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Hobart – MoNA & The End of History

It is always a great experience to discover something unexpected. Hobart offers that in spades. I have visited three times over the last few years principally with groups to visit that cavernous cliff lined steel building that is the amazing Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). While yes it is an extraordinary museum and the thing to do for tourists if it’s raining – (and even if they have no idea what they are about to get themselves into) it isn’t just a museum. It is an art resort. With fine dining attached as well as a great café and wine bar, an amazing boutique hotel, a winery on site, and a micro brewery recently off sited, summer offers markets and concerts as part of the FOMO festival. All round it is an experience.

Did I mention beer yet? MONA is the home of Moo Brew, and while there you can opt for a tasting tray of the beers instead of the wines. The beer is of quality, no doubt as are the bottles and labels. They produce a great dark ale, some seasonals and a decent pale ale among their range.

Moo Brew Tasting

The Winebar also offers a range of good craft beers and fantastic platters, and the first time we visited there was a bottle of the Squirrel with beer out of mouth encased on the counter. Brewdogs  ridiculously high alcohol beer, ‘End of the History’? Art or beer? I am picking at 41 % it will age well.

MONA Wine Bar

MONA Wine Bar

MONA is also home to an art work by Dutch artist Wim Delvoye called “Cloaca”. It is a working reimagined human digestive system. This is one of many variations of this work, and in true to life form they feed it lunch (this day it was a Turkey sandwich and a Dark Ale) at noon and sometime between 2 and 4 it excretes! Does make for a somewhat overpowering odour. Wim Delvoye is also responsible for the photo of Tattoo Tim, a man living with an artwork tattooed on his back – which is owned by a collector. Tim can opt out at anytime, but while under contract can be shown twice a year. On this visit to MONA he sat twice a day for 2 hours at a time before taking people on a tour of the exhibition and telling the story of his life. He did let on that when not on his stool he did make the most of Hobart bars and had discovered some great Australian beers.

Hobart is based around a working harbour with historic buildings each side we are talking 1806 and hand crafted with convict hands. There are a good amount of options accommodation wise – we stay at the Grand Chancellor for the harbour views. With good food options from fish and chips to fine dining there is nothing not to look forward to here. Heck there is even the Lark Distillery portside, and the historic Cascade brewery is not too far inland.

There are more beer options coming online all the time in Hobart. On our first visit we hit Preachers in Battery Point, a kind of old villa that might pass for a student flat with a bar, and a great garden bar area for those warmer afternoons in summer. We did find a good bottle store with a great selection as well, and new spots since our first visit include Jack Greene and The Winston.

Hobart is also home to the Tasmanian Beer Festival usually held in November. Get there an be surprised!

 

 

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