Hobart’s Mona to open Bangkok offshoot

The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart, Tasmania, and Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC) in Bangkok, Thailand, have announced they are working together to develop MONA Bangkok, a major new art destination on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff joined Mona founder David Walsh, artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele, DarkLab CEO and creative director Leigh Carmichael and Mona executives in Bangkok for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with AWC, represented by Chief Executive Officer and President Wallapa Traisorat, and Chief Commercial Business Officer Michael Hariz.

The signing was also attended by Australian Ambassador-Designate to Thailand Pablo Kang, Thai Minister of Culture Sabeeda Thaised, Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt and Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Thapanee Kiatphaibool.

The MOU outlines the shared vision for MONA Bangkok, which will bring together Mona’s extensive experience creating internationally acclaimed art, music and cultural destinations with AWC’s record of landmark developments in Thailand.

David Walsh, Mona’s founder, said: "Having spent most of the last 25 years studying how museums work, AWC has presented us with a remarkable opportunity to take what we’ve learned to one of the great tourist centres of the world."

Since opening in Hobart in 2011, Mona has been visited by over 5.2 million people. It has helped change visitors’ perception of Tasmania and turn Hobart into an international cultural destination, drawing audiences from across Australia and around the world through its idiosyncratic approach to exhibitions, festivals, architecture, and hospitality.

The MONA Bangkok project will be led on Mona’s side by Carmichael under the direction of Walsh, with assistance from a project team of skilled creatives.

Carmichael has worked with Walsh for over 20 years. Together they established the Mona brand, the Dark Mofo festival, and cultural precinct In The Hanging Garden.

“MONA Bangkok will take the creative spirit of Mona into a new context,” Carmichael said. “Like the museum in Hobart, it will be unconventional and unique, and will present work by leading international artists, while also creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue with Thai artists, audiences and cultural traditions.

“The theme of light will be explored both as a physical phenomenon and as a metaphor. Light has long been a source of fascination, reflection and hope across cultures, and it feels especially resonant in Bangkok, with its rich cultural life and traditions. I’m looking forward to listening, learning and seeing where this project leads as it develops.

“We look forward to working with AWC on this ambitious project, and to meeting with Thai artists, designers and makers as we begin the journey.

“Bangkok is already home to important contemporary art events and institutions including the Bangkok Art Biennale, MOCA Bangkok and the newly opened Dib Bangkok. MONA Bangkok is intended to build on this momentum, helping strengthen the city’s position as a global art destination.”

Traisorat said: "At AWC, Building a Better Future is at the heart of everything we do. This collaboration with Mona reflects the power of partnerships to create lasting cultural and economic value. 

"Together, we are building more than a new destination - we are creating a bridge between Thailand and Australia through a shared vision, a passion for art, a shared commitment to sustainable tourism and a belief in the power of culture to connect people.

“We are excited to welcome Mona to Bangkok to create a world-class cultural landmark that inspires creativity, fosters meaningful artist communities, and encourages more people to discover new experiences. By bringing together art, innovation and hospitality, MONA Bangkok will strengthen the creative industry and enhance Thailand as the leading global sustainable destination.”

Further details on the project will be announced in due course.

Image: An early rendering of MONA Bangkok. Courtesy Mona, AWC and Six Degrees Architects.

Dark Lark is a seasonal Tasmanian treat

Winter in Tasmania is long, cold and dark.

It's the perfect time, then, for the sixth seasonal release of No. 166 Dark Lark 2026.

The limited-release whisky is housed in a matte black 700mL bottle - a dark, moody exterior that houses a Tasmanian single malt.

It's a bit late, to be honest, in that it is promoted as signalling "the arrival of winter and the ritual that comes with it". It's also a bit behind the Dark Mofo festival.

Crafted by master sistiller Chris Thomson and the Lark team, this year’s expression is promoted as "leaning into deep indulgence: sticky figs, dark chocolate-covered cherries and espresso gelato, lifted by lemon shortbread and soft honey."

It sounds delicious. And it is. Rich with treacle characteristics and very smooth on the finish. Hard to stick at one glass. 

No.166 Dark Lank 2026 is available from today via larkdistillery.com and Hobart venues. The RRP is $150.

Tasmania gets a uniquely eclectic new library

From words by William Shakespeare to Hunter S. Thompson and David Bowie, the new library at Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) is decidedly eclectic.

