Setting up shop during a pandemic was a risky move, but if the crowd at Dāna Eating House (Dāna) on a Friday night is anything to go by, it’s one that’s paid off. With tables of diners chatting and laughing over drinks, the music and conversation buzzes off the monstera-leaf-green walls. Low-hanging rattan lights and worn wooden floorboards give the newly opened South-East Asian fusion venue in Hobart’s CBD a relaxed vibe.

As we emerge from the cold we’re certainly ready for more get togethers. However, while we can all be grateful for Mother Nature hitting the ‘Defrost’ button, we may not have the same spring in our step coming out of our caves this year. Lockdown in late summer through autumn, followed by winter’s frosty hiatus, may have left our social skills rather scant.

Although stretching your gut to make room for that last slice of pizza could technically be construed as an exercise, it’s unfortunately not what I’m here to talk about today. I’m talking about the impact of physical exercise on your gut health.

Anh Nguyen followed her life purpose to switch from being an engineering academic to a biodynamic winemaker in the Coal River Valley. But, after winning a major agriculture award for innovation, Anh is bringing her past experience into her new direction.

Artist Zoe Fitzherbert made the transition from architecture to art in her late 20’s and hasn’t looked back.

John Franklin was the Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania from 1837 to 1843. Many things around Tasmania are named after him, or his impressive wife, Lady Jane Franklin. In Franklin Square he is depicted in statue, towering over the park on a plinth inscribed with his epitaph, composed by Lord Alfred Tennyson;

Joel Bevilacqua is as comfortable with words as he is with the waves. Having grown up on the beaches in Tassie, he now saves lives at busy Bondi Beach.

Finding yourself fantasising about your colleague even though you can’t stand them most of the time? Faked your orgasm and feel terrible about lying when your partner asked about it? What about your new lover informing you they’ve contracted genital herpes?

When Saroo Brierley was only five years old, he got lost on a train in India and separated from his family. From the streets of Calcutta he was adopted by a Tasmanian family.

Find out the latest community news and ideas from around Hobart in September.

Hamlet Cafe has been part of the Hobart hospo landscape since February 2016 and delivers targeted training and work readiness skills in order to tackle the barriers which prevent disadvantaged Tasmanians from participating in work and community life. Since then, founder Emily Briffa has helped to provide over 22,000 hours of work experience to over 260 Tasmanians.

Bums on aeroplane seats is one thing, but attracting a legion of people who will enhance life on the island will ensure long term prosperity.

Making the most of abundant seasonal produce has never been more timely (excuse the pun).

Hobart architect Stephen Geason of Cykel Architecture was engaged by international firm ThomsonAdsett to collaborate on the new Korongee Dementia Village.

Bums on aeroplane seats is one thing, but attracting a legion of people who will enhance life on the island will ensure long term prosperity.

Hobart would have to be one of the toughest places to be homeless in winter. While there are some organisations like Bethlehem House and the Hobart City Mission who are doing great work, there are still too many people slipping through the net.

We’re surrounded by history in Hobart and now you can take a virtual trip through time to plant yourself in the 1820s. The brains behind the app is John Stephenson of Digital Heritage Studio.

You might remember back in September last year we featured two local Glenorchy cricketers, Shaun and Zac. They had faced a bit of adversity and through it all managed to put together a cracking cricket team packed with international players.

Singer Stellar Perry battled it out in the grand final of The Voice as a contestant on Team Delta. We had a quick chat with Stellar ahead of her big night. 

It’s almost unbelievable that Mum technically only gets one day a year where their superhuman efforts are celebrated. So on that day, it’s your job as a husband, wife, partner, child or loved one, to put that Mum in your life on the pedestal she deserves. Here’s our wrap up of some of the best ways you can show your love on Sunday 13 May.

Not that into bushwalking but want to give it a go? Got kids and need to run them ragged? Just feel like breathing in some fresh mountain air, but not going too far out of town? Then these three walks are for you.

I’m Tasmanian by birth but left the state just before my 18th birthday to pursue a career in circus. I was coming home every couple of years to see my family, then around 2013 I put up some aerial equipment in the local gymnastics centre, did an intensive teacher training with a couple of people who held the fort until I came back in 2015 to run the program.

