It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Hobart - The Hobart / Launceston Magazine

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like…Hobart

by Hobart Magazine

Making space in the diary is hard in December, but here are some of our top picks of what’s happening in Hobart this Christmas, to squeeze into your social calendar.

Christmas Special of Street Eats

The ever popular Street Eats @ Franko is holding a special Franko’s Funky Christmas special. This team knows how to throw a party with festive spirit. There will be funky carols alongside a neon-lit fountain, surrounded by delicious street food and drinks. Plus a visit from a very groovy Santa!

20 December | Time from 4 pm – 9 pm | Franklin Square | Free

Learn how to do Furoshiki (Japanese gift wrapping)

We’re all doing our part to minimise our impact on the environment, particularly at Christmas when the wrapping paper rubbish pile can be larger than the family dog. Furoshiki is the art of using cloth material to wrap presents using no tape, glue or staples. Bonus, the receiver of the gift gets to keep and reuse the cloth, making this super eco-friendly. Jan from Wafu Works will be at Salamanca Market offering free classes on how to wrap your gift Furoshiki-style. Buy a present from one of the market stalls and head over to the Salamanca Lawns to wrap it.

21 December | Time 10 am – 2 pm | Salamanca Market | Free with all materials supplied

Park and Ride

To avoid parking pain, you can hit up the public transport or put on your runners and get riding or walking. If you prefer your car, then give Park and Ride a try. This free service is a shuttle from the Regatta Grounds through to the city. The bus will continue on a loop to collect you (and your shopping haul) and return you to your car.

16-24 December | Time 9.30 am – 5.30 pm | Regatta Grounds | Free

Dress for Success

Christmas is also the time to think about giving back. Clear out your wardrobe and donate your clean, gently-used work-appropriate clothing (blazers, jackets, skirts, dresses and shoes) to Dress for Success. This group launched in Hobart this year with the aim of empowering women to achieve financial independence. They help women with professional attire for interviews and support them with development tools for gaining and maintaining work. To make it easy to donate, they’ll be part of a lunchtime clothing drive.

9-13 December | Time 12-2 pm | Elizabeth Mall

Lunch in the Mall

On Christmas Day, a lovely group of family and friends will be holding a luncheon in Elizabeth Mall. If you would prefer to spend the day making new friends, both locals and visitors alike, then come on down, everyone is welcome.

25 December | Time 12-2 pm | Elizabeth Mall | No cost or RSVP required ■

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Worker shortage is currently universal, there isn’t an industry that’s exempt. For Kelvin Smith, four years ago he decided there was a very obvious solution to the shortage facing the construction industry, and all that was needed was a little time, empathy and a helping hand. Integrate Workforce is a Hobart-based labour company with one requirement: a refugee/ migrant background. He’s also the outdoor piano man in his free time.

Landscape artist and creative Elliott Nimmo is enjoying discovering Hobart’s vibrant art scene and local environment after relocating here from London to pursue his art.

Even though Tasmania is known for its mild summers, it doesn’t take much to get sunburnt. Tasmania experiences extreme ultraviolet (UV) levels, but contrary to popular belief this isn’t due to the hole in the ozone layer, which is actually south of the continent.While higher UV levels often occur at the same time as higher temperatures, the two are not linked. Instead, UV levels are determined by the angle of the sun in the sky: the higher the sun, the higher the UV. In December and January, the position of the sun over Tasmania gives the state a UV index of 11 or more on most days, which is classified as “extreme” on the UV index. Tasmania’s lack of humidity and generally clear skies contribute to the stinging feeling of the sun. UV can reflect off buildings and water, making it possible to get a higher dose of UV from these reflected rays, even in the shade.

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.

A Holyman flagged ship hasn’t steamed up the River Derwent since 1984 but the company’s name still proudly adorns its former offices at 5 Morrison Street, Hobart.

Widening the Tasman Bridge to allow 3.5 metres on each side is a big win for walkers and cyclists.

Need a laugh? Check out @theinspiredunemployed feed on Instagram.

Rain, hail and shine, the school crossing guards are always there to help with a smile on their face.

It’s hard to believe it’s not standard practice to have a working phone in every aged care room - shared phones make private conversations impossible and increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Just when you think your cousins are alright. NZ Opposition Leader Judith Collins took aim at Tassie during her recent (unsuccessful) campaign, calling us Australia’s “poor cousin.” She also seems worried about us nabbing tech businesses, “It’s a lovely part of the world but do you necessarily want to go there with your high- tech business? Possibly not,” she said. We beg to differ!