Phrontisterion, a $100 million library housing Mona owner's David Walsh’s collection of nonfiction, novels, rare books and maps, autographs opens to the public at Berriedale, north of Hobart, from 10am on Sunday.

"I was always all-in on books and libraries," Walsh says. "My first library card was the great leveller, the thing that gave impoverished child-me a chance to seek."

Phrontisterion, a word that suggests ‘a thinkery’, takes its name from Aristophanes’ Clouds, in which the author ridicules the self-certainty of the educated.

Walsh says it is a place to explore, be entertained, and research topics as diverse as ancient brewing methods, winter rituals, heavy metal pollution, Antarctic exploration, science fiction, sex, casinos, charcuterie, and the museum collection.

Rare books include Shakespeare’s ‘First Folio’, a second edition of Sir Isaac Newton’s Opticks, and the sixth edition of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, the last produced in the author’s lifetime.

There are also books signed by Umberto Eco, J.G. Ballard and Hunter Thompson, and hand-written documents by Balzac, Bowie, Whitman, Flaubert, Einstein, Newton, Marconi and Alexander Graham Bell.

"If you want to know what David is really like, browse his bookshelves," says Mona’s librarian, Mary Lijnzaad.

The way Phrontisterion organises books is as idiosyncratic as the collection itself. It uses novel technology to treat books as curatable objects rather than conforming to the Dewey Decimal System, used by libraries around the world.

Phrontisterion is connected to Mona’s existing buildings via tunnels in the sandstone. It’s located in the space beneath the inverted-ziggurat levels of Elektra (top image), Anselm Kiefer’s monumental concrete amphitheatre.

See phrontisterion.net.au 

Party time at Hobart's urban winery

Hobart comes alive during the nights of the Dark Mofo festival.

But what if you are looking for something vinous to do during the day?

If trekking out to one of the vineyard regions is too hard, what about a visit to the Glaetzer-Dixon urban winery and cellar door?

If you'd like a full tasting you can book in here, but this year Nick and Sally Glaetzer will also be hosting a pop-up bar in the winery at 93 Brooker Ave, Hobart, serving up wines by the glass accompanied by live music.

"This is a fun opportunity to come and see a working winery while there’s some interesting fermentation business happening in the cellar," says Nick Glaetzer.

The Glaetzer-Dixon pop-up will be open 3pm-5pm on Friday, June 12, Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20.

And If you’re heading to the Winter Feast, Nick will be behind the bar a few nights serving the Uberblanc Riesling by the glass.

Hobart gets a new whisky hotspot in time for Dark Mofo

Just in time for the Dark Mofo winter festival, Lark Distillery has launched a new whisky hot spot.

The Still - Lark's flagship whisky and cocktail bar - has been reimagined as GOTHAM at The Still.

Lark suits say the tasting room and lounge will retain its atmosphere, service, and exceptional spirits but as GOTHAM will have a "darker pulse".

Launching this week with a new food and cocktail menu, GOTHAM will showcase an "ultra high-performance sound system" from local acoustic designers Pitt & Giblin and a moody new ambience.

“GOTHAM is our invitation to locals and visitors alike to gather, pour something wicked, and stay under the spell," says Lark head of hospitality Dan Knight.

"It’s still Tasmanian at its core, and still driven by the Lark spirits that we love, injected with a mood and mischief that Hobart has been waiting for."

In keeping with GOTHAM’s distinctive new personality, chef Benjamin Co-Pavier’s menu is reminiscent of New York cocktail bars, featuring plates of shucked-to-order local oysters from Tasmanian Oyster Co., fried chicken, Robbins Island wagyu skewers, and a classic cheeseburger.

GOTHAM at The Still will host a number of regular events, including gin blending, live jazz every Wednesday evening (5:30-8:30pm), and a Happy Hour with a Lark twist.

GOTHAM at The Still at 30 Argyle Street, Hobart. Open Wednesday-Thursday, 3pm-late and Friday-Sunday, 1pm-late.

Italian pan handler to star at Dark Mofo Winter Feast

Star Italian chef Floriano Pellegrino will be the headline act at the Dark Mofo Winter Feast in Hobart.

The guest chef runs Michelin-starred restaurant Bros’ in Puglia with his partner Isabella Potì - a venue known for its avant-garde interpretation of Italian cuisine.

