This year I learnt that footy weekends down to Hobart are not just for the boys!
FRIDAY
On Friday morning before the Round 22 match against Adelaide, Tammy the wife of Steve Saunders (high performance manager) and I headed down for a girl’s footy long weekend on Virgin Airlines to Hobart.
We boarded the plane early Friday morning, dressed for Antarctic conditions preparing for the worst, but were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by a sunny 18 degrees when we stepped off the plane, and the sun graced us for the entire weekend.
We stayed at the historically-rich yet ultra modern Henry James Art Hotel, positioned on the marina of the Derwent River. This hotel has been masterfully renovated from the original H. Jones and Co. Pty. Ltd. IXL Jam factory and showcases some of Australia's finest art and oldest spiral staircase.
Our first stop was brunch before heading to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). We were fed to satisfaction with the most delicious baked eggs at Smolt, before we boarded the MONA Ferry with bubbles in hand and cruised along the River Derwent.
 |
The world-class reputation of this museum’s art and architecture did not disappoint, opening our eyes to new sights and imploring us to realise life was more than just footy. My favourite piece was the huge Buddah statue sculptured from hand-collected ash from hundreds of Buddhist temples all over China.
That evening we were very excited to get to taste some of the delicious produce that Hobart had to offer. Last year as Andrew and I holidayed in Tassie, we discovered their passion and love for locally sourced food and wine and I was excited to experience this again. We headed to the vibrant Salamanca where we enjoyed taking in the nightlife at Irish Murphy's, before dining on Tasmanian venison, fresh local veges and wood fired pizzas at Smolt.
 |
SATURDAY
We were ready to explore some of Hobart's natural beauty by foot, so we ran along the bay to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The steady incline to the top challenged us a little more than we hoped, before blessing us with 180 degree views of Hobart.
Our run ended at the renowned Salamanca Markets. Here we experienced authentic community spirit as locals proudly showcased their hand-crafted woodwork, live music, and artistic creations. We could not resist the delicious crepes, whilst looking for rolling pins, salt and pepper shakers and chopping boards for the Master Chef, Tammy’s husband Steve.
Many of the local and interstate visitors were excited for North to take on the Crows that afternoon, one of those being the club's CEO Carl Dilena. On his way to the footy, he discovered that the settlers of Hobart must have been anticipating our arrival, after naming the bay next to Bellerive Oval in our honour all those years ago.
 |
The footy was charged with atmosphere created by thousands of excited fans in blue and white, beautiful surrounds and finals expectations in the air. The boys did not disappoint, defeating Adelaide in a nail biter by six points. Tam and I got quite friendly with the locals, sharing Tasmanian meat pies, homemade cookies, celebrating the win on the ground at the end and even photo bombing our selfie.
 |
That night we celebrated the win at the renowned Rockwall Bar and Grill with the chairman of our premier partner The Spirit of Tasmania, Mike and his wife Debbie Grainger. These two embodied the down to earth, authentic and passionate people of Tasmania. It was a delight to experience this amazing restaurant, whilst hearing of Mike’s sailing adventures. Good to know next time I board the Spirit of Tasmania I am in safe hands!
SUNDAY
Tam and I decided to take in some of the history of Hobart. Running through Sandy Bay and Battery Point, we were surrounded by quaint colonial houses, historical buildings and cherry blossoms trees, all set on the water. It was truly breathtaking.
As a grand finale for our trip we treated ourselves one last time, with a winery lunch at Frogmore Creek Estate in Richmond. This final stop topped off the whole weekend. Set on the foothills of the Coal River Valley overlooking the Barilla Bay, we enjoyed the exceptional service, wine tasting with cheese, before being served delicious Tasmanian salmon.
As we made our way to the airport, our taxi driver shared tales of how he lives a completely self-sufficient life with his wife on their 1,000 acre farm, growing and producing all their own food, singlehandedly building his house out of stone from the ground, inventing tools and making all his own furniture.
So this weekend away became about more me than just watching my husband play footy. It was an inspiring and invigorating weekend filled with fascinating stories and experiences in a beautiful city. Through the busy schedule of the season, coming down to Hobart was a breath of fresh air. We can’t wait to return next year!