“This is something I’ll often make at home with dried Orrechiette, which you can easily find in most supermarkets. It’s a really quick and easy recipe to do. I learnt it when I spent some time in Sicily. If I’m not in too much of a rush, I’ll make fresh Orrechiette too.”

4:30am: Wake up, check the weather (bluebird day!) and drive up the mountain to the staff room to clock on – with no room left at the Cascade Depot area, the most logical place for a staff room was up top. Unfortunately, get stuck in the sunrise traffic driving up the mountain, bloody photographers and all their equipment.

While summer’s colourful crops may be well behind us, we can still hold on to the last harvest of berries, red greenhouse cherry tomatoes and yellow sweet corn before winter takes her pound of fresh. Though the seasonal palate through May and June is decidedly green and gold on both the plate and ground.

Kate McCarthy is the Marketing Manager at Destination Southern Tasmania, the people who represent Tasmania’s southern region, stretching across the municipalities of Hobart, Glenorchy, Clarence, Brighton, Sorell, Kingborough, Huon Valley, Derwent Valley, Tasman, Central Highlands and Southern Midlands.

My business, Tasmanian Mountain Bike Adventures is family owned and operated. Having been a keen rider for much of my life, I was curious as to whether my skills as a teacher and Principal would hold me in good stead in the world as an entrepreneur. Two years on and we’ve now completed our first year operating our business.

It’s another typical evening after work, sitting on the couch together recovering from an exhausting day, Jeanette on her phone, Darren watching something fluffy on the box. Jeanette suddenly blurts out, “This is really hard to say, but I think I’d like to try digital stimulation in the you know where region”.

New Town Plaza probably isn’t your first choice for a dinner date locale but with the opening of Ruckus Fried Chicken a little while back, it’s stocks went soaring.

Hobart City Farm was founded by a collective in 2014 – James Da Costa, Bridget Stewart, Louise Sales, Sam Beattie and Hannah Maloney. It’s a not-for-profit organisation, run like a social enterprise, focused on running a vibrant, financially viable and environmentally regenerative small farm growing a diverse range of food. It also builds community and provides meaningful employment.

We all know skiing and boarding can be expensive, right? If you don’t have your big 4WD, a private chalet and the latest gear it can be a bit daunting.

We all know that Princess Mary is Hobart’s own princess, but many might not be aware that there was a Tasmanian princess long before Mary hit the headlines. The youngest of ten children, Pauline Curran was born in 1893 in Hobart and educated at St Michael’s Collegiate. The founder of the Tattersall’s lottery, George Adams, was a close family friend and when he died in 1905, he left the family a chunk of money.

Jess Wuetschner is one of two Tasmanians playing for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women’s League, playing a leading role in taking her team to the Grand Final in March this year against the Bulldogs. Jess fought hard to keep her team in the game – with two goals in the final term to get the margin back to five points. She finished the season with the most goals for the year (including in the GF) and even nabbed a spot in the AFLW All Australian team. Here’s Jess’ story.

Born and bred in Hobart, Joey Edwards runs Un-Racked, a group training gym in Moonah with a passionate following.

Cambridge’s Sophie Scarlett is bringing stye to Hobart homes via her business Scarlett & Co.

Molly Kendall is the Coordinator at the Resource Work Cooperative, who run the South Hobart Tip Shop. We spoke to her about how the shop works and why they’re seeing an influx in both waste and interest.

It’s a given that most people know a park or two in their local area, and might have a favourite they travel to to mix it up, but if your park game is feeling stale, check out our wrap up of some of the best parks in Hobart.

Young photographer Daisy McMullen loves nothing more than Tassie through her lens between coffee with friends.

Property representative Conor Canning is Hobart born and bred and is kicking goals in local real estate.

If you’re after some tasty Indian cuisine then Culinary King is for you. Sitting among the restaurants lining Elizabeth Street in North Hobart, Culinary King is quickly becoming the go-to spot for delicious dhal, fragrant curries and top-notch naan bread.

From 2-5 August, the Australian Antarctic Festival hits Princes Wharf, Castray Esplanade to celebrate all things Antarctic, from the ships and logistics of getting scientists there, to talking through fascinating insights into life on the frozen continent. You can book to take a tour of the Aurora Australis and RF Investigator ships at the wharf, or head out to the airport to inspect the RAAF Globemaster C-17A aircraft.