Pellegrino will collaborate with Roberto Mele of MAMA Hobart artisanal bakery to create five dishes, including a ricotta and pickled mulberry tart.

The Winter Feast will once again transform the Hobart waterfront with tens of thousands of people expected across both weekends of this year’s Dark Mofo.

The Winter Feast will feature over 70 stallholders - 40% of them new - from across Tasmania, along with crackling fires, music and community.

‘The Winter Feast is a candlelit haven from the cold weather," says Chris Twite, Dark Mofo’s artistic director.

"It’s where we refuel, nourished by the ritual of coming together around the fires, enjoying the incredible array of food and drink, and sharing stories of exploration and discovery among friends and strangers."

Hobart micro restaurant Scholé will makes its first appearance at the Feast, with Luke Burgess serving up a Japanese-inspired dish of crispy potato mochi.

Star local chefs will include David Moyle and Lilly Trewartha, along with Analiese Gregory, while Mona executive chef Vince Trim will be back, cooking with fire at the Heavy Metal Kitchen.

Beverages will include a refreshing Strawberry Bubble from Cygnet's Tasmaniac Distillers, a hot buttered whisky from Battery Point Distillery and a selection of cocktails from Local Absinthe.

"The generosity, abundance and creativity of Tasmania’s food culture is on full display once again this year, with tasty offerings from all around the island," says Winter Feast food curator Amanda Vallis.

The music program kicks off with The Gathering, a First Nations-led celebration of culture, connection and storytelling for the first night of the Feast. Curated by Dark Mofo’s Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural advisor Caleb Nichols-Mansell, the Gathering centres the ‘Matriarchs of Music’, presenting by artists like Emma Donovan, BADASSMUTHA, DENNI, Bumpy, Stiff Gins and Nidala Barker.

The Feast spreads across Salamanca Lawns and Princes Wharf Shed 1 and runs on both weekends of the festival: Thursday 11–Sunday 15 and Thursday 18–Sunday 21.

Season passes are still available at darkmofo.net.au/winter-feast.

As part of the Winter Feast’s commitment to reaching zero waste, all stallholders will stock reusable cups and compostable crockery and cutlery. The Winter Feast is a cash-free event.

Books and more books: Mona to unveil new wing

Need another excuse to visit Tasmania?

Mona founder David Walsh (right) has just come up with something. It only took him 10 years to get it done.

After four years of construction and 10 years of headaches, Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) is set to open its new wing in June, Walsh reveals.

It will feature a vast library to house his collection of rare books, maps and more, along with artworks by Anselm Kiefer, Julian Charrière and others.

"I was always all-in on books and libraries," Walsh says. "My first library card was the great leveller, the thing that gave impoverished child-me a chance to seek.’

The Phrontisterion, coined by Aristophanes in his work Clouds, for ‘a thinkery’, in which he ridicules the self-certainty of the educated, will draw from Walsh’s collection of "a big bunch of books".

Mona’s librarian Mary Lijnzaad said: "If you want to know what David is really like, browse his bookshelves."

Phrontisterion is connected to Mona’s existing buildings via tunnels in the sandstone and located in the space beneath the inverted-ziggurat levels of Elektra (above), an Anselm Kiefer amphitheatre, first built at Kiefer’s studio at La Ribaute in Barjac, southern France, with sculptures and paintings by the artist installed throughout.

The new wing will accommodate Breathe, a permanent installation by Julian Charrière, whose solo exhibition Hard Core will reside at Mona from June 6, 2026 to April 5, 2027. The installation invites visitors to breathe air that has never been breathed before.

The opening of the new wing also coincides with the return of Ryoji Ikeda’s light tower, spectra, and the Mona debut of In Absence, an architectural installation created by Kokatha/nukunu artist Yhonnie Scarce and Melbourne architects Aaron Roberts and Kim Bridgland for the 2019 NGV Architecture Commission.

The 9-metre-high timber tower takes inspiration from traditional eel traps and is adorned with 1,400 hand-blown, black glass murnong, or daisy yams.

See mona.net.au

Images: Supplied by Mona

Bird in Hand celebrates love for Tasmania

Andrew and Susie Nugent have an ongoing love affair with Tasmania and its cool-climate wines.

The founders of Adelaide Hills winery Bird in Hand - known for its outstanding restaurant - now control two vineyards on the island state and have opened their new hospitality venture at the lovely Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens in Hobart.

