Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital and the most concentrated AU reunion city — Mount Wellington/kunanyi looms 1,271 m over a small harbour, MONA is a 30-minute ferry across the Derwent, and Salamanca Place is the Saturday-morning gathering point for the whole city. Hobart Airport (HBA) is 17 km east of the CBD; SkyBus takes 30 min ($25 AUD). Reunions tend to be smaller here (15–50 people) and more cousin-driven — Hobart has become a destination because of MONA, dark mofo, and the food scene around Salamanca and Battery Point. Cradle Mountain is 4 hours north; Port Arthur is 90 minutes south-east.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
David Walsh's subterranean private museum — Australia's biggest cultural attraction outside the major capitals. Take the MONA Roma ferry from Brooke Street Pier.
Official source ↗Salamanca Market (Saturdays)
300+ stalls along Salamanca Place every Saturday 8:30 AM – 3 PM. Australia's best craft and produce market.
Official source ↗kunanyi / Mount Wellington
1,271 m summit looming over Hobart. Drive to the top in 25 min or hike from Fern Tree. Pinnacle deck has 360° views and frequent snow in winter.
Official source ↗Port Arthur Historic Site
UNESCO convict-era settlement, 90 min SE — Australia's most-visited heritage site. The Ghost Tour at night is a reunion-cousins ritual.
Official source ↗Battery Point
Heritage neighbourhood of 19th-century cottages — Kelly's Steps from Salamanca, Arthur Circus, and the Shipwrights Arms pub.
Official source ↗Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
30 min north — Tasmanian devils, wombats, kangaroo hand-feeding. Smaller and more interactive than mainland zoos.
Official source ↗Bruny Island day trip
90 min south + 15 min ferry — oysters, cheese, fudge, the Cape Bruny lighthouse, and the Neck lookout.
Official source ↗Cascade Brewery
Australia's oldest continuously-operating brewery (1832). Tours daily; the Cascade Female Factory next door is a UNESCO convict women's prison.
Official source ↗Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
14 hectares free public garden in the Domain — the Subantarctic Plant House replicates Macquarie Island.
Official source ↗Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG)
Free entry — strong Tasmanian Aboriginal collection, the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) galleries, and Antarctic exhibits.
Official source ↗Cradle Mountain (4 hr drive)
World Heritage wilderness 4 hours NW — Dove Lake circuit, the Overland Track. Best as a 2-night side trip from Hobart.
Official source ↗Discover Tasmania (official)
Itineraries, accessibility info, ferry schedules from Tourism Tasmania.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Hobart reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Cousin-led reunions of 15–40 (intimate scale)
- Food + art-themed reunions (MONA + Salamanca + Bruny Island)
- Convict family-history reunions (Port Arthur, Cascade Female Factory)
- Winter reunions wanting actual cold weather and snow
- Combo trips with Cradle Mountain (4 hr) or Freycinet (2.5 hr)
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- Hobart Airport (HBA) — 17 km E of CBD; SkyBus ($25 AUD, 30 min) to the Hobart waterfront
- Group Lodging
- Apartment-hotels: Salamanca Wharf Hotel, Macq01 (waterfront), Quest Trinity House, The Tasman (Marriott Luxury Collection). Holiday-house rentals via Stayz cluster in Battery Point, Sandy Bay, and the Coal Valley wine region.
- Parking
- CBD parking $20–$35 AUD/day. Hobart is small — most CBD/Battery Point/Salamanca attractions are walking distance.
- Accessibility
- Salamanca, MONA, TMAG, and Botanical Gardens are step-free. Mount Wellington summit has accessible viewpoint at the upper car park.
- Cost Per Person
- ~$200–$400 AUD/person/day (~$135–$270 USD).
- Cell Service
- Good in metro Hobart; patchy on Mt Wellington summit and Bruny Island.
- Drinking Age
- 18+ (vs US 21).
