Welcome to Hobart and to Dark Mofo, Tassie’s premier winter festival celebrating the darkness of the winter solstice, and all things bizarre and absurd! Created by David Walsh, founder of the Museum of Old and New Art and its creative cluster DarkLab, this confronting, thought provoking and sometimes controversial festival is like none you have ever experienced before. So, rug up, buckle up and enjoy the ride! This afternoon you will meet your Journey Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception at the hotel. You’ll then head out into the night and along the docks for a casual pre-dinner drink at the Hobart Brewing Company before making your way to the Winter Feast, a huge banquet and community celebration of cooking with fire. After dinner, stay on and enjoy meeting mysterious strangers at your table, or venture out and explore the many installations scattered around the city.

This morning your Journey Director will take you on a walking tour of the historic Hobart docks before a visit and free time for exploring at the famous Salamanca Market. Connect with the local producers and take in the sights, smells and sounds of this vibrant southern capital. Working up a hunger, you’ll head to New Norfolk for an indulgent lunch at the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, a unique restaurant housed within the town’s historic asylum hospital and borne from a longing to grow and cook authentic local food where the ingredients speak for themselves.

After a hearty lunch and some fabulous local wines, delve into this town’s dark past when you take a tour of the adjoining former Willow Court Asylum. This building predates Port Arthur and the tour will take you on a journey deep into the dark and complex history of colonial mental health care on the penal isle.

The night is free for you to explore at leisure. Take a wander through the festival’s affiliated gallery spaces, signposted through central Hobart, to view the many installations along the way, or take this opportunity to experience one or two of the many pre-bookable Dark Mofo events at different venues around the city.

Today, after a leisurely breakfast, you’ll board the Mona Roma ferry that includes entry into the Posh Pit where complimentary canapes and drinks will be served. Cruise up the Derwent River to the Museum of New and Old Art (Mona), Australia's largest privately-funded museum and one of the most controversial private collections of modern art and antiquities in the world.

Immerse yourself in the subterranean architecture with a self-guided tour, or if all this adventure is leaving you a little parched, pop into the Cellar Door at Moorilla Winery adjoining the museum for a taste of some local wines or Moo Brew!

Indulge in a scrumptious Farewell Dinner on Hobart’s waterfront with unsurpassed views of the city, the docks and Mt Wellington.

This morning, exchange phone numbers with your new friends as your inspiring Tasmanian Dark Mofo Long Weekend comes to an end. After a relaxed breakfast, private transfer vehicles will deliver you to the airport for your onward flights, or your Journey Director will assist you with any Optional Tours you may have booked.