Hobart born and bred, 18 year old Alex Peroni is making waves in the world of motorsport in Europe. He recently won the Grand Prix of Monaco, marking the pinnacle of his fast-moving career to date.

Two Hobart region wine producers attracted national attention when they won awards recently at the 2018 Young Gun of Wine (YGOW) awards, described as “one of the world’s most rigorous talent searches for young winemakers and new labels.”

Driving to the supermarket, through the usual dinner time torment, Darren pipes up, “You know the other night when I placed my hand on your shoulder in bed I was feeling like you know…”

Kirsha Kaechele is an American artist and curator living in Hobart, and the driving force behind 24 Carrot Gardens. She moved here to live with David Walsh, of Mona and started the program to teach kids the value of understanding where food comes from.

Before Salamanca became Hobart’s hotspot for a good meal, diverse artwork and bustling markets, it was a hub of a much different kind. Known as New Wharf throughout the 1800’s, Salamanca was one of the largest whaling ports in the world and has been evolving ever since.

Skiing with kids really can go either way. At one end of the spectrum it can be all snowballs and hot chocolates, but on the other it can be meltdowns in puffy clothes with heavy ski boots on. Either way, where you stay while you’re at the snow has a massive bearing on how these things play out – with kids in tow or not!

When I joined the band they were about to embark on a six month tour of Europe. I packed my bag and climbed aboard and before I knew it, six months had turned into 11 years. Somehow we just scraped by financially, but in terms of wealth of experience, I am a multi millionaire. From being pashed by Patti Smith on stage at the Sydney Opera House, to touring stadiums with Neil Young, to playing numerous festivals across the world and every horrible, run-down-toilet-of-a-venue in between.

Full of grit, vivid imagery and his unmistakable voice, Weak Month is the latest EP from Tasmanian musician, Christopher Coleman.

Tough and true Tasmanians stand strong in the face of winter, as do harvest veggies still growing in the garden. Brassicas and bulbs boldly anchor their stalks while underground tubers and root vegetables tightly take hold for the chilly months ahead. Whether one vigilantly braces or vigorously embraces single digit forecasts, the astringent crisp air tends to make us move a little faster homewards to hibernate. Quick shops, slow food and hot meals call for batch cooking.

Hobart’s oldest public place, Franklin Square is getting a tech update with the provision of free public wifi coming in September. According to Ald. Anna Reynolds who has pushed the initiative, it promises to be faster than other free public wifi around town. Get ready for some cool live streaming events!

“The hasselback potato is an oldie but goodie, you can’t beat some crispy potatoes on these cold winter days. These are best served with lots of butter and salt. You can find some really interesting varieties like pink fur apple potatoes at the markets, the more colourful the better. It takes a bit of patience to get them all cut but it’s definitely worth it. I love to eat these as a snack with a glass of wine or as a side dish with some roasted fish.”

Hobart punk-rock band A. Swayze And The Ghosts played alongside Jet and The Vines this year and provided home-grown talent at Falls and Panama festivals here at home. Frontman Andrew Swayze lives in South Hobart with his wife Olivia.

Social researcher and homelessness expert Catherine Robinson co-presents SBS TV’s Filthy Rich and Homeless and when she’s home she grows a native garden and drinks coffee on a sunny step.

Fringe at the adge of the world – get along to the Fringe at the Edge of the World, a small, action-packed new fringe festival for Tasmania put together by Fringe veteran Gillian English.

Working with some top brands and publications, food stylist, recipe writer and photographer Michelle Crawford proudly calls the Huon Valley home. This year she’s curating The Taste of Tasmania Culinary Program, featuring Tassie’s top gastronomy talent.

Josh Peach has been a police officer since 1995 and part of the Westpac Rescue Chopper team since 2009. We went behind the scenes at their air base in Cambridge to learn more about this important service.

Dr Kirsten Connan is an obstetrician and gynaecologist and has recently extended her practice to focus on overall women’s healthcare. She’s also a Telstra Business Women’s Award recipient and passionate about helping women in all aspects of their lives.