With former Saffire head chef Paddy Prenter heading the kitchen brigade, Bird in Hand this week celebrated the opening of its new restaurant, kiosk and a wine tasting facility in the gardens.

The Friday night opening was blessed with some rare balmy autumnal Tasmanian weather.

The tasting room, restaurant and kiosk will all offer different experiences and Bird in Hand will also manage weddings and bespoke events. 

I can't imagine anywhere nicer than the veranda to enjoy a glass or two on a sunny day.

The Nugents expect a restaurant dining experience akin to Bird in Hand’s LVN Restaurant at Woodside, with the  spectacular dining room showcasing local produce, art, flora and fauna of Tasmania.

The tasting room will showcase Bird in Hand cool-climate wines - including those from the East Coast and West Tamar vineyards - alongside a selection of other locally crafted beverages.

The 14-hectare Botanical Gardens has housed rare, native and intriguing plants for over 200 years. It also offers a thriving kitchen garden.

"We've long known about the quality of wines from Tasmania, and now we have our own vineyard at Seymour, north of Bicheno, and custodianship of  Waterton Hall in the Tamar, as well as the very special privilege of being in Hobart," Nugent said at the launch. 

"We'd known about the potential of sparkling wines from Tasmania but to be perfectly honest we didn't understand what an extraordinarily special place this is - the beauty of the land and its people is unsurpassed. 

"We want to contribute to the community, to the producers and the environment.

"We will do our very best to do justice to this magnificent site."     

* The writer was a guest of Bird in Hand

So you are serious about whisky?

Are you serious about whisky? 

Want to know more about distilling in Tasmania and the Lark success story? 

Lunching in time for the Easter long weekend, Lark Distilling has launched a range of ways of exploring the Lark range right on the Hobart waterfront. 

Open across the whole long weekend, LARK’s Cellar Door, located on Davey Street, is offering bookable tastings designed to bring Tasmania’s whisky story to life in an immersive way.

Visitors and local alike can book for Welcome to LARK, a concise, 45-minute guided tasting that traces Lark’s origins and evolution, featuring three museum release malts for $149 per person. Daily from 1pm | $149pp | Booking link here

If you are keen to splash out, Fuse Whisky Blending Experience is a premium, hands-on session where guests create their own bespoke Lark single malt. Guided by a whisky specialist, guests blend from unreleased cask samples to craft a personalised, cask-strength bottle to take home.
Daily from 3pm for $499 per person. Booking link here.

For evening plans, LARK’s dining space, The Still, has just launched a new extended menu. To celebrate, all online dinner bookings will receive a complimentary tasting of Lark's new Fire Trail whisky (it's a ripper), over the next two week. (Closed Good Friday and Easter Monday). Booking link here.

The Fire Trail is part of a new portfolio of four Tasmanian whisky expressions that are presented in re-imagined 700ml bottle with a new design that was this week awarded World’s Best Design at the World Whisky Awards 2026 Global Dinner. 

The Collection comprises Fire Trail (RRP $170), Devil’s Storm (RRP $200), Ruby Abyss (RRP $400), along with Cinder Forest (available in May, RRP $160). 

Check out larkdistillery.com. 

Peppina and Hellyers Road combine for a taste of Tasmania

One of Hobart's leading restaurants has teamed with one of Tasmania's top whisky distilleries for a one-off dinner to showcase the best of the Apple Isle. 

The Tasman Hotel’s Peppina Restaurant and chef Massimo Mele will combine with Hellyers Road Distillery to host Off the Press: Orchard & Oak, a celebration of single malt whisky and Tasmanian produce.

Mark in next Friday, March 27, at 7pm. 

At a cost of $160, guests will gather in the atmospheric Printing Room at Peppina (below) for a three-course menu by celebrity chef Massimo Mele, showcasing the Tasmanian launch of Hellyers Road's Peaches 20-year single cask release.

Menu highlights will include heirloom tomato crostinis, grilled prawns, potato gnocchi, dry-aged Angus sirloin steak, and a peach tart and amaretto crumble to finish. 

Along with the launch of the Peaches, whisky tastings paired with the food include a 12-year American Oak Single Malt Whisky and a Double Cask American & French Oak Single Malt Whisky.

