOU’RE HERE by Nicole Abadee
Richard Flanagan's Wanting and Favel Parrett's Past the Shallows.Credit:
One of Tasmania’s favourite sons is Man Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan. His fifth novel, 2008’s Wanting, is set in mid-1800s Van Diemen’s Land, and follows a mass murder of the island’s Indigenous people. It’s a powerful exploration of the conflict between reason and desire. Favel Parrett lived for part of her childhood in Tasmania and her prize-winning 2011 debut novel, Past the Shallows, is set here. It tells the story of three motherless brothers living on the remote south coast of Tasmania with their heavy-drinking, brutish abalone-fisherman father. Set against the backdrop of Bruny Island, the Huon River and Cloudy Bay, it’s deeply moving.
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