I've always dreamed of taking a short vacation in Europe, and I found the next best option that doesn't cost a lot of money.
Unfortunately, I don't live in Europe, so the chances of me heading out for a weekend to a seaside town in Ireland or the UK seem very unlikely.
But a recent trip to Hobart convinced me that I was actually traveling to Europe for the weekend…and didn't even have to leave the country.
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Hobart is a city full of beautiful scenery and hidden secrets.
Now, I don't know about you, but I think of Tasmania as being like going overseas (across the Channel, to be exact), and that's how we felt the moment we stepped out of the airport. .
When we landed, we were met with an icy blast that looked as if it had come from Antarctica.
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Maybe it's because I'm from Melbourne (or maybe I'm just unusual), but I love rain and cold weather. So, the moment I stepped onto the tarmac, I felt like I had arrived in England. bliss!
After a short drive to the hotel, I parked in front of the MACq 01 hotel and immediately felt like I had entered another world.
“Every villain needs a hero, every story needs a beginning, every traveler needs a pillow” directions to the hotel were written.
“Oh, there must be an interesting story in this,'' I thought to myself as I walked towards the foyer. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this entire hotel is dedicated to storytelling.
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Located on Hobart's waterfront, MACq01 Hotel is a newly built hotel that combines Tasmanian culture and history with a modern and sophisticated experience.
Before entering the Superior Waterfront Room, I was intrigued by the etching of a Palawan woman and her child Woletemoeteriena on the front door.
Rooms at MACq01 are luxurious, starting at $340 per night. Behind each door of the 114-room hotel lies a story of 'Tasmanian character', connecting you to the state's deep and rich history spanning thousands of years.
Our hotel room was really nice, with a huge bathtub, walk-in closet, and a cool bar.
But what really caught my attention was the huge window at the far end of our room with sliding doors and a balcony overlooking the waterfront directly.
The moment I dropped my bags off, I was standing on the balcony, listening to the soothing, soft sound of the rain hitting the water.
Talk about stillness.
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Unearthing Australia's secret (and forgotten) stories
The hotel's storytelling theme wasn't limited to the front of the hotel room. Every aspect of our stay was seen through the eyes of someone from the past.
As a history buff, I was ecstatic thinking about the upcoming activities.
The hotel offers storytelling tours daily at 12:30 p.m. It's a free service for guests and $20 for non-guests, and aims to uncover the secrets of the hotel and the city's past in just 75 minutes.
We were lucky enough to take two tours on this short trip: the Sticky Stones & Secrets Tour and the Viewfinder Tour. And those tours really surprised me.
Hosted by Jessica, a renowned and passionate storyteller, we first walked through the hotel's Evolve Bar. This is a quaint spot dedicated to whiskey and filled with million-year-old fossils.
Yes, it's a fossil.
Inside were a dinosaur egg more than 1 million years old, a 250 million year old lizard, and a 550 million year old trilobite. Honestly, my head can't even calculate how long it took, but I was really impressed.
But we're just getting started.
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When I think back on my travels in Europe, all I can think of is its rich history spanning hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of years. In Australia it's a little different. Our history goes back tens of thousands of years, but much of it has been forgotten or deliberately hidden.
Jessica sat us all down and guided us through the history of Tasmania's indigenous communities, also known as Palawan. They were walking the same land that we lived on hundreds of years ago.
Their story is deeply rooted in Tasmania's past and is a very important chapter in our state's remarkable history.
Despite the rain, our great storytelling tour took us into the IXL jam factory across the road, which first opened in 1891. The moment you step onto the jam factory floor, you are hit by the overwhelming aroma of jam.
There we found ourselves immersed in a world long forgotten. The building itself was constructed by convicts who arrived on Tasmanian soil between 1804 and 1853 and left their own mark throughout the building.
It was both fascinating and partly terrifying.
“See what's sticking out of the sandstone?” Jessica asked, pointing to what looked like horsehair from the bricks. “Prisoners often had their heads shaved upon arrival, and their hair was used to build buildings.”
yeah yeah.
This is the perfect place for families with kids who are into gory things and grizzly bears. I quickly learned that every corner of Hobart's streets had a story. The limestone of City Hall also held a secret.
If you want to travel even further back in time, wander around Hobart with a retro viewfinder and take a viewfinder tour to see the city through the eyes of someone who lived there 150 years ago.
All the while, we had to remind ourselves that we were not on a tour to a remote, centuries-old village in England, just an hour away from the mainland.
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A story you'll never forget
The food at MACq01 was equally great.
We enjoyed drinks in the decorated Story Bar, overlooking the River Derwent, before enjoying dinner at the Old Wharf Restaurant. mercury Newspaper clippings from decades ago.
And what about drinks? Damn, they were great.
Like the hotel itself, their cuisine is linked to Tasmania's rich past and features traditional home cooking with a modern twist.
But if you want to explore the city, there are countless pubs and restaurants to try, including the Shipwrights Arms Hotel and the Hope & Anchor, the oldest continuously operating pub in the country.
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If you're planning on visiting with kids, we highly recommend spending an afternoon at Rabada Spa, tucked away behind the IXL Jam Factory.
We were lucky enough to get a couple's massage and it was the perfect way to end the last day of our trip. I have decided that from now on, I will always end my holidays at the spa.
We turned off our phones and enjoyed an hour of uninterrupted bliss. To be honest, I don't remember much of it because I fell asleep halfway through.
But I remember when I stood up again, my legs felt like jelly.
It's only a 2 minute walk from MACq01 Hotel, so even with unsteady legs we didn't have to walk very far.
By the time I had to check out of the hotel, I was already missing Hobart.
With each step, I had to remind myself that I wasn't on a tour of the oldest buildings in England or Ireland. We were in Tassie, not Europe.
I couldn't believe it was only an hour away from bustling Melbourne.
And since we were still in Australia, I was able to keep in touch with my family and check on my baby (who is a dog) without having to worry about time zones.
I really can't wait to go again. I think you must go to Hobart if you have the chance.
Alexandra and her partner were guests at the MACq01 hotel. All her views on visiting Hobart are truly her own.