Established in 1997, Hellyers Road Distillery is based in Burnie in north-west Tasmania. 

Should you be tempted, bookings are available here: 

https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/peppinahbalc/off-the-press-orchard-oak-4807792460873728

Hobart festival aims to push the boundaries

From garlic to folk music, Tasmania is home to dozens of quirky festivals.

One of the zaniest, the Beaker Street Festival, returns to Hobart from August 6-17 marking its 10th year with the theme:The Second Act.

Over the past decade, the festival has grown from a niche science experiment into a nationally recognised cultural event, drawing interstate audiences for immersive, ideas-led programming set against Tasmania’s winter landscape.

The 2026 edition consolidates into two focused weekends, anchored by distinct precincts and experiences. 

The festival continues to blend hard science with social experience, positioning Hobart as a winter meeting place for thinkers, travellers and curious audiences nationwide.

Antarctica will be a key focus with Hobart showcasing its gateway-to-Antarctica status. 

Tickets are on sale now for the Festival's first event, VAST: Where Sound Meets the Cosmos.

This immersive work is an Australian-exclusive premiere aiming to transform Hobart’s oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal (above), into a 360° soundscape, combining performers, instrumentalists and spatial audio for "a journey into the universe". 

Full program details are still under embargo but you can find more info here:  https://www.beakerstreet.com.au/

Hard Core: Mona unveils a new headliner

French-Swiss artist Julian Charrière has been chosen as the next headliner at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart. 

Charrière will present his first solo exhibition in Australia in Tasmania from June 6, 2026, to March 29, 2027.

Opening in time for mid-winter festival Dark Mofo (June 11-22), his Hard Core will feature an assemblage of artworks from sculpture and installation to film and photography that bridge nature, science, history, industry and myth.

‘Ideas burst from Julian Charrière (below) like licks from an over-friendly dog," says Mona’s founder, David Walsh. 

"Sometimes it’s a lot - attending one of Julian’s exhibitions can be overwhelming. But Julian isn’t a meddler. His ideas are deep and incisive, the sort of ideas that expose the soft white underbelly of reality." 

Hard Core will transform Mona’s touring galleries and spill out into the Void and newly excavated additions to the museum. 

It will feature sculptures made of coal, lava, molten computers, onyx and obsidian.

Cored samples taken from glacial erratic boulders are repaired with steel, aluminium, brass and silver. A lump of stromatolite rock, hundreds of millions of years old, is slowly polished to a perfect sphere between lapidary rock grinders. 

There are plants preserved cryogenically, snails slurping the calcium carbonate from marble statues, and a vending machine full of fossilised ammonites.

So, all very Mona. 

In photographs and video installations, Charrière pits human action against ideas of nature’s grandeur and vulnerability. 

With Breathe, a permanent installation commissioned especially for Mona and built into the museum’s foundations, Charrière releases oxygen molecules that have been trapped inside banded iron ore formations since the Great Oxidation Event some 2.4 billion years ago. 

Visitors are invited to inhale this ancient air, which has been lodged in rock over the years, 

Mona’s director for curatorial affairs, Jarrod Rawlins, said: ‘We like beautiful adventures, physically, emotionally and philosophically, and Breathe delivers that from every angle.’

Berlin-based Charrière has exhibited widely, but this is his first solo exhibition in Oceania.

‘What’s special about this show is how it coalesces distinct works into a single geological body, compressing planetary timescales into a shared, stratigraphic architecture and encounter," the artist says. 

" Here, Mona acts as both figurative and literal bedrock - a boundary-pushing museum which, carved from sandstone, situates human civilization within a far older story; a story of stone and bone.

‘Tasmania, too, is integral to the temporal dissonance of Hard Core: a primeval, almost Gondwanan place, where exhibiting feels less like placing works in a museum and more like returning them to the planetary condition to which they already belong.’ 

A full-colour exhibition catalogue including installation photography will be published later this year.

* Charrière has exhibited at many of the world’s major art institutions, including solo shows at Museum Tinguely in Switzerland, Palais de Tokyo in France, and SFMoMA in the US. 

Lark celebrates and innovates

 

There was a double celebration at the Lark Distillery tasting room in Hobart this week with a function to welcome new CEO and managing director Stuart Gregor, and a sneak peek at an innovative new premium whisky range to be launched in April. 