When TacoTaco first appeared in Hobart in 2012, the line-up for casual Mexican fare was long and the need for a street food scene was clear.

Where has the year gone?!” A familiar comment that is made just before the ‘silly season’ commences. Like a meeting at the UN the tension is palpable as relatives from far and wide come together. Some may have grudges buried deep within for decades, released in no time by a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately, police and support services have to respond to a spike in family violence over the Christmas and New Year period.

There’s a buzz about Suminato in Sandy Bay. The Japanese restaurant opened 10 months ago in the former Witchery site on King Street and brings its own contemporary twist to a burgeoning Japanese restaurant scene in Hobart.

“In this simple dish, the flavours of Middle Europe sparkle with the smoked eel, dill, caraway and Russian salad. The salad, once a mainstay of menus decades past, is something not often seen today but I think it deserves another moment in the sun. I’d serve the dish with some chilled Tasmanian Vodka for a really authentic taste.”

Skipping the gym, staying up late and making unhealthy food choices? As the festive season approaches we often let our healthy routines slide, thinking we’ll get back on track in the New Year. But these five simple food and drink swaps will help you to stay well over the Christmas break – and into next year. Where to start? With breakfast.

Crossing over spring’s peak towards summer, the leprechaun-green shoots of new growth herald a rainbow of new colours for the plate. Pears depart while pops of red and blue appear in November’s fruit basket with the season’s first ripened blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

When you buy a wine from Victoria, it will almost certainly be labelled as being from the Yarra Valley, or Mornington Peninsula. If you choose a bottle from New South Wales, it will probably be labelled as from the Hunter Valley or Mudgee.

With Bicheno local Shane Gould recently taking out the title of Australian Survivor, the coastal hamlet has been enjoying some time in the national spotlight.

After all this talk of voting in local elections, as well as by elections on the big island, did you know that one of Hobart’s own created the system that we use to vote in Tasmanian elections, way back in 1896? And now, the electoral area known as ‘Denison’ is set to change to ‘Clark’ for the next Federal election to honour Andrew Inglis Clark (1848-1907), one of the architects of the voting system we use in Tasmania.

As a senior property rep with Ray White, Bec Owens knows Hobart. She’s also a past winner of the Tasmanian Telstra Young Business Women Award, started baby wear label Mizzle and is mum to two rowdy boys.

Self-confessed Hobart ‘newbie’, Guy Stayner recently replaced Peter Gee as the ABC TV news presenter last year. When he’s not exploring the city’s cafés in search of the best coffee, he’s revelling in the view from his home in Lindisfarne.

Get your cans out – Perth comedian, Sean Conway is bringing his Canned Comedy concept to Hobart and teaming up with Tasmanian comedian Andrew Greeley for the first Fringe at the End of the World Festival. Their show Rabble Rousers, on January 4, will just cost patrons a can of food which will help support Foodbank Tasmania.

Summer is here and Hobart’s bar scene has never been hotter. Tassie nightlife hits its peak when the weather is warm and our city offers intimate and quirky watering holes like no other. Here are our top picks for Summer.

Rebecca White is a Member for Lyons and the leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party. She recently took time out to chat with The Hobart Magazine about her busy life.

Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Gyre, aka the Great Pacific garbage patch? These days, chances are you have. You may have also watched YouTube videos of turtles with plastic straws up their noses, or albatross carcasses laden with plastic.

“This is a really nice early summer dish using buffalo mozzarella, it’s the most delicious thing! I remember when I was a first year apprentice in my first few weeks of working in a little restaurant in Melbourne after I had just moved there. My head chef gave me a little slice of buffalo mozzarella to taste when the cheese van had come around to the back door of the kitchen. It was one of those moments where the world stood still. So simple yet so delicious. That’s when I knew that I was going to be stuck in the kitchen forever.”

Am I not enough for him? Maybe I should get a labiaplasty and a boob job! Maybe then he’d think I’m attractive enough to stop watching porn!” My client sobbed desperately. She was an attractive 40-something, well groomed, intelligent professional, yet at this moment she seemed more like an insecure teenager.