- Official Site
- https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/
When to go
November–April is the comfort sweet spot — 12–22 °C, long daylight (sunset 9 PM in December), and the harbour at its best. June–August is winter (2–12 °C) — snow on Mt Wellington, Dark Mofo festival (mid-June), and the lowest accommodation rates. Avoid the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race week (28 Dec to early January) unless you want the buzz — the city is full and prices peak.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10–25: 3–4 apartments at Salamanca Wharf Hotel or a single Stayz heritage cottage cluster in Battery Point.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25–60: 8–12 rooms split between Macq01 and a Stayz waterfront house. Book a long-table dinner at Frank or The Glass House.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 60+: Hobart accommodation strains at this size — split between The Tasman, Crowne Plaza Hobart, and a Stayz cluster. Book 9+ months ahead.
Sample 4-day Hobart reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Day 1 — Arrival
- Land HBA; SkyBus to waterfront
- 3 PM check-in
- 5 PM walk Battery Point
- 7 PM dinner — Mures Upper Deck (waterfront seafood)
Day 2 — MONA
- 10 AM MONA Roma ferry from Brooke Street Pier
- 12 PM lunch at MONA's The Source
- 4 PM ferry back
- 7 PM dinner — Frank or Templo
Day 3 — Mountain + market eve
- 9 AM drive Mt Wellington summit
- 12 PM lunch Cascade Brewery
- 3 PM Royal Botanical Gardens
- 7 PM long-table dinner Glass House
Day 4 — Salamanca + goodbyes
- 9 AM Salamanca Market
- 12 PM final family lunch — Daci & Daci or Jackman & McRoss
- 3 PM travel home
Reunion organizer tips
Book accommodation along the waterfront — Macq01, Salamanca Wharf Hotel, or Quest Trinity House put your group within 5 minutes of Salamanca, the harbour, and the MONA ferry.
Plan the reunion around Saturday Salamanca Market — every Hobart reunion ends up there. Arrive 9 AM, breakfast at Jackman & McRoss in Battery Point, browse for 2 hours, lunch at the Salamanca pubs.
Take the MONA Roma ferry, not the bus. Departures from Brooke Street Pier; the camo-painted catamaran is part of the experience. Buy combined ferry + entry tickets ($88 AUD adult).
Port Arthur is a 90-minute drive each way — make it a full-day trip with lunch at the Tasman Peninsula. The Ghost Tour at night is excellent for older cousins; the Isle of the Dead boat tour is included with day-pass admission.
If your family has Tasmanian convict ancestors (1 in 5 Australians do), plan a half-day at the Cascade Female Factory or Port Arthur's digitised convict records — both have research staff who can pull family files.
Reunly handles the small-but-spread reunion well — RSVP coordination, budget tracking, and timezone-aware reminders. /pricing.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Hobart reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
When is the best time for a Hobart reunion?
November–April for warm-weather harbour days. June–August for winter, snow on Mt Wellington, and Dark Mofo. Avoid Sydney to Hobart yacht race week (28 Dec–early Jan).
Is MONA family-friendly?
MONA has explicit and provocative art — fine for adults and older teens, parents will want to preview the current exhibits before bringing under-12s. The MONA Roma ferry ride and grounds are universally enjoyed.
Do we need to hire a car in Hobart?
Not for the city portion — Hobart CBD, Battery Point, and Salamanca are walkable. Hire a car for Mt Wellington, Bruny Island, Port Arthur, and Cradle Mountain side trips.
Should we add Cradle Mountain?
For a 6+ day reunion, yes — it's a 4-hour drive each way but Tasmania's most iconic wilderness. 2 nights minimum. Smaller reunions (15–25 people) handle this well; larger groups should base in Hobart and skip Cradle.
How much does a Hobart reunion cost per person?
~$200–$400 AUD/person/day. Tasmania accommodation is on par with Sydney/Melbourne but food and tours are slightly cheaper.
Does Reunly work for AU families?
Yes — currency-agnostic, SMS and email RSVPs to any country code. /pricing.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion for 50 people
Logistics, lodging, and budget for a 50-person reunion.
Read the guide →