The tasting room has been given a major makeover with some clubby chic spaces upstairs for private tastings and small groups, in addition to the downstairs area and the garden overlooking the Hobart waterfront. 

The Davey Street cellar door's newly refurbished spaces mark a new era for the home of the brand that started Tasmania's whisky boom. 

"It was so special to share the occasion with industry friends, long-standing partners, media and members of our extended whisky community," the Lark team said. 

Guests at the tasting facility can discover the full Lark collection, from signature expressions to rare venue exclusives, alongside guided tastings, masterclasses and a newly unveiled museum experience. 

The venue is open daily, 11am–7pm, at 14 Davey Street in downtown Hobart. 

Here are some images I took on the night, including one of founder Bill Lark with former Four Pillars founder Gregor.  

See https://larkdistillery.com/

Meet Tasmania's new waterfront seafood festival

The Hobart waterfront will welcome a new seafood festival over the March long weekend to celebrate world-class Tasmanian seafood, local producers, and the waterfront community.

Tasmania's Seafood Festival will e hosted by fishing royalty Mures Tasmania, and sponsored by TasPorts. The free three-day festival will aim to turn Victoria Dock into a buzzing waterfront playground with food and drink stalls, live entertainment and family fun.

The new festival will run from Saturday, March 7 to Monday, March 9, starting from 11am daily and will bring together seafood producers, fishers, chefs and waterfront folk. 

From barbecued fish and Cajun-style seafood parcels to fresh paella, woodfired pizza, tacos, chowder, parmesan wheel pasta, oysters and bubbles, the menu will have widespread appeal. 

The Victoria Dock seafood punts will also operate throughout the event while Tassie beverage producers will be offering spirits, wine, beer and non-alcoholic options. 

The main stage will host a program of seafood carving, tastings and interactive presentations including a whole tuna carving, oyster shucking competitions, meet the producer sessions and complementary tastings. 

“We have long seen the potential for a large-scale seafood event in Tasmania,” said Will and Jude Mure,
the directors of Mures Tasmania. 

“Guests can watch free live demonstrations from Industry professionals, taste beautiful local seafood, take part in competitions and win prizes, while the kids enjoy hands-on activities and entertainment.

"This first year is just the beginning, and we hope to grow the festival over time into one of the country’s leading seafood events.”

For more info see mures.com.au/tas-seafood-festival.

# Mures Tasmania is a family-owned and -operated seafood business established in 1973 and located on Victoria Dock, Hobart. Mures catches, processes and serves premium local seafood directly from its own vessels Diana and Selkie and hosts several restaurants.

Adina to expand into Hobart

Go-ahead hotel group TFE will debut its first Adina hotel in Tasmania later this year with the opening of Adina Hobart. 

The new 48-key Adina Hobart will be located within the same mixed-use development as the 142-key Vibe Hobart and will feature a collection of studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments with the ability to interconnect into three-bedroom spaces.

Known for contemporary design, spacious living, and flexible apartment accommodation, Adina’s continued growth across Australia and beyond reflects the strength of a brand that understands modern travellers, says TFE Hotels’ Group Chief Operating Officer Chris Sedgwick.

“As we expand our global footprint, we’re seeing increasing demand for apartment style hotels that offer the space, flexibility, and contemporary design that Adina does so well," Seddwick says.

"With every new opening, whether here at home or in key international cities, Adina anchors our premium offering and showcases the best of Australian hospitality on the world stage.”

The new Hobart property will provide extra rooms in a Tasmanian market that desperately needs extra room space. Tasmania’s capital is experiencing the highest visitor numbers on record, with 1.36 million visitors welcomed in 2025.

Adina Hobart is expected to welcome guests in the second half of this year.

Adina guests will have full access to the Vibe on-site amenities including Belvedere restaurant and bar, conferencing facilities, pool and gym.

“With Adina Hobart, we wanted to craft a hotel that feels intrinsically connected to Tasmania," said developer Richard Doedens.

"As such, the palette, the textures, and the organic forms all draw from the quiet beauty of the eucalypt forests that define so much of the state’s landscape.

“Our design approach also focuses on warmth and comfort, while still delivering the sophistication expected of an Adina. And, by anchoring the interiors in natural materials and rounded, calming shapes, we’ve created a place that feels both grounded and elevated.”

