Mount Wellington

Many great cities have a great mountain watching over them. For Hobart, that’s Mount Wellington. A 30-minute drive takes you to the Pinnacle, which affords 180-degree vistas over Hobart and the islands rising between the Tasman Sea and the Derwent River. “Rug up,” as they say in Australia, especially in winter when the observation shelter is closed and you’re at the mercy of those “southerly” winds from Antarctica. If you need to warm up between October and March, grab a hot drink at the Lost Freight shipping container café at the Springs picnic area. Outdoor activities nearby include mountain biking, four-wheel-drive excursions, horseback riding, and rock climbing, but it really doesn’t get much better than a sunrise or sunset over the snaking Derwent River.