A little while back I heard the news that Hexa Group is planning to develop The Welcome Stranger site on the corner of Davey and Harrington Streets into a proposed 13 storey, 45 metre building for commercial and residential use.

Sitting at the bar on a busy Friday night, my partner and I immediately have flashbacks of a ski trip we took to Japan a couple of years back. After skiing all day, the izakaya, (a Japanese version of a pub) became our go-to each night for dinner, drinks and fun. Bar Wa Izakaya, on Elizabeth Street between the city and North Hobart, is a cranking little spot which feels about as close to authentic as you can get this side of Tokyo.

We are all guilty of over-indulging our screen time. The average person reportedly checks their mobile phone 150 times a day and 68% sleep with their devices next to their beds.

The evening before we’re due to take a day trip on the new Spirit of the Wild vessel in Strahan, we take a slow wander along the waterfront to check it out as the sun sets. An imposing charcoal grey and reflective glass structure, the boat was purpose-built to take passengers across vast Macquarie Harbour and down the glassy Gordon River. It’s an impressive sight and we’re now excited to board in the morning.

The Aussie summer comes with two big advantages. While we take an opportunity to relax and enjoy time with friends and family, the kitchen garden peaks in full swing. The abundance of growth and colour nods to a positive start to the new year. Resolutions to address expanding waistlines acquired over the festive season are buoyed by an array of choice to inspire creative salads, with bulging garden beds and pops of fruiting colour beckoning one to get moving outdoors and start picking summer’s harvest.

Imagine hiking to view a volcanic archipelago; plunging into the chilly waters of a limestone cave; and dining with locals in remote island villages. That’s a nirvana found in Fiji.

The Hobart Zoo was started by a passionate socialite described as a “human dynamo” and was famously home to the last living thylacine.

Having a defence background helps Mates4Mates Liaison Officer Matthew Jenkins in his work with ex and current serving defence force personnel.

Hobart healthy food advocate Chloe Proud takes a patch-to-plate approach to business. When she’s not pressing juice and sourcing the best Tasmanian produce for Vita, Alceme Kitchen and Tasmanian Juice Press, she’s bushwalking, drinking coffee and spending time with her family.

While family violence can consist of physical abuse; psychological, financial, emotional, verbal, sexual, and social or cultural abuse are also recognised under the law as family violence.

Trisha Squires is in the hot seat as the first female CEO of AFL Tasmania. Facing adversity earlier in her life, Trisha has enjoyed a high profile career in the community and sporting sectors. She now lives in Hobart with her husband and two gorgeous girls.

When you think about Antarctica, what things come to mind? Probably penguins and icebergs, perhaps even international collaboration and research stations, but I’m guessing corals wouldn’t even make the long list, let alone the short one.

I love simple, balanced cooking. Good ingredients prepared well never fail to impress and delight. I also – like any self-respecting human being – love fried food. Putting together this dish on a Sunday night with a movie and some of my partner April’s ice cream for dessert is the simplest of joys.

With a name like Mullet Cafe and being perched above the rolling surf of Park Beach at Dodges Ferry, you’d think this place would be full of wax heads chugging on milkshakes and dimmies. But there’s more to this little local secret than meets the eye.

As the crow flies, the Mornington Peninsula is practically part of Tasmania. But with wineries, chic restaurants, boutique hotels, shopping and beaches galore on offer, it suddenly becomes a hot destination for a weekend getaway.

When visitors stop to gaze at picturesque Richmond Bridge they might not imagine a history of whippings and murder.

A childhood spent diving into our cold Tassie ocean has created a national ironman champion in Matt Bevilacqua.

As the days get shorter and darker, Tasmanians are being urged to top up their Vitamin D with sunlight – and supplements.

Early last year, as I passed by the tents, cars and makeshift shelters constructed by people rough sleeping at Hobart Showgrounds, I felt a not unfamiliar sense of outrage that people in Tasmania are being forced to live like this.

Ever wondered what Italians do for tomatoes in winter? Family traditions are still in common practice across this truss-loving nation to make homemade passata (uncooked tomato purée, strained and bottled), estratto (rich tomato paste), whole peeled tomatoes (canned in jars with lemon and salt), as well as Giardiniera (pickled vegetables in oil or vinegar and herbs) at Summer’s end.