Cheers to the whisky pioneer handed Order of Australia honour

Bill Lark, the man who changed the Australian whisky industry forever, has been awarded ‘Member of the Order of Australia’ honours in the 2026 Australia Day Honours List.

Lark helped propel to Tasmania to global spirits prominence when he established the Lark Distillery with his wife Lyn, in Hobart in 1992.

Lark began his whisky journey in the late 1980s after a fishing trip with his Scottish father-in-law, who recognised echoes of his homeland in Tasmania’s landscape. 

He and his wife set out to overturn a 150-year-old law that had long barred commercial distillation in Tasmania.

After several years lobbying, he was successful and Tasmania is now a global hotspot for artisan beverages. 

Lark was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the Australian distilling community as well as the Tasmanian community.

Lark has led the way in shaping the Tasmanian and Australian whisky industry.

“I am genuinely humbled by receiving this award and feel immensely honoured to be recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)," he said. 

"I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the sharing and collegiality offered to me by the Scottish industry, a sentiment which is largely shared today throughout the industry in Australia. 

"Today our craft encompasses manufacturing, hospitality and tourism employing many people. I would also like to thank the many people across Australia who have helped make an amazing industry a reality.” 

Lark was the first Australian inducted into the World Whisky Hall of Fame in 2015 and he is also an inaugural inductee in the Australian Distillers Hall of Fame. He was also the founding president of the Australian Distillers Association in 2004.

He's a man who gets things done. 

Bill remains actively involved in the business and this past week travelled to Asia to launch the new range of Lark single malt whiskies in Malaysia and Singapore.

“Australian whisky owes almost everything to Bill Lark and this recognition could not be more richly deserved,” said Lark CEO Stuart Gregor.

“Bill has not only made the most incredible contribution to Tasmanian whisky but to the distilled spirits industry across Australia. His name is synonymous with great quality, integrity and imagination, and for what the New World of Whisky, with Tasmania at the forefront, can become.”

“The whole of the industry thanks Bill from the bottom of our glass.”

For more info see www.larkdistillery.com

Go behind the scenes with Tasmanian boutique wine producers

Some of Tasmania's best - and smallest - wine producers will be opening up this weekend before the 2026 vintage.

Producers without regular cellar doors including Trial Bay Estate, Resolution Vineyard, Chatto and Sailor Seeks Horse will be offering tastings from February 27 to March 1 for Southern Open Vineyards Weekend.

Stargazer will be showing off its new tasting facility in the Coal River Valley, while Alice Davidson of Aunt Alice will be showcasing its new garagiste-style winery in Geeveston.

The weekend offers the chance to explore 51 small and large wine producers and vineyards across some of Tasmania's striking wine landscapes - all under an hour from Hobart.

There is the opportunity to uncover hidden cellar doors - like the new facility at Elsewhere - tour working vineyards, chat with winemakers, and enjoy special barrel tastings. 

Many producers will offer food, or entertainment.

There is also a special deal with Bargain car rentals for festival goers. Use the code TASWINES15 when booking online for 15% off.

The weekend is run by Wine South with backing from Events Tasmania.   

For more details see https://winesouth.com.au/open-vineyards/

Share a milestone moment with a leading Tasmanian winemaker

One of Tasmania’s leading winemakers is marking a major milestone with Nick Glaetzer celebrating 20 years in Tasmania with a series of wine tasting experiences at the Taste of Summer festival in Hobart.

Making his debut at the popular event, the Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers founder will headline the Winemaker Series at the Taste of Summer alongside Alice Davidson of Aunt Alice Wines and Keira O’Brien of Rivulet Wines.

He will be hosting daily tasting sessions throughout the festival.

Taste of Summer food and crink curators, Jo Cook and Khayla Massie said the milestone was a perfect fit for the festival’s focus on Tasmanian producers and stories.

“The Taste is all about celebrating the people behind Tasmania’s world class food and drink, and Nick’s 20 years in Tasmania is a fantastic story to share with our audience,” they said.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to the Taste for the first time and to give festival goers the chance to taste his wines and hear directly from one of Tasmania’s most respected winemakers.”

Originally from a famous wine family in the Barossa, South Australia, Glaetzer and his wife Sally moved to Tasmania in 2005, driven by a desire to make premium cool-climate wines.

Their Glaetzer-Dixon wines have since become synonymous with Tasmania’s modern wine story, earning national and international acclaim.

