Hobart is the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania, an island that lies 150 miles south of the mainland. Hobart, with a population of a little over 212,000, straddles the Derwent River's estuary. The visitor will find that the estuary itself is full of beaches, including Nutgrove, Bellerive, and Sandy Bay. The climate is mild throughout much of the year, so Hobartians and their guests can enjoy the outdoors even in the winter, which the tourist from the Northern hemisphere should remember is around June, July and August. Things to See Mount Wellington is an inescapable part of Hobart's skyline. Indeed, the city sprawls over its foothills. At a bit over 4,000 feet high it's quite scalable and even walkable. Tourists should dress warmly even in the summer, as the weather at the summit is fickle. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a nearly 35 acre garden with a great collection of plants and trees, some of which are over a hundred years old. The Royal Tasmanian is the only botanical garden in the world known to have a house for subantarctic plants. It's also the home of the King's Lomatia, a sort of sterile protea that only reproduces by cloning itself, which it seems to have been doing for about 44,000 years. The Royal Tasmanian also has a Japanese Garden, a Lily Pond, an Herb Garden, a Cactus House, and other attractions. Hobart also has the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra,whose home is at the Federation Concert Hall. The site is also where a visitor will find the Hotel Grand Chancellor, a deluxe 12 story accommodation right at the pier. Hobart is also the host of MONA FOMA, a festival of performing arts. The next MONA FOMA will be held between January 13-22, 2012, so the visitor should get a move on if they want to attend! The tourist has already missed this year's Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which happens on Boxing Day, though the Hobart Summer Festival will be ongoing till the middle of January. Hobart also has the Theatre Royal, which is actually the oldest theater in Australia, as well as the Playhouse Theatre and many cozier venues. Places to Stay The visitor can reach Hobart International Airport from airports in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra via the airlines Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tiger. Besides the Hotel Grand Chancellor, the visitor can stay at the Wrest Point Hotel on the river and the Mayfair Plaza in the shopping district, as well as many apartments or apartment hotels on the waterfront. Excursions A nice excursion about two hours from Hobart is Freycinet National Park, which is on the coast and girdled with red mountains, white sand beaches and turquoise ocean. The visitor can stay at Freycinet Lodge and from there enjoy a host of activities like whale watching, penguin watching and walks through forests full of marsupials, parrots and kookaburras. Another hike weaves through mountain flower fields to the glorious Wineglass Bay. The visitor should go from February to March or May through September, which are the peak times to watch the whales.