Galetzer said appearing at the Taste during his 20th year in Tasmania felt particularly meaningful.

“We’ve loved the Taste ever since we arrived in Tasmania, and it feels fitting that in our 20th year here we’re finally coming along as producers,” he said.

“I’ll be pouring wines that really showcase what makes Tasmania such a special wine growing region, from crisp, mineral riesling to elegant pinot noir and cool-climate shiraz.”

Winemaker sessions will run throughout the Taste of Summer, with tickets priced at $30 per person. Places are limited and wine lovers are encouraged to book ahead.

The Taste of Summer will run at PW1 on Hobart’s waterfront from December 27-January 3.

See www.tasteofsummer.com.au

Taste of Summer returns to the Hobart waterfront

For food and wine lovers in Hobart over the holidays a trip or two to the Taste of Summer festival is de rigueur.

With a range of new experiences locked in for the fifth edition in its current guise, the Taste showcases dishes and drinks from around the island state, along with a range of entertainment.

Held at Princes Wharf 1, next to where the Sydney-Hobart yachts finish, the event formerly known as the Taste of Tasmania is one of Australia's longest-running gourmet festivals, spanning four decades.

The Taste starts on December 27 and runs through to January 3. It is always a great event with a fun, family vibe. New Year's Eve festivities often sell out.



Over 30% of the stallholders will be making their debuts, says food and wine co-ordinator Jo Cook, who predicts this year's event will be the best yet.

Stalwarts including Clover Hill sparkling wines and Willie Smiths cider will be joined by several innovative new operators.

Among the highlights will be Season & Fire, a new restaurant showcasing indigenous seafood dishes, including abalone, and the barbecue spectacle at The Smokeyard.

The new Winemaker Series will offer booked guided wine tasting sessions with local winemaking stars including Nick Glaetzer from Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers, Keira O'Brien from Rivulet Wines and Alice Davidson from Aunt Alice Wines.

For spirits lovers. &K Distillery will offer bookable VIP tasting experiences.

Other wineries involved include Beautiful Isle, Clover Hill, Derwent Estate, Haddow and Dineen, L'Appel, Ponting and Meadowbank and Sonnen, along with star brewers, cider producers and distillers.

Food highlights will include dishes from around the globe: from Ethiopia to Chile. And I hear there might be some free taste treats when you enter the gates. 

For bigger plates think the likes of Bruny Island Cheeses, Formosa Bites seafood, Katsu burgers by Lilly Trewartha and Tantuni Turkish cuisine. 

There will also be a new sports bar. 

For full details, times and tickets see https://www.tasteofsummer.com.au/

Adventure tourism boom hits Hobart

Adventure tourism is all the rage right now with Hobart set to be the next to enjoy the TreeClimb experience. 

TreeClimb is now constructing a new venue in the Tasmanian capital, marking a major milestone in the company’s national expansion.

Until now, TreeClimb has operated exclusively in Adelaide, Salisbury and Kuitpo Forest, establishing a reputation as South Australia’s leading aerial adventure experience. 

Set to launch in February 2026, the Hobart venue will be TreeClimb's first interstate site, with two more to follow: in Queensland's Logan Gardens and Hervey Bay.

The new wave of expansion follows a year of significant growth for the operator after TreeClimb founder and managing director Seb Packer’s recent acquisition of the iconic Otway Fly and Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventure parks in Victoria and New South Wales, respectively. 

Together with the new Hobart site and upcoming Queensland locations, TreeClimb is emerging as a major national player in Australia’s nature-based tourism landscape.

“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing TreeClimb to Tasmania,” said Packer. “From our beginnings as Australia’s first inner-city aerial adventure park in Adelaide, to now building a presence across multiple states, we can’t wait to expand TreeClimb into a truly national brand.”

Construction is now underway on the Hobart adventure park, which will feature TreeClimb’s signature aerial high-ropes challenges – including numerous ziplines over 100 metres long – along with a range of new experiences and family-friendly courses designed to suit all ages and abilities.

“Hobart is the perfect next step for us,” Packer said. “The city has a strong culture of outdoor adventure, and we can’t wait to deliver an experience that connects people with nature in a fun, safe and memorable way.”

TreeClimb Hobart will be located in The Lea Centre in Kingston, around a 10-minute drive south of the Hobart CBD. 

For more info see www.treeclim                b.com.au